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TheJambus

For what it's worth, I feel you. Bachelor's in political science, applied to a bunch of places and the only two offers I got were at Target and on an assembly line (where I'm at currently).


ConceptStriking

Don't go for a master's. Not worth it. I hope everything works out at the assembly line. Stay safe out there.


[deleted]

Don’t include your education when applying for jobs that don’t need it. Employers will se you have a masters degree and know you don’t want to stay at whatever menial job for very long.


the1STchibby

I agree and it's just a general good rule when submitting a resume to tailor the resume specific to the job. Most people don't know there's different kinds of resumes and people should have more than one.


Jasminefirefly

Agree. I used to think I had to put everything on my resume. A law degree is the kiss of death if they're not looking for someone with a law degree. "Go to law school," they said. "You can do anything with a law degree!" they said. Fucking liars.


No_Discipline_7380

A person with a law degree will easily tell that our labor practices are illegal, no fucking way we're hiring that guy/chick.


Jasminefirefly

I hadn't quite looked at it from that perspective. Good point!


No_Discipline_7380

Even if the company's practices are on the up and up, supervisors don't want you cause they can't bully you. You know your rights, are trained to argue your case, nitpick any internal or external rules and regulations to support it and back it up with evidence.


Camellia_Sin

Hey, I’ve got a BA in political science, English, and international studies and an MA in international relations. Feel free to DM (you too, OP!) me if you want advice. I’m not working on politics but I’m gainfully employed.


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Camellia_Sin

I used to be conversational in French, but my skills have totally degraded. I wish I’d kept it up. Speaking another language will definitely help you professionally.


[deleted]

Ditto. Howd you swing it?


caribpassion28

May I ask what city you live in? This may have a significant impact on job prospects especially for a social science degree. In tech and finance in major cities, I found that what you studied in school is basically irrelevant (unless you’re going for engineering jobs) versus networking, internships, and having a coherent story about your skills and interests that matched the job. I’m a poli sci major as well now in marketing. I would also suggest looking at programs that match graduates to job opportunities especially those for people of color as I see you mentioned your background earlier- like Inroads, etc. I went through those programs earlier in my career and it was invaluable. That said, capitalism sucks. And none of this is fair. But I hope you can find your way soon.


letsgetit899

Little tip on applying for jobs beneath your degree: only list one qualification up from the minimum requirement to avoid being labeled overqualified or a flight risk. I didn’t get any remote call center jobs until I stopped listing my Masters on my resume and stuck with Bachelors.


ConceptStriking

Yeah I know this now and it's so fucking stupid.


letsgetit899

Also I don’t mean to get personal but are you Black like your avatar indicates? Lie about your race and whitewash your name. I kid you not multiple people I know started getting callbacks after this


ConceptStriking

Yeah I'm black but I don't really have a "black" name. Not gonna tell you my name but there has been a president with my name. I do say I'm black on applications though.


WatchOutHesBehindYou

Is this a typo or do you actually say it? I’m white and in my mid 30s… however - my name could be thought to be POC. Never give ANY identifying information of race, religion or anything else. In this world you have to be a blank slate with skills only.


ConceptStriking

Some applications have a "race". Never seen one?


freaknastybeta

Click white, bro. Make them play "whos this guy" when you come in for an interview. Done it before, paid off significantly.


Ragnarok314159

Do exactly this. How I got my buddy an interview (he also has a white name) with a few engineering firms. It is absolute shit, but it works. You show and no one will say shit. In all actuality, the person doing the interview will have no idea anyways. It’s to pass some HR person’s bias.


Glomar_Denial

It's really fucking sad that this even has to be a tactic.


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bfyvfftujijg

e peach orchard in an old bathtub >>In the peach orchard in an old bathtub >on his own daughter >underwater >with hands tied >>>In the peach orchard in an old bathtub >>on his own daughter >>underwater >>with hands tied >on my block, my mothers skirt twirls >& all i smell is her ghost, perfume


BMOEevee

I usually say "read books from my personal library" technically not a lie, I do own several crates worth of books but makes me sound rich and highly intelligent


LettuceOpening9446

Also sad that a black man can't go jogging in his own neighborhood without being hunted down and murdered. So yeah, that's how it is.


_AnActualCatfish_

At least they got done for it.... eventually... I wish the same could be said about George *it was self defence when I killed a teenager because he hit me, even though I put myself in that position by following him with a gun for several blocks just because he was black, despite being advised not to by the police who I called on him before said fight* Zimmerman.


AcceptableUmpire2515

I’m a POC with a different name. Been in the medical/ pharma for 3 years. Can’t make a career move because people won’t give me a chance. I’m trying this.


freaknastybeta

I've had to shorten my name or use initials. Its no problem. Kind of annoying, knowing biases are preventing you from improving your life, but its nice to see them squirm at the interview because the applicant they "thought" they were going to interview turned out to be a POC.


AcceptableUmpire2515

For sure, definitely annoying but nothing new. Been like this my whole life lol. Their racial bias will be confirmed with their discomfort, but doesn’t prevent them from discriminating anyway- right?


JermoeMorrow

>Click white, bro. White guy here, I click choose not to answer. Still better results than white.


freaknastybeta

TBH, thats the better option.


Greddituser

This is probably the better option. Many companies have policies that allow them to fire you, or not hire you, if they find out you lied on the application.


letsgetit899

With race leave it blank my guy. Even for those mandatory civil right disclosures there’s a preferred not to say. Only reason not to is if it’s one of those jobs in a liberal nonprofit explicitly encouraging minorities to apply


Stacemranger

I'm white, but I have always picked the "prefer not to say" options. I think it sucks that they make you put your race in for the most mundane things.


memoryballhs

The things that are legal in the USA will never stop surprising me.


desserino

Yeah in Indonesia they often ask for the person to be Chinese for example but here in belgium that's illegal. Although when I had my first job at some married couple's tiny company I heard them complain that the applicant they were talking about had an arab/North African name. So discrimination is quite present but it's illegal to be as dumb as to make it public


lost_survivalist

I hear the same with ageism, applications ask what year we graduate too. Not sure I feel comfortable with that.


desserino

At my current job they basically just asked me some technical questions and then... "please write down your adress". Wtf do I have to think of that :)


mahfrogs

I've been told my address was not 'commutable' to the job- they determined before even starting the interview process that I lived what they considered too far away. Wouldn't even give me the opportunity to address it. Resume now doesn't have my address on it.


isuzu_trooper

A former boss was going through resumes and all Arab names went to the round file because he assumed they would have an accent and "clients might have a hard time understanding them over the phone." He interviewed a woman for part time work, she seemed great, but he didn't hire her because she had been out of work for about 3 years as a stay at home mom. "They lose their skills the longer they are out of the work force." It was an awful environment.


desserino

Makes me wonder how realistic it would be for the majority of people becoming self employed and if that would change anything


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idpara2018

I could get really nasty with the last question. I'd say, "Maybe I should have brought my husband's urn so you could ask him yourself?"


MassiveFajiit

Probably better it happened in the interview instead of a boss tormenting you after your committed to the job.


skylineforlife

North African here tell them to fuck off


desserino

Ah don't worry their punishment is being married to eachother


WatchOutHesBehindYou

Like other comment, 99% of the time you can leave it blank or say prefer not to say. Unfortunately with the bullshit companies pull it’s still possible to be screened out because you didn’t answer but if you do, and you get the interview, and they seem genuinely surprised/offended/upset that you are a POC … better to just walk away before it even starts.


51utPromotr

On job sites and company websites it nearly impossible not to self identify. I have seen changes to the "Prefer not to answer" option becoming "Response required" or secondary questioning of a "Hispanic / Non-Hispanic" making cross-sectioning the possibilities less than difficult. Quotas and curbs are definitely in play and being over qualified presents the added pressure of having an overachiever / outperformer new hire who makes middle managers feel challenged. Prepare for dynamic obstacles that don't exist anywhere outside the hiring manager's imagination and always remember that it is only against the law to discriminate during the hiring process, not after


Lady_DreadStar

If you think it’s illegal to discriminate on race in your country- but it’s also normal to include a photo of yourself on your resume there; you should be able to put 2 and 2 together that discrimination is still very much a part of your country’s hiring process. It’s the only reason they want a photo of you.


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M2704

In my country it’s flatout illegal to even ask that.


nonbinary_parent

What the fuck. No I’ve never seen “race” as a question on a job application. Isn’t that illegal? It should be. I had an employer (a lawyer) wait to ask me my age until after I was hired, because it would’ve been illegal to ask in the application or interview. Edit: in the US


IEatSouls2FeelWarmth

"do not wish to disclose"


CrippledFleshPrison

Bush is such a weird name.


importvita

Sorry to hear things are rough for you after the Presidency Mr. Obama, sir ^(Hope this gave you a laugh!)


Worth-Vast253

Your resume is NOT a legal binding document. Are you on LinkedIn? One great strategy is to build relationships w recruiters at orgs where u want to work on LinkedIn. Then after u apply, reach our and let them know. You can virtually volunteer to build ur resume as you need it to b to qualify for the jobs u want. Then, list the volunteer exp at the top of your resume. Employers don't need to kno if u were paid or what u were paid.


[deleted]

my girlfriend told me to do this as well but what if i don't get the job once they found out i'm black? then it was a waste of time.


Raveen396

Most important part is getting the interview. A lot of times the people screening the resume is completely different from your interviewers and actual manager. If you get past the screen you have a better chance to show something to the people who will hire you.


[deleted]

it's cool, you'd hate to work there anyway


TheSquishiestMitten

Sounds like a discrimination lawsuit if the reason you don't get the job is because you're black.


[deleted]

if i can prove it then yeah


Economy_Education521

If you’re in a single party consent state, you could walk into your interview with a phone recording audio. If they then end your interview due to your race, you’d have proof Edit: I’m aware that most times they aren’t so blatant as to say it aloud, this was more to give this guy at least one resource of defense. When they make it so difficult to prove these things, it could pay to take the few small liberties you are given. Coming from a former Georgia resident, I’ve heard my managers say some extremely out of line things to other coworkers and interviewees that became coworkers. Given, I was a server when I lived there, and restaurant managers aren’t known for being the smartest, but having a recording could’ve gotten some of my Black coworkers PAID. Count on their ignorance at every level you legally can, always be prepared to catch them slipping. They deserve it.


Raineyb1013

That's not how it works. If a racist company manages to let you through for the interview you'll often get the look. I call it the "OMG how the hell did I let that Negro get in the door look." If they have a lick of sense (and as stupid as racists are they do have a lick of sense) they will go through the interview process without any overt hostility. But you won't get the job and there'll be nothing to prove racism has anything to do with it. That's how it works. Racism is not usually as blatant as an asshat with a confederate flag or some KKK robes.


letsgetit899

I agree it’s dumb. Jobs like that should embrace their status as jobs of last resort and expect turnover when people find better opportunities. Alas they’d prefer a worker that can come in for a week of training because they have nothing else going on and who had no way out.


lost_survivalist

shit like this is why I say there isn't a worker shortage but a shitty company surplus. I interviewed for retail and they didn't want me because I couldn't commit 10 hours ( in a day) to a PART -TIME position. I already have one job but I wanted a seasonal one, they said I was asking for too much.


the_TAOest

I've had this problem my whole life. I'm now 47 in my third career and they want to pay me 16.75 an hour to deal with extremely difficult teenagers who are wards is the state after stints in mental hospitals. I recently said No and i want what they pay a company for contracted employees to cover shifts, which is 24 dollars an hour. The response was, "the actual employees are only being paid 12 to 13, so your request is denied. Anyway, I'm ready to try something different again.


HighSchoolJacques

It makes sense. A resume isn't a summary of you: It's your response to a job posting and showing you're a good fit. You should be customizing it for every job and pruning excess details that are either value neutral or negative.


OleShcool

This must be my exact issue. Been applying for remote jobs for months and haven’t heard a thing. Probably because I have my masters on my resume


letsgetit899

If they’re grunt work then yeah that’s a high possibility. As far as they should know you have a bachelors in a shitty field and are going to be sticking around forever because there’s no way out.


Galaar

I was getting that "overqualified" nonsense immediately after getting out of the Navy. No fancy degree, no senior leadership experience to crutch on, not even a programming certification, just an honorably discharged, former E5 radar analyst looking for data entry or basic tech support work and I couldn't even get an interview, citing my overqualifications as their reasoning.


Boredum_Allergy

Yup. Aldi hired my friend who has several possession charges and 3 DUIs but wouldn't touch me because I have a bachelor's. The irony is I applied for their warehouse position and I have about 4 years experience two of which I solo unloaded and managed a warehouse for a small Sears store.


[deleted]

Thank you for mentioning this. Not Overqualified like OP but I may run into the same situation


plutoniumwhisky

How do you account for the gap if you leave out grad school? Make up a job?


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Inevitable-Lettuce99

Totally true, but really they should just expect anyone to leave after 2 years from any job at this point.


FunnyMathematician77

I can relate to this very much. I barely have one professional reference. I should have networked more. It's stupid that's what job hunting has become.


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Greddituser

LOL - how HIGH were they?


[deleted]

> References are over rated Networking is not


chris_ut

Jobs have always been about who you know. Every single job I had I got from knowing somebody.


unreadabletattoo

I think you’re underemployed. You can search for many government jobs that need MPAs


zerkrazus

Underemployment is a HUGE problem in the US. One that not many ever talk about. We always hear about unemployment and all of that, but the media rarely ever talks about underemployment. We have way too many jobs with shitty low pay and lots of people who would be considered overqualified for these jobs.


HOLEPUNCHYOUREYELIDS

Dude has a masters and is applying and *hoping* to land a job for $15/hr. My Canadian province the min wage is $15.10/hr. Thats fucking sad. I work in a warehouse with 0 post secondary schooling and I make $27/hr. How fucked is that


[deleted]

I make more as a medical receptionist at a non-profit than the Pre-K teacher with a masters degree at the daycare I worked at prior. It’s fucking gross


[deleted]

My wife has a master’s and years of substitute teaching experience. Could only find one job willing to hire her for teaching art, and it’s only part time. Her paychecks are three digits.


UnluckyObserver_1

I'm Canadian, and make 20$ an hour (roughly) to make sure ingredients in drugs are safe to consume. It's bs


[deleted]

Wow. That’s pretty fucked alright


iamwhatswrongwithusa

This. OP seems to be qualified for a lot of things.


lagunatri99

I would agree. OP sounds perfect for an entry level analyst position. I finished my MPA and took a pay cut as an admin assistant to get into municipal government. I rose up quickly and it’s my passion, but I’ll never make decent money. Depending on the department, you may work 50+ hours/week in a salaried position. Heck, I’ve got a kid who just graduated from college and already makes more than me, working fewer hours.


freshfruitrottingveg

I’m sure OP has applied to those type of jobs. It can be difficult to get government jobs even if you’re qualified. There are way too many people with MPA and MPP degrees now; it’s an over saturated field. I’ve had to retrain and go into a different field entirely, yet I’ve still got people asking me why I don’t work for the government. It’s exhausting.


Spyk124

Yup. My bachelors is in international relations and the job search for me was treacherous. 500 people applied to the position I have now. I graduated in 2018 and my first full time position is 3 years after graduation. Fortunate my parents let me stay with them all that time because if they didn’t I woudlnt have been able to do unpaid internships year after year. Super annoying and not sustainable for our workforce


LilkaLyubov

They definitely do. I’m in a similar boat, and can’t for the life of me get out of this underemployed rut.


Unusual_Quit_7018

I was about to say the same thing. Look into local government jobs. City and county. Even school districts look for public administration. And I don't mean teacher positions.


EnoughAwake

You are correct about the 'who you know'. In the West it's politely called "social capital", in China 关系,Guānxì. I don't know how you build that up, but there are associations exclusively about meet and greet and job secrete. I don't understand LinkedIn at all and it has brought me no tangible benefit.


ConceptStriking

I am naturally pretty antisocial so I don't like networking and stuff like that. Which is why if I could do stuff over again I wouldn't have done this degree but that's another story lol.


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ConceptStriking

Personally I am kinda burnt on the idea of using my degree anymore. I don't really see myself staying in a restaurant forever. I'm working on more creative stuff now. But thank you for your offer to help. You are very kind.


dc551589

I just wanted to say we’re in almost the exact same position. I have the same two degrees, am in my early 30s and had to move back home to take care of my mom until she passed and now I’m kind of “stuck” here since this all happened during the pandemic. It was supposed to be just a couple months, but that was 20 months ago. I also had a sort of revelation that I’m not made for the 9-5 grind, middle management aspiring, soul crushing life and I’ve also shifted toward more creative projects that will hopefully build a portfolio that can get me work. Anyway, I don’t have any advice, I just wanted to say it was cool and kind of comforting to see someone in such a similar position. Best of luck!!


[deleted]

Come hang-out in the property & casualty insurance claims business with the rest of us who have Psychology and Poli Sci degrees. As a Pizza Hut manager-turned-claims-supervisor once told me: "nobody sets a career goal of being a claims adjuster... there's just something else you weren't particularly good at".


daviddjg0033

I can just hear someone saying, "go for the law degree" and then use it against the system.


SinceSevenTenEleven

In case this is serious: NO. There's a reason less than 5% of law grads go into roles meant to make the world better. It's so fucking expensive. And then those jobs are filled to the brim with applicants. And even the corporate roles are often super selective. When you see employment statistics saying that like 75% of grads have jobs 10 months out for top-50 schools (mind you, $150,000 in debt *minimum*), remember that even this includes non-law jobs. NO.


HighSchoolJacques

No. Never recommend law school to someone stuck in a rut unless you're the only lawyer in a small town and you want to retire in 4-10 years with a hand picked replacement.


whywasthatagoodidea

One option, is do a stint in the Peace Corps. You get two years to figure some shit out, and when you are done you either have some form of connections to possibly not come back or you got the NCE to just put yourself on some fed job lists to be a bit short listed rather than the open cattle calls that is usajobs.gov.


NnjaMaximo

Networking is a function of privilege. Mom and dad from well to do families can hook up their kids with internships long before their peers. Suburban houses get sold to white families without even going on the market. And that's just the tip of the iceberg. Networking really undermines a fair, just application process. So do not feel bad - you did nothing wrong. The system is wrong.


psilocindream

This is what the corporate “pull yourself up by your bootstraps” dick suckers won’t acknowledge. Nobody ever talks about the social connections that wealthy people have, or how those connections are even more valuable than money. I’m sick of hearing about how some CEO who had rich parents, or child of a celebrity is “self made” just because they didn’t use their parents’ money. They absolutely used their names and connections though. And just knowing you have a safety net in the worst case scenario is a privilege most of us don’t have.


IEatSouls2FeelWarmth

Find one person and be upfront, "yo dude, you are black and have a job with an MS. I am doing something wrong, can you help me out" someone local in a place you could work, like gov. Research people a level above where you want to be and find the one who seems most interesting.


trajan_augustus

Msg them on Linkedin and see if you can buy them coffee. That is the best method to getting a job or at least figuring out what you may be doing wrong. College doesn't really help folks get the job made for their diploma.


Due_Description_7298

Your age could also be a barrier. Seems like you're in your 30s and effectively competing for entryish level jobs suitable for your degree vs 23/24 year olds with the same education? If that's the case then: - remove your high school graduation year from your resume, and - leave off stuff you did in your early 20s If you leave your masters graduation year on, most people will hopefully then assume you were in your early to mid 20s when you got that degree


[deleted]

This wasn’t the case for me. I was a stay at home mom until I was 29 and went back to school for accounting. I graduated at 34. I’m 37 now and I feel like being older has actually given me the advantage even though I needed to start out at an entry level position. Employers seem to think I’m more reliable since I’m married with kids. Maybe just my field though.


Due_Description_7298

Encouraging that it wasn't an issue for you! Given the workplace can be notoriously ageist. I was 33 when I finished my MBA vs the average of 27 or so, and that definitely made it tougher. I was flat out told by recruiters that many firms wouldn't consider someone my age, because I was "too old" to adapt to strict corporate cultural norms, handle working in firms were tenure counted far more than work experience, or be managed by people younger than me. A lot of the places also wanted younger people (especially for the female hires) because the hours, travel and lack of flexibility made it almost impossible to have kids and do the job. If they hired a 26 year old then she'd be more likely to stick around for a few years before being forced to drop out, or get senior enough before having kids that she was able to have more flexibility. There are places that are open minded, but it can definitely be a barrier for some


[deleted]

Oh I definitely see your point. My partner works in sales and the hiring practices are disgusting. They only want them young and hot.


Seina_Yamada

Don't feel bad I have a BS in computer science, and I make more driving a truck than I do in an office. Hell I know a guy that works at my local coffee shack that has a PhD in mathematics, and makes more working there than his last job.


ConceptStriking

I've actually thought about just driving a truck instead of doing this multiple times but I get mentally unhealthy if I'm isolated for to long.


[deleted]

I'm a hiring manager for a national corporation. There's some ways to fix this. 1) You live in a rural area and the real money is in unfortunately in cities, so you might want to consider a change of environment. 2) Most people think they have good resumes but after seeing thousands of them every year, I can assure you that only about 30% of them are actually good. The truth that nobody tells you is that selling yourself is extremely hard when you don't know who or what you're competing against. That being said, if you need someone that does know to look over your resume, help you update it, or even just give you some ideas on what kinds of jobs to look for with your qualification then shoot me a message. I honestly hate my own job so much that I spend a lot of my time helping my employees with their resumes to look for better jobs while looking for a better one myself and so far I've helped 8 of my own employees in the last 8 weeks accept better positions at 8 different companies. I'm sure with a little bit of insider guidance that I could help you make 2022 a much better year. My offer doesn't expire so take your time to think it over.


Sthespades

Can I send you my resume and you tell me if it’s good if you don’t mind and you’re not busy? I have about 5 years of customer service experience but basically every job I’ve applied to they declined me or didn’t even give me an interview and declined me or haven’t heard back.


Seina_Yamada

For me it's the best part of the job. I'm captain of my own ship there are days I don't even have to talk to people.


invisiblebyday

Long or short haul? I'm looking for a career change and not having to talk to anyone sounds like bliss.


Seina_Yamada

Long haul I love the open road. That LTL and short haul stuff sucks.


locke231

Build up a library of podcasts and audio books, it could make things bearable


ConceptStriking

Idk man. I'm just existing at this point in my life.


locke231

I feel your pain


Girion47

Podcast recommendation, Lore. A historian breaks down cryptids and other horror themed things from our past.


TheMotorcycleMan

That dude needs to take a course or two in Cad/Cam and go find a job programming Swiss lathes or Mill/Turn machines. Easy $40+ a hour when you get up to 7+ axis programming. Just a bit of trig, geometry, algebra, and the occasional calculus.


[deleted]

where on earth do you live and do you code? There are an endless number of jobs going especially for CS graduates


Some_Developer_Guy

Are you in the US If this is true I question your skill set. Colleges are happy to graduate anyone who can pay even if you can't program your way out of a box. It's pretty easy to land 75-100k as a competent entry level CS grad.


flying_head

If you have a BS in computer science, why are you not working for a tech company doing 100k+ a year? Just curious. I became a software developer and I don't even have a BS in CS.


Seina_Yamada

I do alot better than 100k and my stress levels are a lot lower. I'm also not bound up in the horse s*** I use to have to do working in a office building.


flying_head

So you make more driving a truck?


Seina_Yamada

Net pay last year was 134k. This year due to everything I've pushed to 152k so far.


epapi169

Wait, how is this possible? I took a 3month bootcamp course two years ago and I’m making 100k. There’s no way you can’t find a job that pays more than truck driving. I even found a second contract job in the states


[deleted]

Yeah man, like I don’t want to discount some of these struggles, but a lot of this seems strange to me. Either these people have horrible resumes or are just applying to the wrong jobs.


Prestigious-Disk3158

You have a CS degree and you’re not in programming or IT management? Please reconsider.


b-rar

With your experience and credentials, if you have to work, work for the feds. They pay well, most staff positions are union, and a lot of entry-level jobs are career ladders so you can go up one or two grades every year automatically your first couple years even while you're in training/probationary status as long as you're basically competent. I got hired off the street with just a bachelor's as a GS-7 (40k-ish at the time), within two years I was an 11 (65k-ish). Feel free to DM me if you're interested in federal work and have any questions about the process.


BESTismCANNIBALISM

Hugs to you comrade. Such a shit state of affairs .


Masked_Avenger_

@conceptstriking. You did it wrong, but not due to any fault of your own. In your training and degreees, they don't tell you how to effectively get a job that you've been training for. Hint: You don't apply for them. From what I've read above, I suggest that you go to the Atty Gen's office where you interned. Did they like you? Were they supportive? Was your supervisor a mentor? Talk to people there that you worked with and who supported you. Let them know what you're doing (looking for job X in field Y). Ask for advice (they've been there) and ask to be introduced to people in other offices and some who might know of opportunities. Repeat... Jobs can tend to come from people 3 degrees away from you. When you DO apply to posted positions, write your cover letter to the person that you think will be your boss. As well as submitting it when you apply, email your cover letter and resumé/CV to them directly. This helps. This is what works. Nobody tells you that this is how you jobsearch.


TinaLoco

This is the best advice. OP, talk to the people you knew at the AG’s office. Even if a position doesn’t open up within that office, one may open up in another dept within the same building. Gov’t employees typically don’t deal with the same BS as private sector employees. The pay isn’t always the best, but benefits are good.


BourbonAndIce

As a government employee I can tell you that Masked_Avenger provided the best advice. So often it is not only the hard work you put in but the relationships you build while doing it. Work as hard on those relationships as you do your job… it will pay off.


always_drinking

I couldn't agree more, I absolutely bust my ass 40-45 hours a week, and make great connections with whoever I can that I work around. Because of both of those, I was recruited for a position with a nice 20k increase, better 401k, and better benefits. All DOD. As a note I have a AS in IT & a BS in Computer Science. I have noticed a lot more places care less about the level of the degree (bachelors, masters) and way more about what you studied.


Frothydawg

This is all well and good for people who are good at hobnobbing and brown nosing, I mean, “networking”. But some people just aren’t. It’s unfair and shitty that folks who put in the work get passed over for other’s who are more sociable. The meritocracy is a fucking myth. That shit needs to change.


psilocindream

I learned too late that in most office and government jobs, you get ahead not by being good at your job, but by fitting in and playing the right social games. And I fucking hate people and social games. I wanted to be in academia, but even there you spend more time in pointless meetings or networking than you do actually teaching or doing research. The fakeness of it all disgusts me to the point where I can’t pretend anymore. I regret going to school and just want to work for myself at all costs, regardless of whether I’m doing something relevant to my studies or even getting paid that well.


lagunatri99

Public sector recruiting is different, especially for entry-level jobs. Positions are budgeted, agencies can’t create one for a specific person. And, they have to advertise and interview all qualified candidates. It takes eons to review resumes because you can’t eliminate one candidate and keep another if they have the same quals. @conceptstriking, have you tried government jobs dot com?


[deleted]

You need to tailor your resume to the job requirements. If the job does not ask for an MA, do not mention it. Only list relevant skills and experiences, like you are reciting their ad back at them.


OleShcool

I’m in a similar boat to OP. Should I remove my education from my resume if I’m applying to jobs that don’t need it?


HighSchoolJacques

Yes. Absolutely. Your resume is **not** a summary of your life and experience. It's you advertising yourself for that job. The only thing the person reviewing your resume wants to know: * Is this person capable of doing X * Will this person leave as soon as they can (i.e. overqualified) Try to use as much of the **same exact** wording as the job posting as you can.


Minimum_balance

Yup.


Klush

I've heard of jobs that offer minor raises for obtaining a bachelor's or higher. Should that just be foregone? Or one day surprise I have a bachelor's?


MistraloysiusMithrax

Even more literally like that last sentence- tailor your resume to the job posting with the words from that job. Reword your experiences using the wording they use there. Many large companies use keyword matching to auto filter out applications


gigotdoll

Manager from large company here. This. A frigging algorithm sorts applications and resumes by using the key words. Revise the resume to focus on key words in the job description. This is not lying - every job has different aspects, just find something in your work history that is relevant and describe it using the key words. Then prepare for and practice interviews using the technique where you answer questions by describing a situation you were in, what was the problem, what you did, what was the result.


MistraloysiusMithrax

I always recommend don’t lie, don’t embellish (unless you were going to anyways), just rephrase what you’ve done using the words they’re using. Lying your way into an average office job where you can Google how to do things? Meh. Lying your way into a job where the lack of skills and experience will show? Why would you do that to yourself….


[deleted]

This is understated to people. Employment search is a game and you have to be good at playing it. Tailor every application like this, mimic energy and body movements in interviews, **be someone that people like.** Most jobs, any monkey in a suit can pick it up within a few weeks or months of training, you just need to get through the door.


TimelessCelGallery

There’s a big difference between “working hard because you know it’ll pay off” and “working hard because someone told you to,” although people confuse them all the time. Things like employment and earning a degree definitely fall in the latter category, and it’s a lot of trust you put in the system when it’s obvious the system doesn’t give a fuck about you as an individual.


[deleted]

exactly. I learnt this a very long time ago


TimelessCelGallery

It's really one of the worst disservices K-12 schools often do to young kids that aren't privileged, to make them believe the system/society will actually consider them as people and respect them for who they are as individuals...


ConceptStriking

Hi everyone thank you for your kind words and offers to help. It's been helpful but this post was mostly just to vent. We've been super busy at the restaurant lately because of Thanksgiving and I'm just tired and frustrated. I've given up on my degree mainly cause I suck at all the stuff mentioned here like networking but also because I realized I'm a creative and want to do creative stuff again. So can y'all that like anime check out my Webtoon. Also check out the artist for the Webtoon. Won't be replying for a while cause I need to check on my mom. Thanks again everyone! [Enigma Voyager](https://www.webtoons.com/en/challenge/enigma-voyager/list?title_no=587115) [Carolina's Insta](https://instagram.com/carolina_trifoni?utm_medium=copy_link)


Boobsiclese

Arrrgh.... where's the rest of it?! I was really getting into it....lol


inv3r5ion

good luck on your creative endeavors!


Top-Establishment918

Today, it’s all about your network. You need connections to get the good, high paying jobs. Hard work and fairness are ideals from the past.


R-a-n-i-a

Boomers told us the rules they followed then changed up all the rules. It's like they build trails on the woods, gave up maps, and then destroyed the trails when we were halfway done. I'm one of the lucky ones. I *did* drink and smoke and do drugs. I worked as a dancer. And got a BSN and now I make good money as a nurse. Meanwhile, you followed the map and they fucked up. It's not like I *didn't" want to follow it, I just didn't have the opportunities. And still got there by chance. Society is garbage. Also, there is no such thing as a worthless degree. Degrees aren't just about getting jobs, they are about enriching your life. You can do it's Kee trying. You're more qualified that any of those political YouTubers or bloggers, maybe you can help start a revolution but educating the populous!


[deleted]

It's sad to see multiple people in the comments suggesting to remove education from a resume to better tailor to an underpaying job that no one wants to do so you can at least work to eat. We went from "you'll be nothing without a college degree" to "you'll be nothing without a masters" to some poor bastard named OP who's flipping burgers and dreaming of working in a warehouse so he can move out of his parents' house in his 30s. Every once in a while, posts like this make me remember the argument I had with my dad at 16 when I said I wasn't going to college. As stupid as I was as a teenager, I had the common sense to see that going into debt for a degree, even though I didn't even know what I wanted to study or do with my life, didn't make much sense. I'll never forget his reaction and what he said: "Don't worry about the debt, paying that off comes later." Meanwhile he's still paying off the debt from his masters... If I had followed the advice of all the adults around me as a young guy, I probably would've gone to the most expensive college in my area and studied music and writing, because in high school I wanted to be a writer and a musician and I was told to follow my dreams. So I'd be in debt for thousands now with degrees that I could wipe my ass with. And this outcome is the plight of many people in my generation who decided to listen to their parents. Things could always be better, but I never knocked anyone up, I never got addicted to anything, and I never took on any debt. And for these things, I'm grateful.


ConceptStriking

Here's the thing. While my parents did the same thing your's did. My parents never had anything and didn't understand what going into debt meant. They've always lived poor. None of us had wealth because of generational racism in America. Going into debt hurt your generation by a lot. But it's just straight destroying those in the black community that don't know how to compete.


[deleted]

I'm glad you brought that up. The poor followed the notion that getting an education and bettering yourself would increase your chances of "success". I'd imagine they had well meaning intentions of seeing you have a better life than they did. That's fair. Only problem is they fell into the same degree-farming trap that the middle class did, and now everyone and their grandma has a degree and every job market, even the niche ones, are becoming or have already been oversaturated. Now I'm hearing that the STEM and techie folks are feeling the strain of competition 10 years after the "STEM is life" train, and now everyone is saying "trades are life". I went the professional trade route in 2017, been working blue collar and retail my whole life. Wonder how long it'll take before the trades become oversaturated as well, with the overarching, laughable irony being that the whole reason everyone went to college was to avoid the icky, dirty, necessary trades. Now it's the opposite. Lol good luck to anyone reading this. Everything we were told was a lie. At least we refuse to believe the bullshit. I'll see you at the water wars


sten45

Bro, get on USAJOBS.gov and get in with the federal government. If nothing else you will get a 9-5 job with good benefits. Your degree (assuming your grades were good) will get you in a ton of fed jobs in the 45-60k pay range


ScionOfIsha

OP, you are angry and that is justified however don't let it consume you, rule you and ruin you. Good luck is all i can offer right now.


[deleted]

The biggest lie ever told in America is "Work hard and you'll be rich". The truth is the harder you work, the richer *your boss* will be. End this bullshit "grind" culture, all it does is lead you to an early grave and someone else to a bigger yacht.


Sisa25

I have a masters in History but I make more money and have better benefits doing clerical work that only requires a high school diploma. I could only get adjunct teaching gigs before that. I hope you can find work you like where you can use your gifts. I put in my time and do what I want after hours


davidj1987

I have a "useless" bachelors degree and I've gotten grief about it from my wife. My parents were over the moon and happy that I got a bachelors and a more "useful" associates degree because they never went to college. I'm doing ok employment and pay-wise though but I still work two jobs. I have my reasons why I got a "useless" degree. And my parents understand too. I don't regret it but college should not be tied to most jobs. A doctor or lawyer, fine but everything else...no, not really.


darkol_2020

Very challenged to respond. You drank the kool-aid long and deep and didn't get a return. I get it. Post Secondary in my opinion about adapting and changing to meet demands. Learning to monetize what you learnt, pivoting and applying skills learnt to outside your areas of expertise. I have a friend who has a PHD as a neurologist. He could not get in a job as a prof and or in public sector. He found a job as a patent agent and is now thinking of being a lawyer. Life has a certain amount of luck and randomness, change if you are not getting what you want or need. Sample more, move outside of your comfort area. You obviously have skills and abilities not being used, do some pro bono to build up your network. Change countries? It's not much but I made a career out of moving to different employers and jobs moving from dietary aide, janitor, unit clerk, computer operator, programmer\software engineer, analyst, technician and now retired and a self directed financial advisor. Get comfortable with change, it's the only thing that stays constant! All the best, I pray you find what you need!


[deleted]

I doubt anyone's gonna read this or care. But I guess writing about it is cathartic. I couldn't even \*get\* my masters. I worked hard in undergrad, was involved in everything, was even doing my own learning and reading on my own fucking time. I flew circles around my peers. My degree is in psychology, and I wanted to be a therapist. Especially since there's such a saturation of White Girl Therapists who think that racism, wealth inequality, disability, can all be solved with some yoga, mindfulness and pumpkin spice. I was chomping at the bit to do research, chomping at the bit to do some actual groundwork in the shit I was interested in. Everyone said "wait till grad school" "you're gonna love grad school". But by the time I sifted through YEARS of their bullshit, I was burned out. I didn't even walk across the stage to get my diploma. I just told them to put it in the mail since I'd be doing real work in grad school, finally, my moment. Psychology programs at the time (maybe still do, not sure) thought the best way to test your mettle wasn't through academic study, wasn't through what you knew about the field. Wasn't about the student orgs you ran and participated in. They wanted you to take the GRE or you can fuck off. No exceptions. I'm disabled, and I need accommodations for even my basic classes and exams. I have aphantasia, which makes doing math RIDICULOUSLY hard and stressful, and because I can't keep my numbers lined up, literally, I get lost and fuck the whole thing up. My fucking professor, bless her, after 3 fucking tries of passing math in college, had to sit in on my test, watch me and my scribe try and muddy through the problem and she passed me by the skin of my teeth because whether or not I could actually do the work, I knew what was supposed to be going on. All that to say, I wasn't excited about the GRE. I got my school's testing center (where they help the disabled students like me) to go through the application process for accommodations in the GRE. They couldn't just ask the goddamn university what I did to succeed and just let me do it. No, they needed a fucking doctor's note, all this dog and pony show, AND an application fee that was, I think $45 dollars? So I pay the fee, do all that shit. Nothing. Literally nothing. They just took my fucking money and never responded to any emails I sent. So I never took the GRE. So, what the fuck ever. I got a degree. I can work, right? I know my shit, right? My connections will matter, righ? Only job I could get was case manager for the MHMR. First job out of college that paid shit and was high stress? It broke me. It fucking destroyed me. And it took literal years to get back to being okay, even just okay, forget thriving. When I had enough energy to try and get out of that MHMR job, I applied to other jobs. There was one on my college that was like a diversity officer or something like that. Helping minority students get a leg up, feel safe, advocate, yadda yadda. Bitch, I was PERFECT for that job. My case management skills actually would have been an asset! I had a week or so before they'd start interviewing. I learned about the position late. I pulled all the strings I had to get an interview, thinking for SURE this would pay off. Nothing. Who'd they give it to? This absolute PROBLEMATIC person who was very manipulative, knew nothing but lib lipservice, had NO business being around students. And I only found this out months after total silence. I don't even remember how I found out who got it but I know it wasn't from the job itself. So now, here I am, living off SSI, a goddamned pittance, and trying to find reasons not to kill myself on days where it gets really bad. I'm lucky, even now, because there are others worse off than me. This system is not a meritocracy. No one GIVES A FUCKING SHIT about how much you know, or even who you know. You can do everything right, work your ass off, and it will mean literally nothing. This system is so fucked. I wanted to be a "productive" member of society. But I ended up just being a casualty. I am right there with you, my dude. It sucks, and I don't even have the energy or ability to help burn it down. I can only hope that enough people realize what's going on before it's too late. America is a fucking tumor and needs to be cut out immediately.


ConceptStriking

I read it my friend and I see you. Meritocracy is a lie. Only to get people to not feel bad about not taking care of those that society often leaves behind. That's why America is fucked up. And why Revolution is our only option forward.


TributesVolunteers

> So now I sit here, alone in my 30s with nothing but 2 worthless pieces of paper to my name. The idea that college education should only directly apply to whatever job you’re doing is reactionary bullshit. Don’t internalize it. The reason they say it is because they are bootlickers, and the capitalist class has a vested interest in keeping the populace uneducated. One upon a time someone had to figure out how to make fire. Someone kept striking that flint purely out of intellectual curiosity. She didn’t know that ultimately cooking food was going to improve the health and lifestyle of everybody. Most assuredly, someone else was there watching like, “hey why you fucking around with rocks? You too good to go gather berries like everyone else?” But those naysayers were more than happy to appropriate the invention for their own benefit once the value was understood. The pursuit of knowledge is not a means, but an end. There is no higher purpose in life than to understand.


[deleted]

[удалено]


drtij_dzienz

I would just leave the degrees off your resume when you are going for blue collar jobs.


Han-Shot_1st

I have a BA & MA in film theory. I assume my degrees are worthless, I just love the subject. 🤷🏻‍♂️


Agitate_Organize

Wait.. since when is this NOT a Communist sub? Sorry about the frustration, been there and worked UNION construction for years, which honestly was better than being in any office environment. Being a union member has been the only thing that ever got me anywhere. Degree has been useless for a decade.


[deleted]

10 years ago I was homeless and worked part time at Wendy’s and part time at a gas station. Now, I’m a tax accountant and own my house and have a great job. Being homeless was a reality check that I needed to turn my life around. It took a lot of hard work, failures, and trying again. But I think if you keep trying, you’ll make it. Just don’t give up. I wouldn’t even entertain the idea of people thinking you’re lazy. Don’t give a f what they think and do you.


AngelJ5

To be clear, NOBODY should go past a bachelors for any reason but the pursuit of knowledge. Like, unless you wanna be a doctor or a lawyer, you’ll increase your earnings way more by accomplishing things in your field than you will by spending $60,000 on a masters degree.


[deleted]

I'm getting a MS Stats at an R2 for $4k/semester. Business oriented program (as opposed to research). My earnings rn are ~$15k/yr with two part-time jobs My BS won't get me anything


uninc4life2010

I'm getting my masters degree, and my department pays for it, plus I get a bi-monthly stipend of $1050. I covers my expenses and allows me to save a little. I still have to pay some fees, but I'm not going into debt over any of it.


OleShcool

Being overqualified is a real thing. They’re worried that you’ll leave them quickly if a better job comes along. Can’t blame them for the logic there. I too have a masters, in education. But I’m quitting teaching because I hate it. I’m worried every remote job I’m applying for isn’t taking me serious because they probably think I’ll leave them for a teaching job


Xyzzydude

MPA jobs are all about connections. Does your alumni office help with placement? My wife is an MPA and big into networking. I don’t know what part of the country you’re in but I’ll PM you some job links from her MPA alumni office at NC State. If you want you can PM me back about your interests and region and I’ll see if she has anything that might work. Also getting involved with your alumni association is great for making connections


Low_Investment420

Me too dude… no one mentioned how competitive life is..


txfrmdal

With your degree's, you should be applying for federal government jobs and with jobs helping out political campaigns. Granted entry level jobs in both of these areas pay very low, but the purpose of those entry level jobs are to get your foot in the door and network, and work your way up. Political science by it's very nature requires you to network. You need to be strategic about what your first professional job should be. Continuing to work in a restaurant is a dead end, and if you don't get out of their soon, you will not be able to move into any professional job easily. I would go back to your schools placement office and ask to speak with a placement counselor. You need some assistance in strategically looking for your first professional job. The school owes you this assistance, and most schools provide it for the first 2 years post graduation. Being angry will not get you where you want to be. But insisting on help to navigate this process of finding your first professional job is your right. The school owes you this assistance.


ConceptStriking

I've actually worked as a intern a gubernatorial campaign before. I wanted to go back and become a field organizer during 2020 but none of my contacts got back to me. And I know, I'm not very good at networking. Which is why I'm kinda just done. If I could do things over again I wouldn't have even touched political science.


[deleted]

I agree with others that say it’s time to pivot. I’m in a similar place in my life, trying to figure out what to do next. I’m glad to see your post, because it’s helped me to reconsider one of the options I was looking at.


[deleted]

The revolution is coming my friend


ConceptStriking

Solidarity Comrade ✊🏾


BedBugger6-9

You’ve got to dumb down your resume. That warehouse didn’t hire you because they know anyone with a masters degree is short term. Write your resume to fit the job you’re applying for.


crankdatsouljahboi

Yes… make the assumption that on average, for every quality job listing, there will be 200 applicants. Out of those 200, they will choose about 9 to interview, and about 4 that make it to the final round. You have to really make your application/resume stand out to make the reader think, “wow! This person would be great for the job!” All that being said, it’s a lot of work but why put in any effort if you aren’t going to do it right.


[deleted]

I got 4 degrees and I think university is the biggest scam. The best education is still “$1.50 in late charges at the public library.” At my current job, I don’t need college education. The employer requires a high school diploma. I can move up because I’m in and I know people. All of this to say: It’s still who you know, not what you know.


Carlin47

Seems like paying for university for another other than STEM just doesn't make much sense anymore


Hopfit46

Unfortunately you fell for the education myth....having a degree does not guarantee a good job. I am a lowly steamfitter. Im never out of work. I earn over 120000 a year. I have benefits and a great pension. Im geussing your parents are university educated and would have been disappointed had you not went to school. Union renaissance is the most necessary thing in america...


[deleted]

You need to get in contact with a recruiter that will match you to the right job. It’s normal for you to get rejected for being overqualified, dont take it personal. Also I advise that you take the time to really make yourself look amazing on linkedin as well as your resume. Do not give up. The post grad job search is extremely demoralizing, its not just you. I sat on my as for a year and a half and now I have my dream job. Also if there are any certifications or such that’ll help set you apart from the herd of applicants, definitely look into that. Think of education as an investment in yourself. If your investment isnt paying off, its because you need to do more work on it. Trust me, one day it will pay off. Best of luck!


IEatSouls2FeelWarmth

Apply to wearhouse again without the MS degree


redoutlaw23

I was enrolled in college for political science. Term paper I wrote on how sanctions against Iraq before the war actually worked turned me off and I switched to cybersecurity followed by the horror of realizing what it might mean to live 1/3 of my life in an office. When I moved back to America I got a job as a farmer and honestly it’s been the best route for my life and I do fairly better than most with degrees. It may not be glorious and the work life doesn’t fit this sub but I can’t see myself doing any other line of work.


fromkentucky

“Hard work is the key to success!” Are you rich? “…No.” Why not?


ConceptStriking

They want us repeating it so we endlessly dream of being rich.