How did you get the training for your career?

[msta999]

Just wondering how some of you got the training you needed to get into the career you have or had? I have heard from a few young people who have been out of high school for a year or two, that they can't afford to go to college or trade school. I tell them they can't afford not to get some kind of higher education.

When I graduated high school, I did not see a way to go to a 2 year let alone 4 year college. What I did was started talking to people who were working in fields I would concider working in. I found a guy who went to trade school and the school helped him get the money, by grants and loans, to finish school, then he had 3 months, after graduation, to find a job and start paying back the student loans. I called that school, told them my problem (I was 18 )and they did what the high school counsler couldn't do. Found a way for me to get through the first half, and said they would work with me to get through the second half.
No one handed me anything and I had to work and save for 8 months, just to get up enough money to get there, then the first thing I did was to get a job, working at McDonalds for food and spending money. Even had a couple bucks for the weekend.....most of the time.
That is how I was able to go to Trade School. I then joined the military to just get away for awhile and get in some experience.

Just trying to get some ideas that may help someone.

[walls0stone]

I worked construction... highway jobs, Gas lines, and dirt work. I didnt' work for the 8 hour a day companies eather..took the labor jobs with the big crews that did 10's and 12's. My pay was twice that of many family members and I knew that once I did my time I could pay for school. It helps to take a job like that becouse you don't have a day to play and can't mess up and spend the coin.

Some of those jobs were 12 or 20 bucks an hour. The crews were awfule, the abuse was drastic and the weather was extream, but $1,000+ a week was great for college.

[Northern_bushrat]

I think "higher education" is way overrated. I have a degree in social work but am one of those peole who have a multitude of keen interests (I believe that's the majority of people, actually), so I've worked in jobs from childcare, counselling, carpentry, bookkeeping, hotel business, adult education, flight control to (when I couldn't get anything else) telemarketing. People have such a vast variety of talents that I find it really counterproductive to study or train in one profession and tie yourself to that for the next decades. What if you also have it in you to be a top-notch horse wrangler, photographer or plumber? Why would you not want to delve into a multitude of other things? In my experience, it gives you a gigantic boost in self-esteem and self-reliance. If it's hard for some years to get a job in one field, well whatever, you can just do something else and learn a huge array of new skills along the lines.
I've also found it is ridiculously easy to find work in small villages of 500 people or less. They seem to have a chronic shortage of labour for all kinds of jobs, from labour, seasonal to professional. They'll often hire people who are only marginally qualified for the job, so it's an awesome opportunity to get experience.
So for anyone willing to actually go out and learn and work, anyone with a bit of flexibility about location and the type of work they're willing to do, I'd say, forget about forking out thousands of $$ for higher education. Unless you're really just interested and talented in one thing and would love to do that job for the next 40 years, of course.

[Deberosa]

There are some ways to get an education if you promise to work in a certain field for a few years. It varies by state.

Luckily I went back when it was affordable but lived on ramen noodles for 4 years and paid my way, except for a small loan until my senior year. Then I got a grant because I was going into mathematics education and they didn't have math teachers.

However that's not the career I am in now. I essentially am self trained in what I do now -but the doors opened because I had that degree - moving here and there and working into being a software developer.

I've also had employers pay some tuition here and there along the way for training and that helped to beef up the resume.

I've always been aware of what is going on my resume and how I can improve it, if you just goof around it can't work, well if you are a woman in my profession at least. ::)

Very few people actually work in the training that they had at college but I think still, being on the hiring end occasionally, the degree means a form of comitment and accomplishment no matter what the field. A complete resume of increasing responsiblity and skill fills out that picture if you want to have a choice of jobs. I read somewhere that people will change their entire careers several times in their lifetime.

I actually took a step back with this last position, deciding that lifestyle was more important than moving forward. No regrets , especially with gas going up to $5 a gallon soon. I give myself a raise weekly with those kind of increases.

[flatwater]

How did I get my training ? Dumb luck , I was a veteran and Got extra points for the test , I was cursed at birth , It was a field I was made for and it was in Gods hands. All of the afore mentioned. I guess the biggest reason was I was not afraid to work and would try anything. I became a corrections officer for a total of 28 years. In and around those years I pumped gas, mechaniced , preached , aluminum worker , nurses aid , cared for dd adults. factory worker , boxboy , checker at grocery store. I started work full time when I was 15. I'm proud to say from 1963 to the present I have worked except for a six month period that I lived on unemployment back in the early 70's.