Yes, I do have a full-time job, and I even enjoy it, but it doesn’t pay enough to survive in this hellscape of a world we live in. I lack the college degree required to get almost any decent-paying job (plus my last job hunt took MONTHS to get a lead), I don’t have the skills or originality to become an online content creator, nor the artistry or patience to create and sell trinkets on Etsy (plus, that would require an initial investment which I simply do not have). Should I set up a GoFundMe? OnlyFans? I wouldn’t really be offering anything except a charity basket/collection plate so that feels dishonest at best. Idk, I’m quite literally having a breakdown because I’m probably going to lose my car soon, and then my job, and then my apartment, and then my life. Any help at all would be appreciated. Thank you
adding to it. As someone that just went through the process of hiring a new person for a tech job, idgaf about college degree. I do care about their Certifications or experience. Some paths that are hiring are.penTester, coding and Cloud Admin. Also GenAI is.opening a lot of new possibilities. All of those you can learn from Youtube if you really want to and then invest in a certification.
ps: remember that education lasts forever. YT influencers don’t.
Damn, you don’t gaf about a college comp sci degree? I’m earning this thing for nothing.
As someone hiring i would hire someone with a degree in arts and 10 years experience (in the field I’m hiring to) instead of someone that graduate in tech but only worked in other areas, so if I’m hiring to a junior position and there is a person without a degree but with certifications and some practical experience I would give he a chance for sure.
The truth is that any work you learn on the job. Even doctors have to.do residencies because school won’t teach them for real.
If you are already going to a school keep going, but also invest some money in practical knowledge, like certification in specific tools and solutions or coding in languages that are needed, not the ones that are popular (for exemple the older generation is retiring and nobody knows COBOL)
Research what the industry is looking for ( like big company ads) and how it’s paying for each position, choose a path and invest some hours in that specific knowledge.
Nah, some people just don’t have it. And it’s not their fault, I’m one of them. We are just too stupid to learn some stuff and can’t handle failure, for some it becomes downright dangerous to keep failing.
I think that’s a mindset issue. If you come at it with “I won’t be able to learn this, I’m too stupid”, you won’t give it your all and you will self sabotage. Besides, nobody is just stupid. You aren’t stupud either! Read up on intelligence types and you will certainly feel like one of those is yours, even if it’s not academic intelligence. Don’t give up!
First, I’m sorry that you find yourself in this situation.
Second, there’s no magic bullet that’s going to get you out of this. A tight budget might help, and perhaps tinkering at the edges might get you a little closer.
There’s a few things that might help:
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Check what your paying for what. Can you save a few bucks by switching contacts? Phone companies are crap at offering good deals to existing customers, for example. Make sure your not paying for any long-forgotten warranty given in your account.
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Upskill yourself: things like Alison offer free training, and a small cost for the certificate. While not enough to match a degree, that can give you the leg up to the next pay band. Often worth checking out New Skills Academy as well for offers.
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Check out your local college/university for free short courses. Many of them will do short courses that can help improve you’re CV. Even if they are just in a subject you’re interested in, having a university course on a CV can really help.
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Google your CV type: every type of work has a different CV requirement. Some want the biggest qualification first, some want a skill profile. We’ve all been taught to do a CV, but there are hundreds of different ways to do it. Check out what’s popular in your line of work, and update accordingly
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Job hunt now: if your current job isn’t paying the bills, it’s time to job hunt. Look at the salary you need, then what you need to know to do the job. If you have 70% of what they are asking for, apply. Luck plays a bigger part in job hunting than we like to think.
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Side hustle or not to side hustle: if you have a salaried job with regular hours, check your contract. It’s always good to know what requirements your current job has on having a second job. If your not feeling like a content creator, then Only Fans may not be for you: unless you happen to be really well endowed with good features. If that’s out, consider an evening job or weekend job. You might be able to pick up a few hours stacking shelves at your corner shop, or on the till/cash register. Two nights a week might be enough to help you make those ends meet. You can also try side-hustles like dog walking, or handy-person. Perhaps even a paid befriending service for the elderly (be aware there may be legal requirements in your area)
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Plan: having a goal helps keep you focused. Knowing what job you’d like to do will help you work out what training and skills you need. Having a goal being that can also make the grind of two jobs easier as you can see yourself building towards a goal.
These are some broad-brush ideas that I hope gives you the idea that is it’s not totally hopeless.
I’m surprised nobody mentioned that yet: talk to your boss. Do you have a good relationship? If he wants to keep a motivated good worker, he might be able to do something for you.
Also: food banks.
There is already a bit of good advice what to do, here is what not to do: You already wrote that you don’t think you have what it takes for it, but I want to stress: Don’t try to make money as an online creator, on Etsy or similar. Basically everything popular with a low entry threshold is overcrowded and will only pay out if you put in massive amounts of time and effort AND are very lucky. GoFundMe is similar, it’s probably not worth the effort if you don’t already have a big reach or good hook.
You could try OnlyFans with a clever approach. Don’t go for the obvious. Think feet or worn underwear. Alternatively you can go donate blood and plasma in some places for money. You can sell your hair if you keep it in good condition. In general I’d say get scrappy: Food stamps, discounts, free wifi only, decrease your spending wherever you can. And keep looking for better jobs. There is always a better job somewhere.
When you’re living in a corporate hellscape you might as well be a survivalist. See how far you can take it. If you are dependent on your car for you job, maybe you need to move into your car and get rid of your apartment. Get a gym membership instead for showers. Research living on the street, frugality. There is a lot of valuable information online. You are not the only one going through this.
As for the mental part: Pretend you’re Mad Max. If your survival depends on it, you’re not far off. There is no shame to struggle in the this system. Concentrate on your survival. If you’re at the bottom, you can only go up.
Are you able enough to safely operate a forklift? Warehouses in my general-labor overloaded area still pay $10 more than state minimum wage, offer plenty of overtime, and are literally always hiring.
It’s hot, dusty, physical, and usually far from downtown, but typically it’s a decent wage and can hold you down while you look for easier work. Plenty of opportunities to transition to an administrative position, too.
Try see if charitable orgs or colleges near you offer resume and interview assistance. Job hunting is shit, I’ve done it too, there are fake jobs everywhere, but seriously pinch your nose and play the game of capital during interviews. Act like a good little corporate drone, get promotions, use that leverage to lead good teams and help more people.
Hopefully any of that is at least a little helpful. If you’re in a rural area, you may have to consider driving 2hr+ a day to where the work is. It’s hell, this is capitalist hell, but you need to play the game to survive first.
