Have you thought about working for a non profit? You can get paid and at same time get loan forgiveness. Same with a govt job.
-nickodemos
@Miles
Non-profits don't pay all that much where I am. But government jobs
do pay quite well, offer very good benefits (especially medical and retirement), and have union protection. Many of the positions have some flex in the requirements to apply - and degrees aren't required for every position. Those that do have firm degree requirements often offer a "career trainee" track that can get you in at a junior level and allow you to apply for the "real" position after a year or two of on-the-job experience.
Time was when government jobs paid less but offered better security. Not any more. It's almost impossible to get laid off or fired from a regular government job in my state. And CT state jobs pay as well (and often much better) than private sector jobs with similar entry requirements.
My GF works for the state. She said the only downside is that you occasionally end up having to work with some totally useless people that cannot be fired - and will never leave government employment. Primarily because there's no place else they can get a job that pays $50K+ per year and only requires a high school diploma.
Seriously - do yourself a favor and go look at your state's website employment pages. Also be aware of the many "target candidate" considerations that can tilt the table in your favor when applying for a position. Affirmative action may be slowly disappearing. But it's not gone yet. And most government employment makes at least a token effort to maintain some level of diversity in their workforce. So if there's
anything you can use to get in (age/race/gender/veteran status/disability/special hardship/etc.) -
use it. Because it can work for you.
Maybe it's not the ideal way to go about securing employment - but "What price dignity when a stomach is empty?" as my grandfather used to say. I've been there - so I know.
Luck!
