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Job Rambles! Figurin out a path
a year ago
Been working towards getting an actual long term sorta job for the past decade of my life, started off aspirationally and now I am here in my late 20s!.. Still unable to get a job that can cover my bills and I just figured I would ramble about it here, gotta get it off my chest, Been thinking about jobs I can gun for or that are available for me with the goal of finding some sort of job that can cover my expenses and help me keep churning forward with the comic!
I am used to working on the comic on a 40 hour week... But the reality is obviously if I try and stick to a 40 hour week at most jobs they're gonna find a way to leave me on the side of the road!
Spanish isn't workin
It is true that folks want spanish speakers! But they don't want a spanish degree. I see lots of bilingual positions where they are lookin for someone who speaks two languages!.. And has a year of experience in something, and a degree in that thing, and are payin only 14$ an hour for that position. Its a bit crushing I won't lie to hear that my degree is useless at least in that respect. Seems like everyone wants a spanish speaker but they won't pay for that spanish speaker and expect them to be folks who didn't study spanish.
So still applying to jobs where I can! But also looking for other careers and jobs and whatnots
Headed to Detroit?
A friend of mine who works for the Young Dems has been pullin strings for weeks to get me a job in Detroit which, good job, pays 18$/hour, is sorely needed from what I've heard! Full time but temporary with an opportunity to jump into a long term job there. I am very apprehensive about jumping across the country to Detroit though considering the financial cost of doing so. I don't have much money at all and driving or flying is gonna cost me big time. If the job goes bad out there I would also be pretty isolated.
Also can be a very dense job, well over 50 hours a week this time of year as it would be a political door knocker, not really what I am passionate about and I worry about comic time. But the job is essentially waiting for me provided I am willing to take the financial risks of moving across the country.
Trucking?
The job I've thought about for a while as the last ditch job would prolly be trucking. Its deeply overworked, but entry pay is 50K for an OTR trucker here in Idaho, most come with their own programs for getting a CDL A, trained and on the road in as little as two months. I've had a friend and a stepfather who are/were both truckers and they've both said that as long as you're willing to live in the truck you can save up a pretty large chunk of change. At least in the short run it could help me pay down my student debts (60k.. its a lot) throw some money to my parents so they can hopefully retire, and maybe stack up some savings for myself!
But obviously trucking, especially OTR which seems to be where it pays best, is isolating, difficult, dangerous, and while it pays well everyone seems to say it doesnt pay as well as it should.
It would also be constant 14 hour shifts, with some breaks every 70 hours on! But to be frank I have no idea how i would ever get the comic even remotely moving with a schedule like that. It could be the end of my ability to seriously draw and that does actually really horrify me!
But if I need a job I need a job!
Graduates Program?
One thing I am looking towards is a Graduates Program Residency for Spanish literature or education or something of that sort, from the University of Arizona perhaps! Something in which I could work, get paid, and study towards a masters degree! Though the time to apply for that sorta thing is at least 4 months away and so I am not thinking too heavily about it right now, I already have all my applications ready (prepared them in March)
Any other job
Truth be told, my finances are rather awful right now, things are not goin ok and if I can't scrape something together by the end of August then it will probably just be a "settle for any job"
reality is the job search isn't working, noone wants my degree, So hopefully I can get a plan!.. But at the end of the day I just need a Job, so we will find out the painful way it seems
Be Well!
I am used to working on the comic on a 40 hour week... But the reality is obviously if I try and stick to a 40 hour week at most jobs they're gonna find a way to leave me on the side of the road!
Spanish isn't workin
It is true that folks want spanish speakers! But they don't want a spanish degree. I see lots of bilingual positions where they are lookin for someone who speaks two languages!.. And has a year of experience in something, and a degree in that thing, and are payin only 14$ an hour for that position. Its a bit crushing I won't lie to hear that my degree is useless at least in that respect. Seems like everyone wants a spanish speaker but they won't pay for that spanish speaker and expect them to be folks who didn't study spanish.
So still applying to jobs where I can! But also looking for other careers and jobs and whatnots
Headed to Detroit?
A friend of mine who works for the Young Dems has been pullin strings for weeks to get me a job in Detroit which, good job, pays 18$/hour, is sorely needed from what I've heard! Full time but temporary with an opportunity to jump into a long term job there. I am very apprehensive about jumping across the country to Detroit though considering the financial cost of doing so. I don't have much money at all and driving or flying is gonna cost me big time. If the job goes bad out there I would also be pretty isolated.
Also can be a very dense job, well over 50 hours a week this time of year as it would be a political door knocker, not really what I am passionate about and I worry about comic time. But the job is essentially waiting for me provided I am willing to take the financial risks of moving across the country.
Trucking?
The job I've thought about for a while as the last ditch job would prolly be trucking. Its deeply overworked, but entry pay is 50K for an OTR trucker here in Idaho, most come with their own programs for getting a CDL A, trained and on the road in as little as two months. I've had a friend and a stepfather who are/were both truckers and they've both said that as long as you're willing to live in the truck you can save up a pretty large chunk of change. At least in the short run it could help me pay down my student debts (60k.. its a lot) throw some money to my parents so they can hopefully retire, and maybe stack up some savings for myself!
But obviously trucking, especially OTR which seems to be where it pays best, is isolating, difficult, dangerous, and while it pays well everyone seems to say it doesnt pay as well as it should.
It would also be constant 14 hour shifts, with some breaks every 70 hours on! But to be frank I have no idea how i would ever get the comic even remotely moving with a schedule like that. It could be the end of my ability to seriously draw and that does actually really horrify me!
But if I need a job I need a job!
Graduates Program?
One thing I am looking towards is a Graduates Program Residency for Spanish literature or education or something of that sort, from the University of Arizona perhaps! Something in which I could work, get paid, and study towards a masters degree! Though the time to apply for that sorta thing is at least 4 months away and so I am not thinking too heavily about it right now, I already have all my applications ready (prepared them in March)
Any other job
Truth be told, my finances are rather awful right now, things are not goin ok and if I can't scrape something together by the end of August then it will probably just be a "settle for any job"
reality is the job search isn't working, noone wants my degree, So hopefully I can get a plan!.. But at the end of the day I just need a Job, so we will find out the painful way it seems
Be Well!
Trucking's rough but can be used later on as a credit towards a less rough version in the same career. Some folks don't do the long haul trips. Some just run basic routes or the occasional hot job trip delivering parts and such. Everyone needs drivers and having any experience behind an 18 wheeler or box truck is a bonus. It's not as isolating as it used to be. We got internet on our phones now and it doesn't have to be a permanent thing. Even if it's temporary, it can be a foundation for more growth. Being a door-knocker kinda locks you in where the only path of growth is within that group and they know ya don't have options so ya don't have much barganing power.
Call it selfish or narrowly sighted, but the comic is one of those big things that brings me a deep joy! So if trucking sucks up all that time and/or energy to actually draw!.. That would be hellish for me.
But it would absolutely be a good paying job, hence why its on the list! I am fine being on the road, I am fine drifting across the country in a small living cab, its mostly whether or not I would be able to actually draw or not that would break it for me.
Wishing you good luck in finding something to tie you over mate, be safe and hope things work out for you soon!
my BFA is like toilet paper so I totally understand the pains y--y
60k in debt and no one cares to hire. Been very painful but I guess that is just life
Though you might have more luck than me, I'm a disabled furry artist-- you have a lot of energy and passion and I know you'll find a way to make things work sooner or later