My get-not-poor-slowly scheme

[Elok]

So! I'm once again facing the fact that I have no job skills and will be a bum forever unless I get some. Pertinent observations this time around:

• I am not a computer person. I've tried, but I'm just not. I'm PC competent, and that's it.
• I'm not terribly competent at mechanical things.
• I am not an authority figure. I'm borderline-pathologically conflict-averse. That doesn't work.
• I can write, but that's not worth much.
• Surprisingly, I enjoy work where I work one-on-one to help or coach people through things, and I seem to be decent at it..
• I'd really like to do meaningful and important work, if at all possible, with a minimum of meaningless bull**** or getting screwed over by stupid crap I can't control. Which is why I ruled out a career in education, along with the authority thing.

With all these in mind, I've got my eye on the local community college's Physical Therapy Assistant program. It's a two-year deal, which I could finish somewhat faster since I've already done the gen ed stuff. I've watched videos of PT assistants at work, and it looks like something I could do and enjoy doing. It also pays a solid middle-class wage. There are some hitches: the PT program starts every fall, and I've missed this year's deadline, natch. I'd need to hang tough until next fall, unless I can find somewhere else around here that does PT assistant training. And even then, two-year program. So I'd need a medium-term cashflow option, but I've calculated that any close-to-full-time job would get me enough to mostly float. I can beg cash from family if need be; it'll be a loan, not charity, with what PTA's make. The really painful part is that I'd have to pay out-of-state rates for the first semester, which is a killer. But we'll see.

What obvious flaws can you see in this plan? Tell me now.

[ZEE]

Elok is a nerd.

[NICE MOBIUS]

Look on your missing out this year as an opportunity to prep for next year. Start funding for it and see if there's a you can avoid paying out-of-state rates?

[OneFootInTheGrave]

I have no job skills

It's time for a career in politics.

[giblets]

Maybe you could become a tennis coach and spend your free time bragging about your video game skills on the internet

[Elok]

No, I think then I'd also need to learn some sort of gimmicky useless software to "consult" about.

I have no job skills

It's time for a career in politics.

Well, that is a sweet gig; around here, once a month, all the local business owners invite their local elected officials to a catered dinner at a lakeside house, just to tell them what a bang-up job they're doing at upholding democracy. They arrange a shuttle bus and parking and everything, since apparently almost every area politician is invited. Sounds like a fun job.

Sadly, you have to spend a lot of cash to get it first.

[pchang]

Have you looked at pharmacy school? If you can do a little math the work is much easier and it pays a lot more.

[Elok]

I've considered pharmacy teching as a short-term option. It would be about a year, not two, but the pay would also be less. PTAs make about fifty a year, pharmacy techs something like thirty. I might consider it as a backup, since entry to the PTA program is supposed to be competitive. I've asked how competitive, but haven't gotten an answer yet.

[pchang]

But then you can use that as a stepping stone to become a full fledged pharmacist.

[ZEE]

I just want you guise to know that this thrade was near the bottom of the page with zero replies in it until AAHZ bumped it to the top.

Then people saw it and started replying. So if it wasn't for AAHZ, Elok would be getting no advice.

[Lorizael]

Have you considered returning to school to get the least useful hard science degree there is and tacking on a minor in philosophy to emphasize your disdain for employability?

[onodera]

I know there's porn where straight men agree to have sex for cash. No idea how many times you can star in a tape like that until you are considered gay.

[Thoth]

If you have no actual job skills you're pretty much stuck with either being a teacher, politician or middle manager.

[Elok]

Well, I got the little information packet they keep for this, and it seems I can pay out the ass to take certain prereqs early at out-of-area rates to boost my odds of acceptance into their ultra-exclusive PTA program. Or I can find work at a PT facility and get a recommendation form from a PT or PTA there to achieve the same thing. Both will only boost my odds, not guarantee anything. I don't know what percentage of applicants get rejected, but it sounds hella competitive. I might try for the pharmacy tech thing first; I understand that if you play your cards right you can get CVS or Walgreens to foot some of the education bill for you. And one of the courses in that education is medical terminology, which is one of the boosters from the packet, so . . . hmm.

[Sava]

you can move out here and work for me