The Benefits of a Good Education
I received a notice from my student loan company yesterday. Payments on my student loan begin next month. That wasn’t the bad news.
The bad news was that if I only make the minimum payment (which I can barely afford) I won’t have the loan paid off until 2030.
I will be 59.
I don’t know which is more depressing…… not having the loan paid off until then, or knowing that I am paying for an education that I am not even using.
When I started college I was idealistic and excited about all the possibilities before me. I received a bachelor’s degree in psychology and began a career as a substance abuse counselor. The pay sucked, but I was single and enjoyed my work.
As the years went by I got married and moved around quite a bit due to the fact that my husband is in the military. Moving every other year does nothing for a career. To put it plainly, my resume sucks. It sucks because it looks like I have no stability. It doesn’t matter to employers that my references are impeccable. They just look at the dates and pass.
I decided that I needed more options to make more money. I received a master’s degree last year in business. My specialization is training and development… a field that is growing by leaps and bounds.
I can’t get a job in my field.
At least not one that pays the bills.
The only thing I have been offered is entry level which pays less than I make as an assistant. (Which just happens to be a job which requires no degree at all.)
So, here I sit. I have a Master’s degree in business. This degree just happens to be equivalent to the degrees held by all the members of management where I work. Who all make 6 figures. Who all happen to be men. (Don’t know if that is relevant, just thought it was worth mentioning.)
I am frustrated…. frustrated with the lack of opportunities, frustrated with my past decisions, frustrated with being in debt, and definitely frustrated with the fact that I will be paying the damn student loan company for the next 25 years of my life.
So, if anyone out there is hiring, let me know.
Until then….how would you like your coffee?
The bad news was that if I only make the minimum payment (which I can barely afford) I won’t have the loan paid off until 2030.
I will be 59.
I don’t know which is more depressing…… not having the loan paid off until then, or knowing that I am paying for an education that I am not even using.
When I started college I was idealistic and excited about all the possibilities before me. I received a bachelor’s degree in psychology and began a career as a substance abuse counselor. The pay sucked, but I was single and enjoyed my work.
As the years went by I got married and moved around quite a bit due to the fact that my husband is in the military. Moving every other year does nothing for a career. To put it plainly, my resume sucks. It sucks because it looks like I have no stability. It doesn’t matter to employers that my references are impeccable. They just look at the dates and pass.
I decided that I needed more options to make more money. I received a master’s degree last year in business. My specialization is training and development… a field that is growing by leaps and bounds.
I can’t get a job in my field.
At least not one that pays the bills.
The only thing I have been offered is entry level which pays less than I make as an assistant. (Which just happens to be a job which requires no degree at all.)
So, here I sit. I have a Master’s degree in business. This degree just happens to be equivalent to the degrees held by all the members of management where I work. Who all make 6 figures. Who all happen to be men. (Don’t know if that is relevant, just thought it was worth mentioning.)
I am frustrated…. frustrated with the lack of opportunities, frustrated with my past decisions, frustrated with being in debt, and definitely frustrated with the fact that I will be paying the damn student loan company for the next 25 years of my life.
So, if anyone out there is hiring, let me know.
Until then….how would you like your coffee?
posted by Sherri at 9:42 AM
2 Comments:
Sherri, for what it's worth...things do change for the better.
You'll keep networking (because that's what you do) and one day, someone will say, "What the hell are you doing here?" And just like that, you've got someone asking you how you like YOUR coffee.
:-)
Kurt
Listen to Yoda...
Surround yourself with people who have similar education/intelligence level and you'll meet people who know people who will be looking for someone like you.
I work for a company (Midwest) with a large majority of men (good 'ol boys) in the upper levels while I (MBA) am more educated, more certified and more experience than my coworkers yet I am always passed over for any kind of projects or promotions...
Good Luck!
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