<p>I know someone who graduated college back in 2005 with a degree in history. He’s 32, still lives with his parents, and works as a teacher’s aide making 14,000 a year. He’s been doing that job since August of 2012. He’s been applying for positions for years, has had people look at his resume to help polish it, but has not had any luck in finding a decent paying job. He still hasn’t had a job that has paid 30,000 yet. He even had a second job for a few months this year from August to October working at a retail store on the weekends getting paid 8 dollars an hour before he was let go due to budget reasons. </p>
<p>He applies to all sorts of jobs, from cell center jobs, clerk positions, retail associate jobs, assistant manager positions, warehouse jobs, and even applies for janitor positions. He’s willing to take anything (which he’s been doing ever since he graduated college) in hopes of working his way up. </p>
<p>His background is mostly in education as he’s a teachers aide but has also substituted in several school districts starting in 2008. He also has a background in retail in which he worked retail jobs in college and after college back in the early and mid 2000’s. </p>
<p>He has a great work ethic, gets a long with people and the kids he works with, and has good references. In my honest opinion, he has simply fallen through the cracks and can’t find anything in the city or state he lives in (Texas). He even applies for positions in other states. </p>
<p>He’s really frustrated and doesn’t know what to do anymore. Any recommendations?</p>
<p>How are his interviewing skills? If he hasn’t been employed when he applies in person has presumably gets a glowing reference from his current employer, I’d suspect that may be part of the problem. Some folks just do NOT interview well. Has he considered going to the career office of the U where he graduated to ask them for help in placement? Could he volunteer at a place he’s passionate about and hope that he gets a permanent job offer there? </p>
<p>Has he considered getting a teaching credential and becoming a teacher rather than a teacher’s aid? That would pay better than minimum wage or the $14K he’s earning now.</p>
<p>From what I’ve seen, he interviews fairly well. He’s even asked the principal he works for how well he interviewed.</p>
<p>I believe he did go through an alternative teaching program back in 2007, took the classes, passed the tests he needed to meet the highly qualified status, but failed to get recommended. I believe I heard from him this is his last year with the alternative teaching program before he is officially let go and can apply to another program. He did apply for teaching positions and almost got one this year, but since he didn’t get recommended, he didn’t get the job. Because of that, he can’t get hired. The only thing he can do now is apply for another alternative program in the fall and student teach.</p>
<p>He’s even gone back to the alumni services at the university he graduated from. They basically said the only thing he can do is just keep on applying for positions. He’s even applied for jobs at the university he went to. </p>
<p>I’ve seen a list of the jobs he’s applied for which also lists the specific date and the company. It’s a fairly long list. He’s just not getting a lot of people calling him back. I suspect it might be the jobs he applies for such as clerk or call center representative which doesn’t require a lot of skills since they’re entry level for high school graduates.</p>
<p>Could he ask politely what he could do to get recommended? That would be an important thing for him to learn for his professional growth and development. If he has friends at his workplace, perhaps they can help him figure this out so he can grow and not get stuck.</p>
<p>You posted the same question back in 2011, under a different user name. You got a lot of good advice there. You should check out that thread again.</p>
<p>The only thing he can do at this point is to transfer to another program in the fall, take some refresher courses, and student teach. </p>
<p>The program he’s in now can only allow him to find a teaching position or just let his contract expire at the end in May of 2014 and then go somewhere else.</p>
<p>I know everything sounds right for him, except it’s just happening. The fact that he hasn’t been recommended for a teaching job, through the program or the schools that know him is very telling. </p>
<p>Now keep in mind that I haven’t met him or seen him, so this could be way off base, but it seems to me…. his problem is his lack of confidence in himself. And the longer he goes without a decent job, the harder it gets. He tells himself he won’t get the job, and ta-da. He doesn’t get the job. He tells himself he’s overqualified, and he is.</p>
<p>And even though he loves working with the kids, he probably doesn’t have what it takes to be the guy in charge. Sadly, the lower ranked jobs for persons like your friend have disappeared. They’ve either gone to some other country that pays less than what he’s paid, or the jobs have gone for good thanks to the recession.</p>
<p>My suggestion is to do something that will shake up this pattern. Find a gf. Take a class (helps to build the resume too.) switch gears completely away from retail or teaching. If he really does struggle with his confidence, teaching isn’t right for him anyway. Discover a new passion, like computers or art or writing. Create an app. Research something unique out there and then write about it, like Malcolm Gladwell. What he needs to do, more than anything, is build his confidence.</p>
<p>It is sad to think that this guy, age 32, hasn’t "found himself. But there are many people out there like him. It’s nice that you care enough to see his strengths. His work ethic, his honesty, his college degree, his references…… Do you also see his weaknesses? Because that’s the thing that’s getting in his way.</p>
<p>I’m wondering if his problems getting hired might be because there’s a glut of history graduates/teachers in his immediate school districts and ones further away for which he’s applying for teaching jobs along with budget constraints of those districts. </p>
<p>There’s been several CC threads on school districts cutting back on hiring of teachers due to the poor economy, excess teachers/graduates…especially ones in oversubscribed fields, and district budget cuts.</p>
<p>It’s not a lack of confidence. Don’t know where you got that from. He applies for all sorts of jobs, jobs that require a bachelors degree, jobs that prefer a college degree but require a high school diploma, and jobs that ask for a high school diploma.</p>
<p>He was let go in October at a retail business due to budget constraints? Right when most businesses are doing holiday hiring? That is odd. </p>
<p>If this person did not get a recommendation, there is a problem with performance or how he interacts with people. He needs to obtain a brutally honest explanation for the withholding of a recommendation and proceed from there.</p>
<p>Runningtime, I know you’ve come here in search of answers or ideas to help your friend. But can you please add some more details that can explain why your friend has been out looking for work and can’t find anything beyond an entry level position.</p>
<p>Here are his positives: work ethic, enjoys working with kids and parents, lots of experience, college educated, focused (as in knows what he wants to do), has been in a certification program of sorts, good references.</p>
<p>Known negatives: long-time underemployed, only done entry-level work, teaching certificate program is about to end, no letters fo recommendation,.<br>
Possible negatives: teaching in a over-subscribed field, location … (limited options? high unemployment?). Interviewing skills?? </p>
<p>Has he tried to get other jobs that require some college, that aren’t in teaching? Like data entry work, administrative asst, back office at a doctor’s office? How much networking has he done? Has he gone to temp agencies?</p>
<p>Can you come up with possible reasons why he hasn’t been successful?</p>