So I'm making a pretty big decision and I'm trying to get all the opinions/feedback I can get. I recently graduated from school with a Bachelors last December. But finding a job related to my career is tough. I have a interview here and there but nothing solid. At the same time, I have been putting more hours into my part-time job at a retail company. I've been with them for 6 months now and I'm being recognized for my efforts. I have a lot of responsibilities there and all the managers trust me with a lot of tasks. I'm a mentor there as well as a facilitator in hiring events for the company. I'm not going to name the company, but some of you already know; and it's one of the fastest growing and hottest companies in the market right now. They're asking me to move to full time and I recently applied for a management program. I talked to my manager, and they say at the pace I'm going, I can become a manager within 2 to 3 years. The pros of that is the money. It's bonkers how much they make, before bonuses. I'll also be a manager at one of the best companies out there. It'll look good on my resume, and I can move up even further down the future since I'm starting so young. Since I speak Chinese, I can also move around the world at other growing markets. I'll also be able to start paying back my loans. The downside is, I don't know if I necessarily want to stick with retail. I don't want to make it feel like I'm wasting my degree by working retail. It's also not a 100% guarantee I'll move on to management, though chances are high. I can still freelance on the side, but I feel like my experience and skills will degrade over time if I don't stick with my college-based career. The big decision is, I don't know if I should focus all my time and effort with retail, and move to full time. Or if I should stay part-time and continue looking for a job related to my study. What do you guys think?
Take the job and get to work on racking up the experience. Since you've already got a bachelors, you can always go back and get your masters later on. A piece of paper with your name on it is almost meaningless without some kind of experience to back it up.
^ i agreee......get all the exp. you can...plus ya got ya degree... but whut ive found is employers can turn ya down for a job either way..like some say ya need more exp. and then others say ya need more qualifications...it shucks alright.. and if ya looky and talk to more people....not all people get jobs thas related to whut they studies....coz most degrees are fairly broad and can fit into any type of jobs... well thas aside from the other degrees like if ya did med or teaching or dentistry etc... but guess it depends on if ya wanna continue with whut ya studied...like do ya still have an interest in it....or are ya just wanting a job to do with whut ya studied..so it looks good.?
But retail experience is non-relevant to my degree. You think I should still do it? I totally agree. A degree isn't worth shit now a days. It's all about experience. But I also have 2 internships under my belt. The job market sucks. That's not a bad idea either. Take the job, move up, pay off my loans. And if I want, I can go back for a Masters and then look for a job with the title of Management on my resume... hmm...
the job market in any country sucks right now. I would take the job full time and like you said, do freelance on the side. Working in a big company has many bonuses. see if they will pay for additional schooling. most big companies will pay for your schooling if it can relate to your position or help you move up in the company. i have no idea what you went to school for but if this company is getting larger and larger they may even have a position for what you have education in later on. being in retail isnt that bad of a thing. it's a good stepping stone. i went to school for tourism and ended up selling cell phones for 2 of the biggest companies. because i was a store manager for both companies i was able to get the experience and knowledge that i needed for when i got my own business. the experience is what you make and take from it.
you studied something, but that's not necessary gonna be ur career in the future. i've read how college students cant get a job and end up cleaning people's shoes -.- i say go with the job like people here say, u can't study experience
aww.. after first I was gonna guess Starbucks.. but then you said retail.. hmm.. I'm gonna think that one over.. and don't listen to BB.. she's like 12 with no job experience whatsoever..
You'll have to ask yourself ... will you ever want to get into your career field? Or will you just be happy with a job that pays the bill? Sure, you can get the money first, pay off loans and get an MBA and be a manager later. Not knowing what your career or BS in, all I can say is some fields need to be built from ground up - IT and Accounting comes to mind immediately. For IT, you can get a simple PMP certification and be a project manager but do you really want to be a project manager and be ridicule behind your back by your employees or maybe in your face?
take the full time position while ur still looking for the rite job. once that job comes around, quit the current one. in this economy, money talks.
Maybe, I should fill in the details a bit for better perspective. The retail company I'm working for is Apple. I have really good chances to become the manager there (without a MBA). It's all about personality and leadership abilities there. This is the program that I applied for and am currently in the interview process for - http://www.apple.com/jobs/us/leaderprogram.html All of my managers ranked me as the highest in the store and are all pushing me to do the program. I studied Advertising/Graphic Design in school. I had 2 internships on my resume. But the job market tanked, and is slowly getting better.
Considering you have a job right now I will keep it. I mean jobs aren't easy to find nowadays so having the experience in the length of time especially with the responsibilities that you are having and could be promoted higher. IF you want a career change at least you have the savings from working to go back into education or have enough to survive if you was unfortunately made redundant and what not
This is a no brainer; top flight company with room for advancement and growth, offering you a chance to move into management is something that many people would die for? You can also pursue an MBA later, and vie for a position in corporate, where your experience with their retail end puts you leagues ahead of other candidates. The alternative of course, is sticking with a field that you trained in with no guarantee that you would even find a job. The old adage of a bird in hand comes to mind; I vote Apple.
Damn, how I wish I was in your position right now... Take the job, you'll have managerial experience added to your resume, and employers like it even more when you do apply to jobs in your industry.
You have to sort out what you want first. Realistically speaking, most people would want a job right off college and start making money. However, others go chasing after their dream/passion without hesitation. What you have on your hand is "time". You're still young and can explore a bit more regardless of which route you ultimately decided to take. Yes, money is important but it's not worth giving up your passion either. What do you want to achieve five years from now? Manager, grad school, get married, self-employ, or whatever?? Our life priorities changes as we age. I don't know about others but honestly, being in management might get you lots of money yet most don't look at the workload, liabilities, and stress that come with it. For me, I didn't mind working long hours when I was single; now that I am married, I rather earn less and spend more time with my family. Of course, I did learn a lot; at the same time, there were a lot of sacrifices.
oh advertising/graphic design! im studying something related too, lucky you! yep i say go for the job. You'll get experience about marketing, then you got a degree in design, design & marketing = PERFECT! (i was gonna go for sth like taht but just too lazy.....) hold on to this golden opportunity you have!
im thinkng if i should work in hk or korea..theres like no time, i want to do it for experience but i feel like i would miss out on a career opportunity here if i went abroad
Update. Believe it or not, thanks to everyone here at PA, my friends and family; I decided to pursue retail management...and I succeeded. Starting September I will start full time with a healthy salary; I will be in a 2 year training program and finish with a management position. Now that I think twice about it, this is an amazing opportunity in this economy. This position was very competitive and I am lucky to have it. Out of thousands of applicants, I was 1 of few who was selected for this program and I am VERY grateful for it. This is good to have on my belt and if I ever want to go pursue my dream, I can always go back to school for my Masters AFTER I pay off my loans and etc. From there I can do management in the advertising/marketing field or start my own business. Thank you so much for your advice everyone, it was definitely helpful.
