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Should I go back to school and major in something else? - 2/18/2010 3:23:20 PM
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singing_bee
Posts: 9
Joined: 2/18/2010
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I'm 23 years old, I live in California, and I graduated with an AS degree in graphic designing about two years ago at a trade school.Since then I have failed to find a job even with the help of my so called "career advisors." I know I am not the only one in this current situation as there are currently many college grads struggling with the same dilemma especially on the west coast it seems where I am from.
I have been told by people thats its not what you know but who you know and how to network yourself.Also, many agree that graphic designing and other technical careers are highly competitive and often it is better to freelance.
I find myself in a hard situation as I feel this choice in career may not have best suited me.I spent a lot of time and money I do not have to only realize that this may not be the best choice for me.I try to stay motivated but find myself losing more interest in the field.I have applied to many companies, big and small just to get my foot in the door but have failed to succeed.
Over this time I was working a dead-end job that left me no time to focus on my career as well.Now I am unemployed and struggling to find a simple job just to pay off my loans.I've thought about returning to school to further my education, but I'm not sure what direction I should go in? I've thought about just going back to school and just majoring in something completely different like jobs in medical assisting or occupational therapist assistants which I hear make really good money.
At this point I feel I am in a position where I am deciding what is more important; doing something you enjoy (which has even become vague to me now) or financial security. Even with the ongoing economic struggle I am debating whether a job in the medical industry would provide me more stability since it is a field that is more in demand. Many friends of mine have majored in medical or business.I figure even if I go this route if I change my mind at a later time I always have the associates in design and I can always go back to further my education. Only problem with returning to school is I will incur more loans and more debt, but if the medical field will guarantee me a stronger chance at finding a job then I'll go for it.
So after my long summary my questions regards to; should I go back to school and major in something pertaining to the medical field? Any answers or comments would be much appreciated.And if you read all this thank you for taking the time to do so! :)
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RE: Should I go back to school and major in something e... - 2/18/2010 3:36:54 PM
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Miss Giggles
Posts: 4562
Joined: 4/18/2005
From: MI
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Medical assistants do NOT make a lot of money, especially when you start. They make a little more than min wage unless you are lucky and get in a clinic in a major health system. If you do decide to do it, learn at the community college. Don't go to some expensive trade school. Half the women in my family are medical assistants. You also aren't guaranteed full time hours every week. There is also a lot of turnover in some doctor's offices. Some doctor's aren't easy to work for.
Not sure about the occupational therapists assistants. Make sure you will be able to assist in lifting heavy patients. Occupational therapists make a lot but I doubt their assistants do.
< Message edited by Miss Giggles -- 2/18/2010 3:57:31 PM >
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RE: Should I go back to school and major in something e... - 2/18/2010 3:43:34 PM
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singing_bee
Posts: 9
Joined: 2/18/2010
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thanks I will take that into consideration. :)
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RE: Should I go back to school and major in something e... - 2/18/2010 9:27:03 PM
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alwaysinjoy2000
Posts: 428
Joined: 1/25/2010
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I'm sorry you're having such a hard time trying to find a job in your area of graphic design.  If I may ask, did you choose an AS in graphic design and career in this field because it's something you enjoyed and had a passion for?
From what you stated, I get the feeling it's not what you thought it'd be and I can't tell if it's because of 1) it's just not suited for you, it's not the job you wanted or 2) you can't find a job in this field and so it's making you doubt it was the right choice to begin with.
I wish I could give you advice, but like others stated, a medical assistant job would not pay well and the hours you'd get a week wouldn't be stable. I work at a vet hospital as a vet assistant and what Miss Giggles says about medical assistants, medical offices, and doctors can apply to vet offices too.lol. My hours fluctuate and it's not the greatest pay, but I love working there (and in my case, it's all a benefit for me as I can handle the variable hours and the pay as I'm going to school full time to go on to vet school myself, so in addition I get experience too).
I can somewhat relate to your dilemma about a change of careers. I'm in the midst of one myself, it's why I am going back to school, taking science prereqs for vet school. I chose to go into a business field, accounting, and was miserable. The pay was very good, but no amount of money could make me not feel miserable about where I was at. I now choose a career in vet medicine because it's where my interest and passion are. Like you are contemplating doing now, I initially chose an accounting career for only the monetary reasons. Not because I liked it (which I didn't, I hated it) and not because it interested me (it didn't, it bored me and offered no challenge I liked).
Don't be too hasty in choosing a different career based solely on money. I know in these economic times it is hard not to focus on money, especially with bills and expenses that one needs to pay for..but I think if you trust God and pray to Him and leave it to Him..He will provide all you need. Focus on God instead. I know because I've been in really low points in my life the past year and with God on my side I know I wouldn't be finally doing what I should have done from the start.  Just pray to Him and tell Him your needs and concerns.
I hope I've been able to help you, just hang in there! If a medical field interests you, perhaps you can speak with someone in this field and get their thoughts and advice? Maybe to see if it could be a good fit for you.
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RE: Should I go back to school and major in something e... - 2/19/2010 3:36:20 PM
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singing_bee
Posts: 9
Joined: 2/18/2010
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Thanks for the support.I always pray to God every night before I go to sleep, and hope things will get better.I try to stay positive as well in these times of crisis.
Well at this point I am in a position where I'm considering going back to school and major in something different.It's hard to choose from doing what you love vs. doing something for monetary reasons like you said.To answer your question yes it was for both reasons that you mentioned.I thought it would be an interesting career where I could be creative and have a steady income as well, but overtime I realized it was a lot harder and more challenging than I thought.I found myself losing more interest in the field as graduation was nearing. After that I soon realized job security in this field was slim to none, and started losing hope.
I got so much backlash from people who told me that this field will not require the kind of financial stability I was looking for in which I realized I don't think I took enough time to do my research on the field and the school back when I first started.I was eighteen at the time and wanted to get my career going on a faster track and thought a trade school would be the best bet.Theres always that saying, "If I knew then what I know now, I would have done things differently." But you can only pick up where you left off and start over.Now when I apply to a school I will be more aware and do more research and won't buy into all the fog and mirrors.
After careful consideration I sat myself down to make a list of what it is I am striving for in a career? Is it financial security or doing something I enjoy? I think most people would ask for both, but as of right now I feel it is the financial aspect I am looking for more because I don't depend much on others and my family was never able to provide the proper education I seek.So balancing school, work, and education all relies on my own efforts, and my own motivation.
I will do more research until I figure out what my best options are.Right now its leaning more towards something in the medical field. A friend even once suggested the military and how that provides a lot of security and benefits.I really considered it, but I am very afraid of getting myself into a situation I can not get out of and would rather see my other options and have that as a last resort.
One more thing, since I'm paying off my loans, I don't really want to incur more then I already have.Since I've never attended a community college I don't really know the criteria for people who meet low income standards.I was told by a banker that you can go to school and receive an education for almost free as long as you qualify for FAFSA.If theres anyone that can give me anymore advice I would appreciate it.Thanks and sorry so long! lol :P
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RE: Should I go back to school and major in something e... - 2/19/2010 8:02:12 PM
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carebearstare
Posts: 116
Joined: 10/9/2009
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i don't know much about your field but i'm glad you're trying to write down what it is you really want and why. any amount of clarity is helpful so that when you stop at any point and wonder what am i DOING here, you have real answers.
as for graphic design, is it that the field itself is that nutty, or are you competing against mostly people with bachelors degrees, or are you not applying broadly to all kinds of cities and so on? i dont know anything about it but i would not be surprised at what you say, that you need to freelance, build a portfolio, and probably be pretty successful before (or IF) you could find a steady job with, say, an agency or be retained by a specific company... freelancing is of course an option and with that field i assume you could work remotely for people all over the world, but freelancing is tough work too and i wouldnt know how to do it properly and efficiently...
i understand wanting a steady job though. if you're pretty sure you want to switch, because this is really not your field and your passion, then do look up multiple jobs, all the details, all the schooling, what certifications there are, tests you have to sit for, and get a good idea of what it will really cost in time and money. and as some of the people here pointed out, make sure you know what kind of job it is in terms of who employs you, how steady your work is and such so you're not caught off guard again. decide what the day to day will be like and if you want to do it - do you really want to work with sick people, or people who are going through OT (read: frustrated people who may require venting on whoever is nearby, people who are mentally altered, etc), or do you want to be a tech/assistant with minimal contact (pathology, or even a scrub tech in the OR).
as for previous loans, you're not planning to break into a really high paying field, and interest is evil. don't know if you can manage to get an inbetween job and live on crackers and repay that before you begin again, but it sure would be nice. tough call.
with finaid, i do not know much about grants. there is some federal grant money, i do not know how much of it goes into 4yr vs 2yr colleges, and i do not know exactly what your finaid situation needs to be to get it. look up information at the community college you area considering and read all the details. all of them. if there are concrete criteria you can see ifyou meet them, but if the college gets to pick who gets it with financial need as 'one consideration' then you'll be competing. other than that the fafsa can also qualify you for loans up to 8500 per year where the interest does not accrue while you're in school. of course when deciding how much subsidized loans you qualify for they will take all of your assets and basically divide them by the years you will be attending and put that down as what they expect you to contribute to your own edu, and subtract that from the subsidized loans they will give you. you're 23, and for certain things schools may specifically state that whether or not you are a financially independent taxypaying lady, you STILL have to declare parental info on the fafsa, which can hose you. i have no idea if that is true for your situation but it's an unpleasant surprise so again go to the community college site and read the fine print.
finaid disclaimer here, that all of that is what i'm guessing! for your specific situation i have no idea about the dependency, and i definitely don't know how they decide to distribute grants. but anyway, lots of info to gather and in hunting some of it for career options you want to explore might give you a more complete picture of what getting there will be like...
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RE: Should I go back to school and major in something e... - 2/19/2010 8:10:04 PM
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alwaysinjoy2000
Posts: 428
Joined: 1/25/2010
Status: offline
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quote:
ORIGINAL: singing_bee
Thanks for the support.I always pray to God every night before I go to sleep, and hope things will get better.I try to stay positive as well in these times of crisis.
Well at this point I am in a position where I'm considering going back to school and major in something different.It's hard to choose from doing what you love vs. doing something for monetary reasons like you said.To answer your question yes it was for both reasons that you mentioned.I thought it would be an interesting career where I could be creative and have a steady income as well, but overtime I realized it was a lot harder and more challenging than I thought.I found myself losing more interest in the field as graduation was nearing. After that I soon realized job security in this field was slim to none, and started losing hope.
I got so much backlash from people who told me that this field will not require the kind of financial stability I was looking for in which I realized I don't think I took enough time to do my research on the field and the school back when I first started.I was eighteen at the time and wanted to get my career going on a faster track and thought a trade school would be the best bet.Theres always that saying, "If I knew then what I know now, I would have done things differently." But you can only pick up where you left off and start over.Now when I apply to a school I will be more aware and do more research and won't buy into all the fog and mirrors.
After careful consideration I sat myself down to make a list of what it is I am striving for in a career? Is it financial security or doing something I enjoy? I think most people would ask for both, but as of right now I feel it is the financial aspect I am looking for more because I don't depend much on others and my family was never able to provide the proper education I seek.So balancing school, work, and education all relies on my own efforts, and my own motivation.
I will do more research until I figure out what my best options are.Right now its leaning more towards something in the medical field. A friend even once suggested the military and how that provides a lot of security and benefits.I really considered it, but I am very afraid of getting myself into a situation I can not get out of and would rather see my other options and have that as a last resort.
One more thing, since I'm paying off my loans, I don't really want to incur more then I already have.Since I've never attended a community college I don't really know the criteria for people who meet low income standards.I was told by a banker that you can go to school and receive an education for almost free as long as you qualify for FAFSA.If theres anyone that can give me anymore advice I would appreciate it.Thanks and sorry so long! lol :P
I'm sorry that you got so much heat for your choice in graphics design. I think you're going about the right way, think through it all carefully, research all the options, and then make a decision.
I think with grant money through FAFSA it depends on whether you're going for undergrad or grad degree. If you already have a B.S. undergrad degree you will not qualify for grant money, but only federal loans. Not sure how it is for grad school.
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RE: Should I go back to school and major in something e... - 2/20/2010 9:42:13 AM
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Miss Giggles
Posts: 4562
Joined: 4/18/2005
From: MI
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grants and scholarships depend on income though. Please fill out the FAFSA and look into it. It also depends by state, some states set up grants for adult workers to go back to school during the recession. You can get grants for grad degrees , usually its not much as compared to undergraduate degrees.
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RE: Should I go back to school and major in something e... - 2/22/2010 11:19:21 AM
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APZR
Posts: 1007
Joined: 4/18/2005
From: GA
Status: offline
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An AS degree isn't that appealing, especially when there are others out there with BS and Masters who are going after the same jobs. If your loan payments are deferred while you are a student, then I'd say yes... you need to go back to school. Get a 4 year in a field you enjoy, but make sure the total cost does not exceed 30% of your first years salary!!! If you get too deep in debt with a job that pays only $35,000/year for the next 10 years, you will never be able to pay it off.
_____________________________
Ya can't keep trouble from visitin, but you don't have to offer it a chair.
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RE: Should I go back to school and major in something e... - 2/22/2010 1:42:37 PM
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eaglelady11
Posts: 308
Joined: 7/20/2005
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if you're in California, look into one of the Cal states. get the BA. also, you don't have to choose between doing what you love and financial security--you can have both. Doing something you enjoy and being compensated in such a way that you can afford to pay the bills. Also, look beyond graphic design. Look into some business and communication courses. and look for work in the entertainment or publishing fields or even with the government. just a suggestion. the link I provided is for USA jobs.
< Message edited by eaglelady11 -- 2/22/2010 2:40:52 PM >
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RE: Should I go back to school and major in something e... - 2/23/2010 6:47:04 AM
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rgod
Posts: 2376
Joined: 4/25/2005
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I side with APZR - good advice there. Eaglelady11 also gave good advice. If you have graphic design skills, you could probably get your 4 year degree in something else that you enjoy and use your graphic design degree as a base. You might want to try building your portfolio by doing some volunteer work or even freelancing.
_____________________________
Be yourself; everyone else is already taken - Oscar Wilde
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RE: Should I go back to school and major in something e... - 2/23/2010 8:14:22 AM
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Mehetabel
Posts: 48
Joined: 2/13/2010
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Hi there singing_bee
Since I'm preparing myself to be a graphic design artist as well, I understand how you feel about it. I myself am standing in front of a new 4 year study in computer animation. I have finished a 3 year study (desktop publishing) before.
And yeah you are right, there is A LOT of competition in these careers. The first thing I had to teach myself is NOT to compare myself to others. There will always be someone who makes and creates nicer things. If we keep on looking at them and then tell ourself how much better they are, the fun in this will indeed go away.
It is also true that you need to have the contacts and connections. I'm having trouble as well finding to get some connections ( especially christians who are involved with graphic design. ) I hope I'll get some connections in the study ahead of me. Although I really want to find some christians interested in this as well.
So I do understand the questions you have, and I sometimes am wondering how on earth I am ever going to do this. It is very important to know what God's will is. Do you feel this is a calling from God? Do you think God wants to use you in this area? I'm asking that question myself (and God) many times! so far I do have the impression that God does want me to do this. I might have understood God wrong offcourse, but for now I'm kinda like, "I just go for it. If God wants me to do something else, He will close doors and open some others."
At least I tried, and to try something is better then to do nothing.
So what can I say? Make a portfolio if you don't have one! Show people what you can. Don't compare yourself with others. But instead let it be motivating you to create, create and create even more. Maybe get a simple job for now that at least gives you some money to pay the most important bills and some food. In the time that is left, work on your portfolio. I don't know exactly what area your study was focussed on! Graphic Design could mean a lot of things. I assume you mean designing posters, commercials, flyers logos and those kind of things. Without having a job it is hard to make these things to fill up your portfolio.
But your portfolio could contain other things as well. Could be drawings, photoshops, anything. Maybe ask your church if you can create anything for them for upcoming events (flyers)!? And of course bring it all to God, and ask Him what He wants to do with this. Knowing His will about it is the most important. Even when things seem to not work, at least you know that God wants you to walk this way and you can focus every situation with God standing next to you.
Not sure if this is of any help to you! But I hope you will find out God's will in all this!
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RE: Should I go back to school and major in something e... - 2/23/2010 9:23:50 AM
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iluvatar
Posts: 3546
Joined: 4/12/2005
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quote:
ORIGINAL: Mehetabel
So what can I say? Make a portfolio if you don't have one! Show people what you can.
That's the most important thing. In creative fields, you're right - it's who you know, but it's also what you've done. Everybody's a graphic designer these days - what work have you done that make people want to hire your services?
-Dan.
_____________________________
Well, I've been to one world fair, a picnic, and a rodeo, and that's the stupidest thing I ever heard come over a set of earphones.
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RE: Should I go back to school and major in something e... - 3/19/2010 4:44:32 PM
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cih92
Posts: 241
Joined: 4/18/2005
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Think about what career you want to get into and then find out if you need to go back to school for that career.
I was in the same situation you were in when I was younger. I graduated with a degree in Communication Studies, but I could not find a job that was related to my degree. I gave up finding a job related to my degree and decided to pursue a different career path. I decided to pursue a career in electronics so I joined the military to get training for that field. I worked as an electronics technician in the military and in the civilian world. Then, I chose to pursue a different career path again. I went back to school to earn a B.S. in Computer Science and now I'm working as a software engineer.
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