Need Career Advice

[KrillBee]

Warning: this is pretty long so you may want to skip to the cliffs at the bottom if you attention span is too short.

I am pretty lost at the moment in deciding what I want to do with my life. I know this is not a question you can just have other people answer for you, but I figured I would post up on here for ideas.

I am 22 years old, and just graduated school with a BA in psych / business minor. As some may know, there aren’t too many places looking for people with BAs in psych. I choose a psych degree because the classes were fun and my parents wanted me to go to college. I do not want to go to graduate school, or do any more schooling if I can avoid it.

Right now I am living at home with the parents, and I want to move out, be independent and be on my own. I live in a large metropolis area and rent isn’t cheap here unfortunately. I have no clue exactly what the cost of living is, but I know 1 bedroom apartments are 600-700 (depending on which part of town you are in). Right now I don’t know of anyone looking for a roommate, but that’s okay, because I think I'd prefer to live alone.

I currently am unemployed and have been for a few weeks, just got done doing a 3 month IT contract in a desktop support position. I am pretty good with computers and worked at the helpdesk in college for 2 years, so I could probably continue this route, but honestly I'm not sure if I could stomach it for very long. Also I'm not sure if I could ever afford to buy a house, if working as a lowly IT helpdesk person.

I like jobs that are very physically active, but I know that in reality people nowadays are paid to use their minds not their bodies. For example, I'd love to load boxes or something 8 hours a day (boxes not heavy enough to break my back, though) but I know that jobs like these only pay 10 bucks an hour or so tops, which I doubt I could live off of in my city.
I also like jobs where I’m trying to market an idea or product to someone, but not if it means working on commission.
I also like problem solving and fixing things, hence why I kind of like IT. But I would probably get sick of IT after awhile.

I know I should find a job soon, but…
I don’t want to jump into some other contract where I'm in the same boat looking for another job in a few months. Nor do I want to pick some crappy job or some low paying job, where I want to find another in a few months.

So, that’s the boat I'm in.


Cliffs:

-I'm 22 yrs old. Looking for a job. Have a BA in psych / business minor. Don’t want to go back to school. Have some IT experience too (but not sure if I could keep doing IT)
-Need a job that pays enough so that I can move out and live in an apartment or something (rent is 600-700 around here for 1br apartments)
-I like marketing ideas/products, I like fixing things, and I like active jobs
-I don’t like contracting jobs, commission jobs, and prefer not to work extremely inactive jobs.
-Need advice

 

[Arclight610]

Warning: this is pretty long so you may want to skip to the cliffs at the bottom if you attention span is too short.

I am pretty lost at the moment in deciding what I want to do with my life. I know this is not a question you can just have other people answer for you, but I figured I would post up on here for ideas.

I am 22 years old, and just graduated school with a BA in psych / business minor. As some may know, there aren’t too many places looking for people with BAs in psych. I choose a psych degree because the classes were fun and my parents wanted me to go to college. I do not want to go to graduate school, or do any more schooling if I can avoid it.

Right now I am living at home with the parents, and I want to move out, be independent and be on my own. I live in a large metropolis area and rent isn’t cheap here unfortunately. I have no clue exactly what the cost of living is, but I know 1 bedroom apartments are 600-700 (depending on which part of town you are in). Right now I don’t know of anyone looking for a roommate, but that’s okay, because I think I'd prefer to live alone.

I currently am unemployed and have been for a few weeks, just got done doing a 3 month IT contract in a desktop support position. I am pretty good with computers and worked at the helpdesk in college for 2 years, so I could probably continue this route, but honestly I'm not sure if I could stomach it for very long. Also I'm not sure if I could ever afford to buy a house, if working as a lowly IT helpdesk person.

I like jobs that are very physically active, but I know that in reality people nowadays are paid to use their minds not their bodies. For example, I'd love to load boxes or something 8 hours a day (boxes not heavy enough to break my back, though) but I know that jobs like these only pay 10 bucks an hour or so tops, which I doubt I could live off of in my city.
I also like jobs where I’m trying to market an idea or product to someone, but not if it means working on commission.
I also like problem solving and fixing things, hence why I kind of like IT. But I would probably get sick of IT after awhile.

I know I should find a job soon, but…
I don’t want to jump into some other contract where I'm in the same boat looking for another job in a few months. Nor do I want to pick some crappy job or some low paying job, where I want to find another in a few months.

So, that’s the boat I'm in.


Cliffs:

-I'm 22 yrs old. Looking for a job. Have a BA in psych / business minor. Don’t want to go back to school. Have some IT experience too (but not sure if I could keep doing IT)
-Need a job that pays enough so that I can move out and live in an apartment or something (rent is 600-700 around here for 1br apartments)
-I like marketing ideas/products, I like fixing things, and I like active jobs
-I don’t like contracting jobs, commission jobs, and prefer not to work extremely inactive jobs.
-Need advice

Officer in the military. Physical depending what MOS you choose, $25000 a year starting base wage with food, clothing, housing paid for + other little odd stipends they give you, service to your country most importantly. A strong determination, a BA, and being in good physical shape is all you need. Just offering up suggestions. Officer promotion is pretty fast also.

-TJ-

 

[NikolaTesla]

Photographer, pilot, travel agent, track steward at a raceway, stage hand, or if you're not afraid of heights those guys up on top of the cranes make pretty good money.

 

[Elijah2]

Hi KrillBee,

Yep Army life would be the quick answer.

Yep, there are a lot of benefits, promotion, good money, and possibly a brainwashed life after you get out, and thrown onto the scrap heap. Great career---BUT!!!

Now, you want to get out of home, well here is your chance with your degree, you could possible get a good paying job out here in Australia, the land of the Kangaroos and Wallabies.

In Western Australia they are calling out for skilled people. And they could pay anything up to $75,000 pa.

Get a new life come to the Land Down Under.

Love in Christ

 

[NikolaTesla]

The army life comes with a price. Namely the the lives of innocent people overseas, and you will be completely brainwashed as Elijah2 pointed out.

 

[live4grace]

Cliffs:

-I'm 22 yrs old. Looking for a job. Have a BA in psych / business minor. Don’t want to go back to school. Have some IT experience too (but not sure if I could keep doing IT)
-Need a job that pays enough so that I can move out and live in an apartment or something (rent is 600-700 around here for 1br apartments)
-I like marketing ideas/products, I like fixing things, and I like active jobs
-I don’t like contracting jobs, commission jobs, and prefer not to work extremely inactive jobs.
-Need advice

Hey I love the very idea of cliffs (maybe it will catch on). So ... I'd advise you to do what you love to do. Was there a reason you majored in psych? Do you want to counsel people? If it was just something you studied, then you need to write down what you love to do and write down how it can make you money, even as a long term plan. You may have to go to school more, but at least you have something to work for. And you can deal with all kinds of jobs along the way so long as you remain focused (that's another topic).

 

[russmoon]

I too have a BA in psych (a worthless degree in terms of application to employment)
I also have a MA in Ed. Psych and an MA in Bi-lingual studies and have worked as a career counselor.

I think the bottom line is to find something you love to do. Find something your are passionate about. At the same time you need to think about (or write down) what lifestyle perameters you set for yourself-that is, what pay you want to earn...working conditions....hours...benefits..etc. Make a plan and draw p some goals for yourself. You may want to take the Strong Interest Inventory from your college or pay for it on-line. It will tell you what others like you with similar interests are doing for work. There is one similar to the Strong that is free-carreerfocus2000 (google it). You may want to sit with a career counselor from your school or better yet pay for a session or 2 with a life coach. Just some idea's.

Have you ever thought of joining the peace corps?

 

[PenelopePitstop2]

If you like IT and problem solving how about Systems Analyst. Some of the big IT firms will take on grads on an accelarated manager program, Finance companies too have many positions for analysts, IT support etc, which is high paid. Or consultancy work which adds variety. There are few manual jobs that pay great money unless there is risk involved as the cost to train is cheap and therefore the position more expendable.

Can you get some free career counselling? Personality profiles can be useful too. Myers Briggs pinpoints a list of careers based in your personality which for me was spot on. I think there is web site called personalitypage.com which is free.

You may not find you ideal job straight away but have steping stones to it. Have you prayed about it and saught direction. Talk to God about what you would like to do and ask Him to open doors and give you wisdom and favour.

 

[russmoon]

One more resource

The govt. has an Occupational Outlook Handbook that describes about every profession on the planet-think it's OOH.gov or just google the title

 

[Radagast]

I am 22 years old, and just graduated school with a BA in psych / business minor. As some may know, there aren’t too many places looking for people with BAs in psych.

What kind of psych? If you've done Org Psych, there are jobs in HR, for example.

This Australian site will give you some other ideas: http://www.psychxchange.com.au/JobSearch.aspx

... just got done doing a 3 month IT contract in a desktop support position.

Well, that's a job, at least. In a large company, a desktop support position might offer promotional opportunities.

-Need a job that pays enough so that I can move out and live in an apartment or something (rent is 600-700 around here for 1br apartments)

Well, getting a GOOD job will probably need either more study or starting at the bottom...

...hope it all works out.

 

[Arclight610]

The army life comes with a price. Namely the the lives of innocent people overseas, and you will be completely brainwashed as Elijah2 pointed out.

Hi KrillBee,

Yep Army life would be the quick answer.

Yep, there are a lot of benefits, promotion, good money, and possibly a brainwashed life after you get out, and thrown onto the scrap heap. Great career---BUT!!!

Now, you want to get out of home, well here is your chance with your degree, you could possible get a good paying job out here in Australia, the land of the Kangaroos and Wallabies.

In Western Australia they are calling out for skilled people. And they could pay anything up to $75,000 pa.

Get a new life come to the Land Down Under.

Love in Christ

Lol, What is it with you guys and seriously thinking joining the military brainwashes you?

-TJ-