What to do with a four-year degree?

[halkun]

This is a letter to myself. I might post this if I make something coherent.

I look at my bank account and I have $125 that needs to last me until the first of next month.

I find myself in a very interesting situation. Very recently I graduated college. I kind of took my time. I got my four year degree at the age of 32.  It's a bachelor's in business administration. The degree is from one of the most esteemed private colleges in Wisconsin. I'm about $80,000 in debt from my higher education.

Two things happened very recently. First my student loan payments kicked in. This has pretty much hammered my economic viability for the long term. Doing a quick  run down on my fixed expenses, I have about $1,200 in bills I have to pay a month. I own no credit cards, nor do I have a family. That is simply rent, car payment, and student loan payment. The apartment is a studio apartment in the country, and the car payment is for a used VW beetle.

The student loans is killing me.

I have no insurance, health, car or otherwise. I work fixing computers. My pay is $8.00 an hour + 15% of what's made in service. The is most often about an extra $300-$400 a month. The spread covers the bills, but heaven forbid I have a bad month and only make base wage.

The other weird thing that happened was I got a letter from my school, asking for a donation. I guess as I'm an alumni. I am somehow shuffled into the same rank as the the people who buy the buildings on campus. I found it amusing that they asked me for money. I wish I can send them a bank statement.

I open the pretty leather booklet and look at my degree. It's very nice, with all the calligraphy and hand-made signatures from the board of trustees and the President of the College. I had received the degree "On this twenty-seventh of May, in the year of our Lord Two Thousand and Seven."

I look at this thing and have no idea what to do with it...

Now, let's take a step back.

While in school I did not intern, nor did I do any extra-scholar activities. I worked in a warehouse during the day making hydraulic hoses and fetching fittings for $8.50 an hour. At night, I went to school for four hours every other day. I wanted the degree to find a way out. I was getting tired of working meager jobs I was not happy in. As I went to school, my job offered me no openings to use my pending degree. I was there to run the counter, and when it came close to graduation, was strongly reminded of my coming overqualification for the job. The warehouse was too small for a degreed manager, and I wasn't really interested in staying anyway.

The school had a Job placement office. However, I really didn't know what I wanted, other than not wallowing in hydraulic fluid anymore. After several meetings with a career counselor, I was told that maybe retail management would be the best direction for me.

I was pretty stunned.

Here I was flighting to get out from behind a counter and this guy was telling me I should be driving the desk in the back room. That was the polar opposite of where I wanted to be. In the end, it was a bust. Before graduation, a friend offered my my current job. I'm at least working with computers, but I'm stalled in retail making only slightly more than my other job. The degree sits in my laptop bag, where I put it after receiving it on that "twenty-seventh of May". Today I have it sitting on my desk. I look at it and feel it lose value with every clock tick.

I heard on the radio that a college graduate with a bachelors is supposed to be making an average of $4000 a month after graduation. I've never made that kind of money in my life. It seems like a fanciful number that reaches pinky-to-the-mouth proportions if you toss it in a CD for a few years.

I sit and look at my diploma, and I'm clueless on what the world to do with it.

I mean, I'm not talking where to go with my life. I'm simply wondering if I should keep it closed on my desk, or put it back in the bag. What exactly are you supposed to do with one of these things? I tell my story to others and they are just shocked that I would be making so little. I don't have an answer.

I'm going to rewind a little.

"So what do you want to do?", my career counselor asks. He peers over his glasses and my grungy hulk sitting in the chair. I had just come from the warehouse, leaving early so I could make the appointment. I haven't showered so I have grime between my fingernails and I smell like I just took a bath in a 55 gallon drum of cutting fluid.

"I don't know," I say, "Something Japanese. Like working with goods or media or something."

"What about teaching English?" He asks.

"I'm not really interested in that," I reply, "Teaching English is the hole that is filled by foreigners that can't do anything else. I want to do something that has me jumping back and forth across the pond working with Japanese products or something."

"Anything in particular?"

"I don't know, something."

The counselor give me an paper with an alumni on it. Masuo Mizuno, of the Mizuno Corporation. Mr. Mizuno graduated Carthage in 1970 and was president of the company over there. I wrote a letter to him, saying was graduating and looking for information on Japanese jobs. He gave a kind letter back. He wanted to know how well I spoke Japanese.

I didn't want to tell him that my language had atrophied over 10 years. Not only this, my Japanese I picked up hanging around the girls that slummed around military bases. It was nothing I could use in a business setting. A few days later, I found out I had calculated my credits wrong, and my graduation was actually a year out. I didn't reply to Mr. Mizuno  until a few months later, apologizing for the tardiness of the letter and letting him know my graduation was pushed back.

I received no further correspondence.

It was only a few days ago I looked up Mizuno Corporation online. As it would turn out, it was a multi-billion dollar a year company, and the largest sportsware import/export company in Japan. It would seem that I botched that opportunity about as much as humanly possible.

Ok, back to today.

It is 4:17 in the morning on a Friday. I have to go to my $8.00 an hour job at 9:00. I'll probably be working Saturday on my own volition to catch up and get some extra hours. Beyond my Job, I still have no idea what I'm supposed to do or where to go. All I know is this; For $0.89 you can buy a loaf of bread from the Quick Trip next door. I know this because for the last month my diet has consisted of bread, cherry kool-aid, and ramen.

I don't think college graduates are supposed to be eating like this.

Help?

[Creative Inc]

Start your own small business...if you can somehow come up with the initial funds.

[spyrojyros_tail]

This is a letter to myself. I might post this if I make something coherent.

Well, at least your going in the right direction, write your thoughts down and then decide what you want to do.

I'm about $80,000 in debt from my higher education.

When I read this, the first thing that came to my mind was f**k! This is a large debt, but its not impossible, nothing is.

If you want to help yourself use excel (or the open office equivalent) to organise your finances

Create a separate bank account for your monies, also you should try and use an online bank facility (its just handy):

Main A/C:
One for your income, make a standing orders out from this account into the subsidiary accounts:

Subsidiary A/C's:
One for your allowance, calculate what you can live off a week, and have a weekly standing order coming in from your income account
One for your utilities, calculate your monthly bills, and break it down into what you pay on average a week, try to pay a bit over this amount to cover any hike in electricty or anything - all bills are to be paid from this account so set up a direct debit to here
One for your savings, calculate how much you can save and put it in this account, any extra monies can go in here too

As for your loan, try and pay more than the minimum that you can pay, if you pay the minimum you are basically paying most of the interest payment and very little off the loan. This is my basic setup, I have standing orders coming out of my main account and my bills, credit card and savings are all taken care of automatically and I can get by with the amount in my allowance A/C and once thats empty I have "no money" but I still have some building up. 

Repaying this loan is all about organisation, so although its a pain to do this, you will thank yourself in the long run. Update your excel spreadsheet every month, which should take under an hour. If you dont know what you have coming in and going out on a month to month basis, you have no idea where you are going at all. Money is unfortunately very important, you need to be effective when managing it, or you will screw yourself in the...

have about $1,200 in bills I have to pay a month.

Have you considered letting someone move in with you to reduce your rent? (if thats at all possible)

I have no insurance, health, car or otherwise. I work fixing computers.

Health insurance is a must, especially in America. You said you had a car, would your work mind if you fixed computers in your spare time? Or you might want to consider doing freelance repair without them knowing it. Its as simple as getting a new phone no (for anonymity) and putting your ad in the paper, you have a car so you could go house to house fixing computers, a no fix no fee charge would help. You need to dig up!! If you are anyway decent at programming and have a broadband connection, start learning html, php and other languages that can help you develop websites, that is easy money too. The only thing you can be assured of is that you have every resource you possibly need to get yourself out of this situation, as long as your brain is intact, there isnt much you cant do.

I sit and look at my diploma, and I'm clueless on what the world to do with it.

I have done a degree in IT, half of the people dropped out of the class after first year (started with about 150), and most that graduated dont want a job in the IT sector (myself included). The point is though, is that you learned a sh*tload in college more than just your degree/diploma, use your experience to get what you want out of life. Just because you dont do what your qualified to do, doesnt mean its a bad thing.

What exactly are you supposed to do with one of these things?

Put it somewhere, it doesnt really matter where, just as long as each time you look at it you give yourself a pat on the back for achieving it. Not many people do go on to college, its an symbol of achievement. Symbols are important to everyone, use it to remind yourself that you can achieve things and get whatever you want in the future. Im sure you worked hard for it, so keep it. When I graduated I sat through some latin bullsh*t and got a piece of paper at the end, whoo hoo(!) I didn't actually look at the piece of paper, I gave it to my dad for safe-keeping and got wasted in the bar. I still havent looked at it and its been over a year, I guess I should at least take it out an put it up somewhere.

All I know is this; For $0.89 you can buy a loaf of bread from the Quick Trip next door. I know this because for the last month my diet has consisted of bread, cherry kool-aid, and ramen.

Been there, done that Although my situation was totally different, I just wanted the money for beer and weed Cooking isnt too hard, you can make good cheap tasty foods if ya try, its the internet, go educate yourself about cooking. The only reason I say this is, if you feed your body with good food you can only expect it to return the favour to you down the line, if you dont feed it well, it will not like you very much.

Anyway Halkun, from what ive read your an extremely hard working person, and that type of person will always get what they want from life, it may not seem like it today but (... and this may sound very gay) trust in yourself and your decisions, get help when you need it from friends, and you wont go far wrong.

Take it easy man,

[RPGillespie]

If you still live in the United States, try looking for civilian employment at the nearest Air Force Base to help you get on your feet. I worked at USAFA (Mitchell Hall and Hospital) doing logistics, quality control, and inventory management. There was also a position for computer management. Anyways, to the point, I made $11.50 an hour, with a $.50 automatic federal raise every 6 months you work there. There are benefits (health and something else, I think) but they didn't apply to me because I wasn't a legal adult. Here is a link to the civilian employment site:

https://ww2.afpc.randolph.af.mil/resweb/search_by_state_nlo.asp

You do not have to join the military, and there are openings in virtually every state (with an AFB). Good luck to you!

-RPGillespie

[Borde]

I haven't graduated yet (althought I'll most likely be done in a year), but I've heard enough to see the diference between a bachelor recently graduated and someone who hasn't studied anything after the hi-school: nothing. Suposedly you've got to build your career through several jobs until you end up getting some seroius wage. Again, the life of man is based on hope. You allways say "meh, I'm fucked but tomorrow will be better". And usually it isn't but oh well, you've got to keep moving. Don't surrender.
I think you should follow your counsellor's advice. You don't have to stay in that job forever. But you must build yourself a curriculum if you want to get a good job. Having no experince is a bad thing. You can't really get a good job if you don't have it (unless you are very lucky and, no offense, looks like you aren't). So go find yourself a qualified job. Most likely you will work harder and maybe even get a bit fewer money than with the hydraulic valves, but I think it will pay the effort in the end.
I must admit that that 1200$ a month is a real problem though. I can't find any way of cutting that 80000 debt in the short term. You can earn quiet a lot of money working on the construction (at least here in Spain), but it's a risky (too risky without social safety or a health insurance) and though job and it won't help you build a curriculum.
Sorry, but I can't be any more helpful 

[kini]

i graduated a about 2 months ago, i think your situation is familior to many of my friends, i think i would do my best to find a rich japanese girl

[Otokoshi]

With your bachelor's in business administration, try a financial institution.  A friend of mine got a job with a respectable US bank with his BA.  He worked as a loan officer/customer service representative.  I gave him a shout about the pay, he won't give me the specifics, but he said he made around three times your current hourly rate and PPO health care was included.  The bank even assists you with furthering your education.  He continued to take classes, the bank funded part of it, and in a few years he earned his MBA.  After that many doors started opening for him.

I'm sorry to hear about your hardships.  I'm also a starving college student who is working his way through school, just like you did.  With your degree I'd check for the banking position because you are certainly qualified.  My friend told me you will probably go in for your banks "college" which is just paid training for a week or two, then no more hydraulic hoses!

I wish you the best of luck.

[RW_66]

Halkun, I can really sympathize with your situation. It all seems so futile and hopeless now, but it isn't. You just need to dig down a littlle harder, and find out what you REALLY want to do. Then you need to ask yourself what you're willing to do to get it. Life is like that. Take what you want.. and pay for it. You can pay it up front, or you can pay for it later. But you will eventually pay a price (for good or bad).

Truly, BA's aren't worth what they used to be. So, you need to do a little more research, not to mention more resume's and interviews, to find a company that you can be content (and challenged) to work at. And don't be so totally surprised if you are drawn to a different field or area once you start working. Flexibility and adaptabilty are 2 key areas that others will use to judge you in the corporate world. Learn all you can, and make yourself as (in)valuable as possible. I personaly think that you can't EVER know too much about your job and the jobs around you.

Be some-what flexible in your starting salary, as you can quickly make it up in promotions and raises. Plus, it may be the tipping point between you and another employee. Still, don't ask for too little, or you could wind up looking too desperate and/or  inexperinced. Make sure your resumes are complete, and not too fluffed up. They should be able to 'scan' it in 3-4 minutes and have a good idea of the type of person you are, so 2 pages MAX. Also, always fill out those job applications COMPLETELY. If you don't have the time to fill it out completely, why should they make the time to consider you?

As far as the near term finances.. Buy one good set of clothing and shoes, just for going to interviews and getting applications. Get a good attache/briefcase that will hold your job and education information for applications, as well as resumes to take with you. It make take a while, so try to be as patient as possible.

For thr interviews, personal apperance and good hygeine are a MUST. You don't won't to look (or smell) sloppy. Be prepared to talk about past jobs and future plans. Also, you need to be prepared to explain what it is that you offer that makes you different from all the other people that may be applying for the same job, whether it's actually skills, experience, or personality. Managers and interviewers are always looking for somebody who "fits" with the rest of their team and staff, and/or who can offer additional skills/experience to same. Don't be exactly the same as everybody else, offer something new/valuable.

Good Luck!