Smcc, I wish I could put a foot out and help those who do not see what the working industry expects from us. It used to be

1. High school diploma required (or G.E.D), associates degree preferred
2. Associates required, bachelor preferred
3. Bachelor's required, Masters preferred + some experience, + some bilingual
4. Mater's required, + years of experience, + bilingual, + technology, etc

#4 is what the working industry crave for, and that is what I am trying to be prepared for. I am taking a short halt on my BA and go out into the corporate life to see what I can target. Once I get in, I am going to hope and pray that I can find a job that will pay for my tuition in the Masters program. There are a lot of jobs that participate in the program, I just have to work hard at getting there.

My goal is to go back into my community and volunteer as some type of mentor or advocate to work with those who are trying but do not see a way out. The people (such as youngster or thugs) who want the finest of life without the sacrifice are the ones that I tend to target because they have an invisible rejection of life, which develop from dreams, television, and racism. Some people tends not to let something that they can not change, or have no control of, go. This may sound weird but trust me, listen to someone who grew up around this type of negativity, fell into the thug life, but struggled to make it 3/4 of a way out. That someone is me. I know what they are going through and for some reason, I feel this deep feeling in my heart to go back where I came from, let them see that we can do it, but we have to make a step. I will be that example, an example who was once in the same category and is still not too far from it.

Now, this is why I can relate to what hjm just said. Street life is not necessary required in life, but baaaaby trust me, it is a strong foundation for any individual who tries to make to succeed in what ever type of employment field desired. Some people with street life knowledge are looked upon like they are scums, bums, beggar's, desperate, bottom of the barrel or what ever else you can call it. But, what they don't know is that you will have a hard time trying to make a fool out of us. We know dirt when we see it, we know which direction we should not take, and the consequences of any actions, while some have to read the manual. We do not hang ourselves or comment any type of suicide when hards times hit us because we know what we have to do to get back on our feet. We know how to present ourselves around low class to high class, right or poor. We take chances on someone that most business people would call the cops on. We can smell transactions, and when you are in to business, you have to remember that money itself is dirty, it just depends on how you handle it.

agreed !

Too bad college doesn't you street smarts. You need to know the street smarts to run a business because you are going to have all types of customers that will do anything to the tip the scale into their favor.

I am an admin assistant at a university in the alumni affairs dept and a part time college student majoring in graphic design.

Charonh, I have met many women such as yourself being here in Atlanta and my hat is off to you. 99% tell me they are going to meet their objectve (graduating) no matter what life throws at them.

Meya you make me smile and relive my past when I read that post. All of us have traveled different paths to get to where we are and you know if you don't continue to pursue your dreams no one is going to do it for you.

Maybe you can help me with these younger generations that expect to come out of high school not go to college or take up some kind of trade and want to make $20hr right off the bat.

Been in the IT world for 13 years Meya and had to pay my dues even when IT was the place to be back in the mid 90's. I do ok now, can't complain, but some of these younger kids Meya, want the Benz, the Bling, the house in that gated community and haven't worked a year since leaving school.

For those like Charonh, that degree be it A.S., B.S., MBA, PHD, is your ticket to making your dreams come true For the rest who think an Education isn't important listen to your elders and realize what they went through to get to where they are and realize that was while rasing you !

I'm not taking away from the people who didn't go to college and started a successful busines because small business is what makes America run but we all can't fall into that category

Charonh, that's a full time + job right there.

smcc, I see that you said past job history also. Whew, let me go back with my old antique brain.

1. I think I was 15 when I got my first job with elderly people which was bringing there plates and taking away their dirty laundry. It was basically summer jobs, but it did help makes ends meet, especially in my childhood days.

2. From 16-22 I was styling hair in my moms house which was bringing in good money for me to be the age I was, and from a low income community.

3. From 22-24 I used to make ends meet by working at Dairy Queen in East Texas and a company called Swirl-way. That is where they make the whirlpool sauna's, hot tubs, bath, and Jacuzzis. I did not like those jobs because I had to work 2 jobs just to make a total of $9.00 per hr. I was suffering down there, no one could really afford to get there hair done and those who did went to a bigger city like Dallas because there was only 2 salons where we were and they did not specialize in kinky hair. I was being ripped off down there.

4. From 24-38 I have been in one Salon every since. for the first several of years there were times where business was so slow until I had to go out and get little side jobs like, Chevron, Beauty supply stores, Post office, Office Depot or Toys R Us. I quit some and some were seasonal. I managed to keep my bills paid somewhat on time, and that was when the rent was running for $500-$600 in the northern part of the Bay (those were nice apts then) so I was able to make it by myself.

Times did get hard, and I had to go back to my mom once, and to my sisters. Although it was for a short time, I still manage to face life through the good, bad, and the ugly.

I'm currently a CJ student at Georgia State and stay at home mom.

Unfortunately, my job doesn't offer me the benefit of interaction with beautiful women. It provides me the currency for me to go out and spend on them, though.

Computer repair tech / network and systems admin

as good as that sounds i never get to see the people who cards are not working, by the time it gets to me is when the door will not take any key thats programed for it or the reader in the card slot needs to be changed and by then who ever was getting the room at the time is long gone. most of what i have to do is by RDP remote desktop if its software and if its hardware i have 12 hours to be on site is its under 4 rooms and less than 1 1/2 hours is its system wide.
and as far as wireless support, its only by voice via an 1 800 number thats called from the room if its not hotel hardware.
so the only people who gets to see me are people who work at the hotels.
theres a nice room just for me thats cold as hell with a lot of fan noise and servers that never get turned off and miles of cat 5 connected to switches with cute little blinking lights.

i am the dude they call when no cards are working or when you cant get wierless internet in your room.

Well, well, well! Now I finally met someone that can tell me the truth about those wireless keys. Now mousepad, tell the truth, have you ever gave a nice looking female a defected key so that she can come back down to talk to you so you can put your game down? I just have to ask this question because this has happen to me on several occasions, when I am in a good mood, I come back down and say, "I know you wanted to see me twice, so why did you not say something in the first place?" A lot of times I do this because it keeps me from going off, especially if you are on a higher floor number, and the room is two lefts and then a right.

Yoyo, you guys work under commission, right?

I sell, underwrite and do everything there is for property and casualty insurance. Mainly in commercial lines, contractors, buildings, non for profits, Errors omissions, home..auto..started as a proof reader:shocked:..16 years ago ..now i can't get out of the business LOL!!

Well here i go
I am a computer repair tech at Cybernet computer repair.LLC here in jackson ms, and the systems admin for choice hotels in the jackson area on call 24/7. i manage the servers that control the doors "you know the little cards you get and they some how open your door" well for evey door there is a data line that runs to the server room sometimes like 200 to 500 per hotel that has to be in working order and the servers keep track of what card goes to what door and how long the card will control that one door and gates on the outside and i am the one who keeps track of the servers.
i am the dude they call when no cards are working or when you cant get wierless internet in your room. its a cool job but cybernet pays better trust me:cheesing: and i like the look on peoples face when they come in and be like you are the dude on myspace or on blackplanet lol.