I attended community college after high school, but it didn't amount to much. I was a Music major who was active in the theater. It was fun and I learned a lot of useless information. But it fizzled-out; I had no focus, no educational goal, I was just winging it. .. and eventually I lost interest and dropped out.
No matter how crazy my 20's were, I was always employed. I was a loyal employee - I worked for Kinko's for 5 years and then at AT&T (turned Cingular turned Alltel) for another 5 years. During that time college was never a consideration. I was making a decent living, actively pursuing my music dream and the future still seemed far away.
Sometime near my 30's I started to consider the direction of my life. The reality of my music dream proved a never-ending uphill climb with no guarantee for success . My (then) girlfriend Katie had a career and a college education. Her world had stability. This was when I'd begun to understand the difference between a 'job' and a 'career'. So I pursued a career, and thus began my 30s.
I felt I had a good head on my shoulders, good communication skills, a good work ethic, and all the necessary ingredients to be worthy of a career-caliber employment. But it was impossible to even get my foot in the door without the education. I worked several jobs, but they all were merely that - jobs. No future, no growth potential. I seemed to have found the ceiling for how much I could be paid an hour without a degree, and I wanted more.
I became resentful that I was being excluded from job opportunities merely due to education. My resume was solid. No matter how well I would ace the interview and made a solid impression, I'd always lose the good jobs to those 'gifted' with education and inexperience. I kept holding out for someone to give me a chance to prove my worth.
Then I got a job working for the state as a temp. I worked in the state office building surrounding the capital. It was here I was exposed to real career employment and the stability I so craved. It was also here that I learned the true reason I'd never get that opportunity to prove my worth: Human Resources.
Human Resources is the gate by which all new employees pass, and they do not let in anyone who doesn't more than meet their requirements for a job. If I wanted a quality job, it was going to cost me a quality education. So say'eth H.R.
Soon after that job ended, my new goal was to finish my education. Thanks to the support of my wife and her family, I was able to make that happen. I relocated to New York and I enrolled in college. Now, to say this transition was hard would be an understatement. It was grueling. But eventually I re acclimated myself to the life of a student. And here I am, now a senior and only two semesters away from accomplishing a four-year goal.
So was it worth it? Honestly, the answer is yes. I am smarter by the process and I have learned a great deal. I honestly think everyone should continually pursue some sort of education, in whatever capacity. It like exercising your brain.
I fully understand there is no guarantee that education will get me a job; but I feel better equipped to pursue it none-the-less. Soon I will be ready to kick open the HR gate and find a career. And hopefully, the company that hires me will pay for my education so I can begin pursuing my graduate's degree.
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