Can ERE Be Useful to Low Income Individuals?

[Lemur]

https://www.coursera.org/professional-c ... gKGD_D_BwE

Might be worthwhile.

[Lemur]

Oh ERE could certainly be useful to low income individuals. My family alone would benefit greatly by applying a few principles even if they couldn't save money...

[BookLoverL]

I'm certainly finding it useful as a low income individual. I can't afford most categories of spending that aren't necessary right now, but trying to apply ERE thinking means that I am managing to afford the things I do need, to do some fun things, and also I don't feel like I'm being deprived when it comes to the categories of stuff I'm missing out on (mainly travelling, buying a lot of books, and hobby classes, since a lot of my hobbies were free already).

[Arbo]

I'm not sure if you are being modest or jesting a bit (I call myself an unemployed loser for fun ). But if you're being serious, maybe you should consider that somewhere along the line someone planted some psychological BS in your mind that influences your life, success and happiness more than you think. It's one thing to not like a job and want to better yourself, it's another to not like a job because you are afraid what others think and feel inadequate as a person.

Thanks for the interaction! I forgot how great this forum is.

My thoughts on what I said and being ashamed of being 31 and being a warehouse worker is... well..

So I really am not very motivated by careerism or money or even status. It's a problem! I was happy when I was ranked in the top 2000 in an online game, I was happy when I was reading a lot and writing online, etc. I was happy without a car and also eating cheaply and living in a low income, high crime city. I guess, in a weird way, I would be happy being lower on the socioeconomic ladder than most people. Partly this is because I lived for so long in a high crime, very low income city and I managed to actually make my life work there. I don't know. I'm not passionate about anything, even IT, the field I'm studying...

[Arbo]

https://www.coursera.org/professional-c ... gKGD_D_BwE

Might be worthwhile.

Lol, funny you would post this. I'm taking these courses! The quality of education is a lot better than what is offered at my CC because there is a big emphasis on the fundamentals of IT, which is something I was lacking in(computer hardware, operating systems, very basic things, whereas my CC has me using a product called TestOut Network Pro which is much more advanced and assumed a lot of prior IT knowledge)

I make $16 now, and a lot of IT jobs seem to pay around $14-17(entry level), so I won't see a very big income jump for going into IT. It looks like the field is pretty saturated

[Arbo]

@Arbo

I'd be curious the exact realm of IT you would like to go into. If it's basic help desk or network administration (which is where most folks start at the entry level), then even an associates degree is not necessary to land a job. It may be more beneficial to simply study and get a baseline IT certification or 2, such as Security+ (administration particularly for gov't work) or CCNA (network administration).

One of those certifications will demonstrate basic technical aptitude to an employer and should be enough to secure you an interview for an entry-level position. In other words it might accomplish the same thing as an associate's degree, but with way less money and time investment. Once you have the entry-level position, you can continue to learn on the job and start to climb the ladder to higher paying positions.

Hi!

I am trying to get into basic IT/helpdesk. So you don't think a degree is necessary? I've found that most places want a combination of a degree, experience and certifications. I feel that they want two of the three, at least -- I have no experience, I have no certs, I have no degree. You would suggest I get a certification as my first course of business?

[white belt]

Hi!

I am trying to get into basic IT/helpdesk. So you don't think a degree is necessary? I've found that most places want a combination of a degree, experience and certifications. I feel that they want two of the three, at least -- I have no experience, I have no certs, I have no degree. You would suggest I get a certification as my first course of business?

I'm no expert on the subject, but you should be able to glean a lot based on what skills/certs that the job listings are asking for. For something like basic IT/helpdesk, I really think a college degree is just a check the block to show you are responsible enough to follow instruction and learn some basic skills (think of low level IT as more of a trade/skill). A certification may be more valuable because it shows an aptitude for the tech side and a similar ability to learn. Almost every basic IT/helpdesk job is going to involve a lot of on the job training. I really think getting a cert (if there is one an employer values) and then doing some tinkering on your own may be enough to land a job, especially since you have prior work experience that shows you can at least function as an employee and follow instruction.

If you have any contacts that work in IT in your area, I would reach out to them and get their input (this may also help you land a job). Perhaps one benefit of attending schooling is that it will give you access to some people in the IT field, but I'd say that's really only the case for in person classes and if your classmates are already working professionals, rather than kids fresh out of high school.

[Alphaville]

i’ve got a question: if you’re not ambitious, and like your newfound stability, and your employer is paying for your education—would you be willing to just change jobs within the company? because that might be a good way to find out what you need to move up the internal ladder... why guess, when you can ask? i think as a business they’d rather see a return on their investment than pay for you to go away. no?

[Arbo]

i’ve got a question: if you’re not ambitious, and like your newfound stability, and your employer is paying for your education—would you be willing to just change jobs within the company? because that might be a good way to find out what you need to move up the internal ladder... why guess, when you can ask? i think as a business they’d rather see a return on their investment than pay for you to go away. no?

Yeah this would be ideal for me. The next step up from my position is termed an "L3"Process Assistant and they get a $2.15 an hour raise. I'm a bit of an introvert and this position involves a lot of managing and public speaking, and I don't feel like those are my strong suits

I used to spend hours web developing when I was young, writing scripts for Quake 2, etc. I taught myself html and had a lot of fun, etc. This is why I'm trying to get into some kind of field that lets me use my brain instead of just my body

[Arbo]

I'm no expert on the subject, but you should be able to glean a lot based on what skills/certs that the job listings are asking for. For something like basic IT/helpdesk, I really think a college degree is just a check the block to show you are responsible enough to follow instruction and learn some basic skills (think of low level IT as more of a trade/skill). A certification may be more valuable because it shows an aptitude for the tech side and a similar ability to learn. Almost every basic IT/helpdesk job is going to involve a lot of on the job training. I really think getting a cert (if there is one an employer values) and then doing some tinkering on your own may be enough to land a job, especially since you have prior work experience that shows you can at least function as an employee and follow instruction.

If you have any contacts that work in IT in your area, I would reach out to them and get their input (this may also help you land a job). Perhaps one benefit of attending schooling is that it will give you access to some people in the IT field, but I'd say that's really only the case for in person classes and if your classmates are already working professionals, rather than kids fresh out of high school.

Everything you said is spot on, according to my research. Which makes me ask, how do you know so much about the IT field, while you yourself seeming to not be in it?

(Good advice btw!)

[white belt]

Everything you said is spot on, according to my research. Which makes me ask, how do you know so much about the IT field, while you yourself seeming to not be in it?

(Good advice btw!)

I do work in IT, but on the public sector side where things are a little different.

[Alphaville]

{...} this position involves a lot of managing and public speaking, and I don't feel like those are my strong suits

[...]I'm trying to get into some kind of field that lets me use my brain instead of just my body

yeah it makes every sense that you’d want to do more intellectual work, and you clearly have the aptitute. a pity that there’s only one move in one direction and no other options for you (sideways! elsewjere, etc). i sort of know a guy who works for amazon in robotics.

[The_Bowme]

Yeah this would be ideal for me. The next step up from my position is termed an "L3"Process Assistant and they get a $2.15 an hour raise. I'm a bit of an introvert and this position involves a lot of managing and public speaking, and I don't feel like those are my strong suits

I used to spend hours web developing when I was young, writing scripts for Quake 2, etc. I taught myself html and had a lot of fun, etc. This is why I'm trying to get into some kind of field that lets me use my brain instead of just my body

Kind of random, but I went to Lambda School for a web dev bootcamp process and was able to enter the web development field with that, albeit with a college degree in philosophy, but no direct credentials. The attractive aspect was it was remote, and that it had a income share agreement set up, where I only had to pay if I got a job in tech making $50k or more. The rate for me was 17% (pre-tax) for 2 years, so a bit hefty, but it also did get me into the field and has worked out well. I have about 6 months of payments left.