Colorado Technical University

I want to get out of retail, but I have no college degrees. I can't afford any schooling. Any suggestions?

I have completed high school, and I did go to two different community colleges, but I have nothing to show for it. I just couldn't seem to stick with anything. I have been working mainly retail jobs since. I have even been an assistant manager before. Yet, I find it very hard to get any job over $8.00 and hour and full time hours. I moved to San Antonio, TX from San Jose, CA two years ago. The cost of living is lower here, so the pay is generally lower as well. Yet I have friends who have the same educational background I do making more than me. I have been trying to get into entry level admin/office type jobs, but with no luck. They all seem to want 2+ years of previous experience. If no one gives me a job in that field, then how am I supposed to gain that experience? I cannot afford to go back to school to earn degrees or certificates. How can I get out of the deadly retail grip and make more then $8.00 an hour or even get more steady hours? I have completed high school, and I did go to two different community colleges, but I have nothing to show for it. I just couldn't seem to stick with anything. I have been working mainly retail jobs since. I have even been an assistant manager before. Yet, I find it very hard to get any job over $8.00 and hour and full time hours. I moved to San Antonio, TX from San Jose, CA two years ago. The cost of living is lower here, so the pay is generally lower as well. Yet I have friends who have the same educational background I do making more than me. I have been trying to get into entry level admin/office and even bank type jobs, but with no luck. They all seem to want 2+ years of previous experience. If no one gives me a job in that field, then how am I supposed to gain that experience? I cannot afford to go back to school to earn degrees or certificates. How can I get out of the deadly retail grip and make more then $8.00 an hour or even get more steady hours?

Public Comments

1. Have you tried getting on at a bank? That's what I did. I was working in retail and wanted something more. Some banks will even pay for you to go to school while working for them.
2. I think the bank idea is good, or even working for a similar financial institution. You already have skills, having worked as an assistant manager, so I would think you could get hired. However (I am also experiencing a similar situation as well), without a degree, nowadays it's difficult to get paid what you are truly worth. Anything that pays 12 or more an hour is because you have a skill-- meaning that unless you've got 5+ years of experience, you had a degree. It really sucks, I know. Ask your friends how they were able to get the jobs that they did and mention that you're coming across some trouble. Also, if you are bold enough, call up some companies that offer jobs in office admin and ask them "If I have this related experience, but you are asking for 2 years, what should I be doing to gain the experience that you want?" I have called up a company and asked them before on what I should do. Some will tell you what you need to do to bypass that, and others won't. I know this is going to suck too, but why not take an assistant manager job at a place that pays at least 11 an hour? With your experience, I would think you'd be able to start out that much. 8 an hour seems awfully low-- that's how much a regular employee starts out at where I live. But get an assistant manager job, and then volunteer part-time or do an internship-related job with a company that does office admin. Do a few hours a week and then after 6 months or so, ask them what you can do to get hired as a full employee. By volunteering there first, you have proven to them that you can succeed even though you don't have the rubric satisfied. And I would think that they would prefer to hire from within also. I know this may not help, but I wish you good luck!