Unexpected Sadness (San Diego, Tipton: job market, neighborhood, living)

[Huckleberry3911948]

People get confused about a college general Ed degree
They think they have some sort of white collar trade certificate
Before you move to your dream town and meet your dream friends you need to deal with your depression and your lack of job skills
Both skunk juice to job searches

[skeke]

Originally Posted by Huckleberry3911948

People get confused about a college general Ed degree
They think they have some sort of white collar trade certificate

As an ex-manager who hired people in well paying positions with good benefits that did not require a degree I will tell you that a degree on the resume made a difference to me. If they interviewed well and had a degree that was a plus. I tended to assume they were reasonably intelligent, stuck with things long enough to finish them and had decent reading, writing and reasoning skills. I took over an office that was filled with 4 staff with no college degrees and one complete goldbricker (didn't show up for my first year there with a degree). I had to keep the people I had (civil service) but when I had two more openings I hired college graduates and it was all the difference in the world working with those two men in terms of work ethic, communication skills, ability to learn new methods etc. In no time at all my new people were helping out the prior staff, showing them shortcuts, explaining things and so on.

[MarciaMarshaMarcia]

Dear Ashlee's AlterEgo, I am old enough to be your mom but I also remember what it was like to be alone and friendless in San Diego. I still believe that no college degree is useless, it can always be parlayed into something, it's just harder to do these days but it can be done . Try to get on with CPS , it's a grueling job with high turnover but your degree will help you. I worked many years in that field.The pay is not the best but you get decent benefits and those kid need you! Someone suggested nannying. You mentioned your friend's child so I am guessing you have an affinity with children. There is a huge demand for nannies in San Diego, and you are young and educated so I would think you would be snapped right up. As for meeting people, I would get outside and hit the trails, go walking. Try Cowles Mountain, Mission trails Regional Park, etc. You might meet a better group of ppl that way, not just creepers.

[LuvSouthOC]

Originally Posted by thisplacesucks

Dear Ashlee's AlterEgo, I am old enough to be your mom but I also remember what it was like to be alone and friendless in San Diego. I still believe that no college degree is useless, it can always be parlayed into something, it's just harder to do these days but it can be done . Try to get on with CPS , it's a grueling job with high turnover but your degree will help you. I worked many years in that field.The pay is not the best but you get decent benefits and those kid need you! Someone suggested nannying. You mentioned your friend's child so I am guessing you have an affinity with children. There is a huge demand for nannies in San Diego, and you are young and educated so I would think you would be snapped right up. As for meeting people, I would get outside and hit the trails, go walking. Try Cowles Mountain, Mission trails Regional Park, etc. You might meet a better group of ppl that way, not just creepers.

Wow, good advice. A prim and proper nanny from Mass could clean up in San Diego.

[sacite]

Originally Posted by Huckleberry3911948

People get confused about a college general Ed degree
They think they have some sort of white collar trade certificate
Before you move to your dream town and meet your dream friends you need to deal with your depression and your lack of job skills
Both skunk juice to job searches

I haven't met anyone with that degree who has said confusion. In fact, most people that opt for a GE or social science degree have no desire to work in a typical corporate cube job.

[tickyul]

I think you will fell MUCH better when you get a job. CA will be a lot neater when you have some spending money.

Sad story, wish you the best of luck.

[Klassyhk]

Originally Posted by AshleesAlterEgo

Since the age of 8, my dream has been to live in San Diego, California. I have lived in Michigan my entire life, and the gray, cold, rainy weather didn't sit well with me. I know in my heart that I'm not meant to be there. I graduated with a bachelor's degree in psychology last summer, and moved here three months ago. So far it has been a difficult transition. I came here alone, I am living with a family friend, though I don't see her very often. I can't find a job. In anything. And I look all day every day.

I am so deeply painfully lonely. I have gone to many meetup group events, but I seem to get hit on by creeps a lot of the time. I don't feel connections with anyone, and I don't have any friends. I had many close friends back home, and I miss them dearly. I feel like I don't have anyone to talk to or spend time with. I'm running out of money, and the thought of moving back to Michigan is excruciating. I'm 27 years old and I'll be going back to living at home, working menial jobs for little pay. I feel like my degree is worthless.

I feel so much fear. I'm afraid I won't make connections with people like I had back home, I'm afraid I won't find a job, I'm afraid I won't find a job that I like or that is good enough to give me a decent life. And California is so overwhelmingly populated, and I feel lost and almost smothered. And oddly enough, despite the number of people, I feel very alone.

I'm writing primarily to vent. I don't know what to do. I don't know what to do now, tomorrow, or with my life at all. And I'm very afraid.

Ashlee,

Consider the profession of social work going in as a Caseworker in Child Protective Service/foster care, working with at risk youth in community centers, recovering drug abusers, or the elderly. Caseworker or case-aide (similar to Jr. Caseworker) positions will hire a Bachelor's level degree and you don't have to be licensed or certified, unlike a social worker in a school, hospital, or mental health facility. The pay is not great but you'll always be employed and some agencies (possibly even city or state gov't if you're employed by them) will pay for you to return to school and obtain a master's degree in the social work field. I travel a lot domestically and engage in conversation with many people. It's hard all over the country for many people financially and when it comes to employment. I had a horrible time after leaving a job for another one that fell through about two years ago. I was underemployed for over a year but eventually found a full-time job that wasn't great but got me back in the workforce full time. It has taken another year just to recover from being unemployed/under-employed. Things have recently improved for me. Best wishes to you.

[afdinatl]

Join the military. Get a real job that will pay well when you get out. Get out the military and move back to San Diego

[TristramShandy]

I'm not sure if you have an affinity with sports, but maybe what you need to do is find some Michigan transplants here in San Diego. It could give you that connection to Michigan while staying out here in San Diego - - people who will understand your stories and references. Here's a Tigers bar in Pacific Beach:

Tiger Fans of San Diego | Detroit Tigers Fan Club in San Diego CA | Where To Watch | 710 Beach Club | Sports Bar | Baseball - Pro | Fan Clubs All of San Diego County | FanLoop.com

It would be easier if this was the fall and you had football fans congregating, but with San Diego being a city of transplants, individual enclaves connect with one another over their sports. In about a four block radius I know where the Michigan, Ohio State, Iowa, Wisconsin, and Penn State bars are in Pacific Beach. Maybe your college has an alumni chapter here in San Diego:

Home: U of M Club of San Diego | Alumni Association of the University of Michigan

https://www.facebook.com/MSUsandiego

Here is the Western Michigan University alumni chapter of San Diego's Facebook page. That school has over 500 members living out here in San Diego County. Certainly some of the people on the page are much older than you are - - but maybe they have connections to jobs. You could work the connections you have to school or city:

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Weste...35920559845648

And if Western Michigan has that many people out here, so will Eastern Michigan, Central Michigan, etc.

Best of luck and stay well!

[happyinca]

I would apply for a receptionist job at a good pharmaceutical company or Biotech company. Then move your way up into Human Resources or sales. Your degrees fits those jobs. Most receptionist jobs now days they want someone with a 4-year degree. I am talking good companies, good benefits.

You also can sign up and temp. if you have good clerical skills and get placed at companies that might hire you and you can network while temping.

I have seen many of my friends turn a temp. job into a career at the right companies. The temp. job got them in the door and noticed vs. a stack of 5,000 job applications.