Turned 30 this year. Single mom. Pretty rough upbringing couldn’t continue college right after high school and (ofc made a lot of bad financial decisions) but I’ve always worked my way up in places. Got tired of the healthcare industry so now I work in repair at a call center, and have a part time at Amazon (no way to move up in either company). I make decent money but can barely survive as things keep getting more expensive.
I’ve tried going to school but with 2 jobs and a kid it’s always hard to keep up or finish anything. Would love any recommendations on paid apprenticeships here in San Diego as I think that’s my only option in learning something new and build a career so late in life. Open to any other suggestions as well.
Also anyone in my same situation, what do you do to better/help yourself or cope?
**Please no bashing, I also don’t have parents or immediate family to help in any way.
Try entry level legal assistant jobs! A lot of law offices offer hybrid schedules. Pay won't be great your first couple of years but this is a lifelong, stable career with excellence benefits. I recommend estate planning/probate, employment law, and personal injury firms.
I’ll look into it, I was in admin for a while but don’t have any other experience, thank you :)
Not sure if its your kinda thing but you should check out the electrician union. IBEW Local 569. Paid apprenticeship, starts pretty low somewhere around mid $20s an hour but within 4-5 years you’ll be a journeyman electrician make around $60+ an hour with good benefits and bringing home 6 figures. I really wanted this as a career a couple years ago before I joined law enforcement.
I’m in the union. It’s a good trade but I’ll warn you. It’s very hard to get in and since it’s been VERY slow, the ETI/Hall won’t hire more apprentices for a while.
It's very hard to get into the electricians union. You have to be good at Algebra, pass their written test, and pass their impossible interview process.
It’s not impossible and it’s very basic algebra. Like 9th grade level.
Second this!
I had various preschoolers at home for 15 years, and in the middle it definitely looks hopeless. But remember, they will be in school all day soon and even if it's just for several months at a time you will have more time. You'll be able to do homework when they do, they can help with their own laundry, and you'll be able to ignore them while taking a shower. Yes, you need answers not, but keep in the back of your head that they're not little forever. Watching mom continuing her education is good for kids to see.
So late in life at 30? Nah, you got this. Perhaps consider being a dental hygienist. It does require some schooling but it's very practical and perhaps something that you can fit into your time schedule since it's not tons of homework and personal time researching like the less practical curriculum of college. Other option might be massage or acupuncture, but the competition is fierce. Another option is down on the docks cleaning or maintaining boats for the rich. Honestly any type of services you can provide (well almost any type) to the rich are probably worth looking into from a job security standpoint.
Are you a blue badge at Amazon yet? You can always do career choice at Amazon. They'll pay for your schooling up to $2625 a year for part time. If in person classes are hard, they got a lot of online universities available. You could also try one of their online unmudl maintenance tech classes and try for the RME positions there. If you're still a white badge then you unfortunately dont have these options. I also unfortunately don't have any experience with how the classes work, but there might be people on the AmazonFC subreddit might be able to help with any deeper questions regarding that.
Yes I am actually! I’ll look into it. My main job also offers free online schooling up to 10k but again it’s the time that I don’t have :/ might have to just find something that doesn’t require much homework, I definitely cannot afford to stop either job for school. Thank you for the suggestion though!!
The other day I jokingly told my mom “I wish I could go back to being a kid with no worries and your salary covered everything”. She responded that those days were some of the most stressful of her life. It’s straight up unfair the world has gotten this unaffordable. It’s orders of magnitude harder than most of our parents had to deal with. Just keep doing your best to move forward and it’ll come. We’re all Struggling. You’re not a failure and you’re not doing a bad job. And someday your kid(s) will see how hard you tried. It’s never too late to start a career. You can do it.
Check out tryhackme.com good beginner friendly learning material.
I actually have had a little fun with it but I’m very limited with time and get easily discouraged I guess. Thank you though :)
You can look into JPU for x-ray. They understand that people work but they prefer you dont. I know you said no help and whatnot but just wanted to throw it out there. This will be unpaid for the two year program but start out maybe 40-60 an hour with options to skill up to different modalities.
Unpopular opinion but try to see if you could enlist in the military.
My buddy was in a similar situation, she’s a single parent with 2 kids, she used to work as a cook. Long story short she joined the military the branch was the US Space Force. Now she’s getting paid to learn how to code and is changing her life.
:)
Would you mind telling me exactly what she chose? And also did she have to move/or leave her kids with family?
She does cyber operations and she moved for her training I believe it was Texas and then she moved to her base vandenberg central California. She took her kids with her and rented out a hotel until she was done with all her training. In order to do this she saved a lot of money.
nope. not as a single mother and without a family care plan (i.e. other family members to take care of kids).
Im from Oside, military town my whole life.
The amount of Marines that don't have PTSD just from the barracks and marines that do are so far inbetween.
Unless, you plan on doing a 20 year contract and getting the benefits, or a engineer the military just isn't worth it. I can EASILY say it, now that im 28 and every person ive met just coming out of the marines is seriously fked up. Whether its mental, or a physical from a training accident.
It'd be different if the marines payed like $30 an hour (they dont).
Also, if you're a woman. You should look up the number of assaults that occur on a base. If you think that number is high outside of base, then you will really not like being on base.
That’s why my buddy joined the space force.
It would be amazing if it worked out like that everytime you enlist.
You never know! It worked for my friend and she’s living it up.
Feel like you're the type of person to say Tijuana is safe because nothing has ever happened to you.
Im happy your friend is living it up, a lot of people in active duty are NOT LIVING IT UP.
I’m trying to understand where did you get the idea of me saying that ?
Also understand that those are different branches that do things differently.
I think you've got transferable skills that'll let you break into an executive assistant (or administrative business partner) role at a tech or major fortune 500 company. Those roles make 6-figures easily (when stock grants are factored in) and can be mom-friendly if you enforce your own boundaries (given how hard you work now, this would be a cake walk in comparison). Look up EA roles to see what is required among all companies (usually heavy Calendar management, expenses, project managing various projects, event planning, travel planning, etc) and rewrite your resume to highlight those skills among all of your current and previous roles. Talk to EA recruiting companies, connect with EAs/ABPs at various fortune 500 companies and ask them what their work life is like, and get recommendations for how to showcase your skills as transferable, etc. If you're lucky, one or two might send your a referral link for applying to a role at their company. You've got this!
Also, check out The Mom Project for contract roles you might be interested in. I see job posts for Intuit ABPs in SD regularly - apply directly on their site (though, if you know someone who works there, ask for a referral)
Thank you so much for your kind words, will definitely look into all of this!
Yeah you should look up ABC in Poway
Thank you I did, I had no idea places like that existed :)
Yeah I did the program and have been working ever since my first day almost 10 years ago
Which one did you pick? If you don’t mind
Yeah I did electronic systems , I got lucky with a good employer and was able to install all types of systems not just limited to one specific area of electronics
I’ve heard court stenography is a stable profession? But not a flexible schedule. I’ve also heard being a mobile notary is great as well.
I’ve thought about notary just but it sounds like not a lot of jobs for it unless you’re really good at marketing yourself, maybe I’ll look into stenography… thank you!
Military and specifically air force. That's it you have someone to watch your kid but the opportunities that open are endless. Had a family member go in at 22 and got out at 26 with not only his associates but also as well heavy experience in IT and landed a solid career in IT working for general dynamics. Also going to school as well to get his bachelor's and being paid by the air force an extra 4k a month on top of his already great salared job to just attend school and the school is paid for.
Solar Turbine is going to have a lot of jobs opening up.
I knew months ago, they were going to amp up Submarine assembly. Solar turbine is contracted for the next 20 years (unless a super peaceful president shuts it down, heavily doubt it). Anyways, apprenticeship is minimum wage. If you're good enough you will make over 80k with benefits, as well as a huge name on your resume.
Im not into war, but for people who want to use their hands this is a great stepping stone into machining.
Are there any ROP programs still running? They were free but you just had to wait until your name came up on the list. That's how I did cosmetology school. They had a full list of things to choose from it just took a little time with extra steps to compensate for not having to pay a stupid amount of money.
Hey, look into dispatch jobs on Usajobs.com they pay for you to go through their academy/training. Working for the city will give you a pension which is AMAZING compared to 401ks, great insurance and great pay.
Can ChatGPT/other bots help you pick up some freelance work you could do from home? However, may be riskier longer term if soon enough the bots can list themselves as freelancers at arbitrary websites