I feel like a loser

[JEDI]

Go to a trade school.

all the major trades in dc make ~$40/hr
hvac, electrician, steamfitter, elevator, etc

work as an apprentice during the day, goto school at nite. and school is free (they refund tuition at end of semester if u pass)

or enlist in the air force. least combat causuties of the 4military branches since the only airmen in the line of fire are the pilots

 

[olds]

If it makes you feel any better I had a doctorate degree and was making 160k @ 26.
Of my 3 roomates, 2 were MDs and one had his MBA by 26 also.

If I was making 160k a year and had roommates, I'd kill myself.

 

[JEDI]

If I had it to do all over again, I would've considered pharmacy from the start.

same here. head pharm makes 6figures at CVS.

WTFBBQ for putting pills in a bottle?!

 

[Ichinisan]

Everyone I work with says we can't do anything outside of retail because "we don't have a degree". Well I can't accept that anymore. There has to be SOMETHING else we can do out there that doesn't require a degree. Something has to be better than retail.

How about this:
GET A DEGREE.

Something to work on right there.

 

[IndyColtsFan]

same here. head pharm makes 6figures at CVS.

WTFBBQ for putting pills in a bottle?!

Yeah, exactly. I have no doubt that the education is not easy (and I found out in college I HATED chemistry), but I can't figure out why it pays so much. On the surface at least, it looks like an incredibly boring job. At least on the retail side, it seems that it would be really easy to replace that function with computers. In fact, I would much rather have a computer tell me about drug interactions, etc. than a person who might be stressed and forget something.

What's ridiculous is that the Wal Mart pharmacy (unbeknownst to my wife) requires you to speak with the pharmacist any time you pick up a prescription. She didn't know this and went there to save a couple of bucks. When she went to get her medicine, the person at the pharmacy would not hand it over until she had spoken with the pharmacist. And as you can imagine, this was Wal Mart -- there was a huge line of old people ahead of her for the pharmacist to "consult" with and she would have been stuck there for an hour, minimum. She told them to screw off and went back to CVS for the prescription.

Screw that. Asking "Do you have any questions for the pharmacist?" is more than sufficient.

 

[brainhulk]

If I was making 160k a year and had roommates, I'd kill myself.

lol no, we were all roommates in undergrad. We all have houses now but still hang out

 

[IHateMyJob2004]

Dude there is NO full time at Target unless you are in management. Everyone else is part time.

It's not like you can just walk in one day and say "Ok I want 40 hours now" It's retail. You have to fight for hours every week and are lucky to get 20.

Umm, try starbucks? So long as you are clean cut, they might actually hire you. They actually care about their employees. 20+ hours a week and you get healthe benefits.

Then go to school and try to get a manamgent gig at Starbucks or somewhere else.

 

[JulesMaximus]

Over the past few days for some reason I have been seriously looking at my life. I am not happy with where I am in life.

I am 27 years old and what am I doing with my life? Selling video games at Target. I've been doing this since I was 20. I graduated high school, spent two years doing nothing, and went to Target. That's what I've got to show for my life. I can't even live on my own because I am making $8.50/hour and am lucky to get 20 hours a week.

My younger brother is 24 years old. He has an associates degree and almost is done with his bachelors degree. He has been a technician at AT&T and now he works for the government. His life is great compared to mine.

Looking back on it now I shouldn't have listened to the idiots I work with. There is ALWAYS some kind of drama or tragedy going on in their life. Every single day all they do is complain about how horrible our lives are and how we make nothing for a living. Everyone I work with says we can't do anything outside of retail because "we don't have a degree". Well I can't accept that anymore. There has to be SOMETHING else we can do out there that doesn't require a degree. Something has to be better than retail.

One person I work with is ALWAYS complaining about not having enough hours, but when she gets scheduled more hours she always calls in and doesn't come to work. Then is back to complaining about not having hours. I used to play little mind games like that too. Well no more.

Well I don't want to be like this anymore. I am not going to make excuses. I want to get going in life, but I just don't know how hard it is going to be now? How bad is it going to look if I go for job interviews and they see all I've done is Target?

There are people I work with at my store who are 50 years old and have worked retail jobs and food service their whole life. They have nothing in their life, are one paycheck from the street, have a bad attitude, and are only making it because they are on government assistance. Honestly it scares the hell out of me. I'm 27 and I feel like I've already wasted several years that have just flown by. I don't want to look back 15 years from now and find my self still at Target going nowhere in life.

Dude, you're young. Go back to college, get a degree and figure out what you want to do with your life.

So you wasted a few years, don't waste more.

 

[alkemyst]

Yeah, exactly. I have no doubt that the education is not easy (and I found out in college I HATED chemistry), but I can't figure out why it pays so much. On the surface at least, it looks like an incredibly boring job. At least on the retail side, it seems that it would be really easy to replace that function with computers. In fact, I would much rather have a computer tell me about drug interactions, etc. than a person who might be stressed and forget something.

What's ridiculous is that the Wal Mart pharmacy (unbeknownst to my wife) requires you to speak with the pharmacist any time you pick up a prescription. She didn't know this and went there to save a couple of bucks. When she went to get her medicine, the person at the pharmacy would not hand it over until she had spoken with the pharmacist. And as you can imagine, this was Wal Mart -- there was a huge line of old people ahead of her for the pharmacist to "consult" with and she would have been stuck there for an hour, minimum. She told them to screw off and went back to CVS for the prescription.

Screw that. Asking "Do you have any questions for the pharmacist?" is more than sufficient.

You have a lot of responsibility on your shoulders is more or less why. If you had flunkies doing the job they'd show up stoned and just throw whatever was easy in a bottle...

I interned back in 1993ish and couldn't take it. You weren't allowed to give any advice other than on the medicines they were picking up or more than refering to what aisle something was in. At the time all I watched them do was read all day and verify what their techs put in the bottles and occasionally pull controlled substances...

looking back though today I could have that position and nef all day long for more than double I make now with a far better benefit package. Sure I'd work some nights, weekends and holidays...but fuck the money is great.

Education-wise you are looking at getting through calc and bio-chem as some of the early road blocks. However once you make it into Pharmacy school you can pick a 2,3, or 4 year program. 3 year is the bang for buck route in retail (at least it was when I was in it)...4 year is needed for research usually which pays very little unless you 'discover' something.

I should have done it...the science behind it came very natural to me.

 

[Molondo]

There are couple for people in my program who are 27+ who are working on an eng degree. Its not too late to hit school.

 

[SandEagle]

nocturnal trolling

j/k pharmacy. lol

A pharmD is a crap degree that ALL pharmacists get now. used to be 4 yrs in pharm school, now 6 ..... Hahaha

 

[dfuze]

go the route of your brother? start at a community college since it cheap and you can go while still working at target. it never too late (unless you're dead) to go back to school.

This. Start with basic classes (math, science, English, ...) if you don't know what specific degree to get first. If money is a hardship, try to find a job that offers tuition reimbursement such as UPS or manufacturing. This is the route I am going, just finished my bachelors of business admin and let my employer pay for it.

 

[BoomerD]

As an aside, I remember when a job paying $12.50 an hour was considered a really good position. Man, do I feel old now. D:

STFU! When my wife & I got married, $1000/month was BIG money...I think we were paying $65/month rent on a 2 br. apartment at the time.

OP, you have options. I dropped out of high school to enlist in the USMC and went to Vietnam. I did get a GED, but no college. (until very recently) After my 4 in the Corps, I got a union apprenticeship, worked my ass off every year, and slowly gained both skills and a reputation. My last 10 years in the construction trades, I made between $75,000 and $98,000 plus one of the best fringe benefits packages on the west coast.

Construction isn't for everyone. It's hard, dirty work. It can be dangerous, you work in the heat, in the cold, in the rain and snow...or, you don't work for months on end because of the shitty weather...or, like now, because the economy is bad and there are no jobs to be had.

At 27, you're not too old to enlist...IF you have no criminal record, if you have no health issues, and if you can take people ordering you around. (MUCH different than a normal job)
It's a great way to learn new job skills, get some money for college, and turn your life around.

 

[xSauronx]

This. Start with basic classes (math, science, English, ...) if you don't know what specific degree to get first. If money is a hardship, try to find a job that offers tuition reimbursement such as UPS or manufacturing. This is the route I am going, just finished my bachelors of business admin and let my employer pay for it.

at his age, with his income, hes elligible for plenty of financial aid, grants, loans, etc because his parents wont enter the equation, even if he lives with them.

a couple of pell grants, which require nothing, can cover community college and books. thats how i got started. im taking student loans for uni, prolly run me 12k or so to finish that.

even if you dont know what you want to do op, you should have some idea, or should spend your massive amount of free time finding something you are interested in. i work 20+ hours a week as an intern and have 15 credit hours at uni and still have enough free time (most weeks) to not feel overwhelmed. its totally doable.

 

[alkemyst]

My last 10 years in the construction trades, I made between $75,000 and $98,000 plus one of the best fringe benefits packages on the west coast.

benefits, like what a reach around?

shit if I made only even $200k over the last 10 years I'd put my head under a drill press.

 

[Synomenon]

I'm in the same situation as the OP. 26 years old, get less than 30 hours a week at work and still live at home with Mom & Dad. I couldn't take care of myself financially if I wanted to. Younger brother and sister have both moved out already and make at least $50k a year (which is alot in this area). I make maybe a 1/4 of that.

I have an AAS in Computing & Information Technology and an A+ certification, but haven't been able to find an IT job around here.

I'm planning on going back to school to get into the medical field as a medical lab technician / technologist, but all the schools around here take only 10 people a semester for that program. I may be able to use some of the classes / credits earned from my AAS towards this program and hopefully that puts me ahead. Money is a problem with this though even though my parents, brother and sister have all offered to pay some of the cost. I'd feel bad taking their money.

I've tried joining all four branches of the military, but none of them will take me because I don't have a titanium plate over the area of my head that was cut open during brain surgery that I had when I was 14.

 

[alkemyst]

first an AA/AS degree is a high school senior+...you get no real challenge.

I'd stop referring to is as an Associates of Applied Science though or you are setting yourself up for fail to a recruiter.

Say AA or AS and leave it at that.

If you really want to drive in go for a Registered Nurse degree. Very in demand.

 

[brainhulk]

A pharmD is a crap degree that ALL pharmacists get now. used to be 4 yrs in pharm school, now 6 ..... Hahaha

lol

 

[Matthiasa]

benefits, like what a reach around?

shit if I made only even $200k over the last 10 years I'd put my head under a drill press.

Per year.

 

[Imdmn04]

If it makes you feel any better I had a doctorate degree and was making 160k @ 26.
Of my 3 roomates, 2 were MDs and one had his MBA by 26 also.

Subtle, attention whoring reply.

I admire you for your achievements, but tact is probably not one of your better traits.

 

[olds]

Subtle, attention whoring reply.

I admire you for your achievements, but tact is probably not one of your better traits.

Tact? You new here? GTFO.

 

[preslove]

OP, talk to military recruiters about educational benefits. You probably can't get into the airforce, but I don't see why you can't get into the navy. Join the navy, see the world, and get a freaking college degree.

 

[olds]

OP, talk to military recruiters about educational benefits. You probably can't get into the airforce, but I don't see why you can't get into the navy. Join the navy, see the world, and get a freaking college degree.

Join the Marine Corp.
Travel to exotic, beautiful lands.
Meet exciting and unusual people.
And kill them.

 

[saratoga172]

You're doing it wrong dude. I'm 20 and working retail. Make 10 an hour plus commission and I hold a management position. I'm also in school full-time at university. I also pay for all my shit and live on my own.

Having said that go look at call center work and save some money, then go back to school. Never too late to go back to school.

 

[saratoga172]

at his age, with his income, hes elligible for plenty of financial aid, grants, loans, etc because his parents wont enter the equation, even if he lives with them.

a couple of pell grants, which require nothing, can cover community college and books. thats how i got started. im taking student loans for uni, prolly run me 12k or so to finish that.

even if you dont know what you want to do op, you should have some idea, or should spend your massive amount of free time finding something you are interested in. i work 20+ hours a week as an intern and have 15 credit hours at uni and still have enough free time (most weeks) to not feel overwhelmed. its totally doable.

I've got 15 hours and work 40 hours a week. Last semester I did 18 hours and split 45 hours between two jobs. I have free time this semester though. Completely doable.