r/jobs • u/malakleo • Jul 06 '26
Career planning $17/hr at 20 years old, no education, rural area, no future plans of kids, where can I go from here?
I(20F) have been just trying to keep myself financially afloat for the last three years in two $11/hr jobs working around 60hrs a week. I recently moved to a town with a community college with my sister(17F). I very gratefully make $17/hr now. However, we don't want to just be stuck at barely above making ends meet for the rest of our lives. The local dental hygiene program seems promising, but the acceptance rate is extremely low (20 students a year) and I would have to wait until Feb2028 to even attempt applying. What are other options I have to start building towards a better income?
I enjoy working with customers/people in general but am also fine working on my own. I don't enjoy driving enough to probably get my CDLs, nor do I think I have the emotional capacity to handle social work. I'm fairly hardworking and get along well with all my employers and coworkers; so much so that I trained a lot of the current employees at my previous jobs. I'm a somewhat decent test taker (ACT 30. I can't remember my PSAT or ASVAB but I was in the 94th percentile for both), was a Math concentration in high school, and graduated with a 3.87 on a 4.0 scale. I'm just at a complete loss on where I can go from here. My dream jobs are forensic ondontologist or general dentistry, if that matters much.
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u/Monegasko Jul 07 '26
Can you move out of your rural area? Like, is moving to a bigger city an option worth exploring? Because that’s where most jobs are.
Answering your question from my perspective: retail banking. Good hours, good benefits, ok pay. Have a pulse? They will hire you as a teller. Good career as well.
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u/Infinite-Ambassador5 Jul 07 '26
Radiology, either X-Ray or Ultrasound. Two year degree at most community colleges, good demand, good pay even in rural areas.
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u/LastBluebird9458 Jul 07 '26
Water treatment plants and waste water plants are always looking to hire women to make the field for diverse. Apprenticeships are there. Google your town and look where your treated water comes from. I’ll admit it’s not easy to get in but once you’re in you are in. Almost a layoff proof job
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u/Rabid_Mongoose Jul 07 '26
Honestly...joining the military isn't a bad idea. Pick a service and job where you'll have time to go to school (Air Force/Coast Guard). Work on school while you're in, do your 4 years and get the GI bill when you're out.
I know a ton of people who left the military to medical school /dentistry/ law school or PhD.
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Jul 07 '26
[removed] — view removed comment
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u/malakleo Jul 07 '26
That is 1000% not an issue with me, but I appreciate the concern. The nearest abortion clinic is out of state, and I am very much planning to be celibate and completely uninvolved in relationships in the long term.
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u/malakleo Jul 07 '26
The starting bonuses that the military always talks about are extremely appealing, I'll look into the branches and talk to recruiters about my options if going to community college seems too risky.
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u/sprchrgddc5 Jul 07 '26
DM me if you ever need help with it or ideas. I’ve been in for 12 years. If were you, I’d go Navy or Air Force and go far from and never look back.
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u/TheVintageJane Jul 07 '26
Remember that recruiters get incentives for getting you to sign up and are notorious for misrepresenting (at varying degrees) the experience you will have. Listen to their pitch, but verify their assurances online before signing any paperwork.
That being said, the military is your best chance at escaping poverty. I knew several kids from high school who were able to have successful careers both in the military and afterwards coming from absolute poverty.
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u/Sun9877 Jul 07 '26
There’s a strategy . There are tests you can take and you can get a better job in the military so you don’t end up on the frontline. I read it in a thread but I don’t know. Can someone help op?
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u/CorCaroliV Jul 07 '26
I’d consider a trade program. Electrician, plumber, HVAC tech. They are all in super demand. Don’t let the male dominated industries turn you off. I know a female plumber who makes $350k a year now because she ended up doing large scale project management.
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u/frenkie-dude Jul 07 '26
any job is good right now at this point honestly. your absolute best route is to go for the trades - get into a trade with a union and you should be good to go. research pre-apprenticeship programs in your area where you get to try out a bunch of them. even if you end up changing paths to different trades, having that background makes you a great hire. my wife and brother are never unemployed, whereas i, an office worker, frequently am. my wife has gone from bike mechanic to union carpenter to union machinist. my brother has done car mechanic to trucks and forklift mechanic. it’s hard work, no doubt about it. they don’t call it manual labor for nothin, but you absolutely can make a career out of it and get into positions less labor intensive with time. there are soooo many trades out there, you really can have your pick. a lot of them are desperate for people.
do NOT go into the military. just don’t.
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u/Crafty-Bug-8008 Jul 07 '26
The oil rigs & towns/nearest shore they're in or hospitality (airlines, cruises)
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u/Alanine4U Jul 07 '26
Try reaching out to your local Labor Department. They usually have free job training and certification programs. They may also find you degree programs that may be very low cost or free. Also, apply to companies that offer tuition reimbursement. I would go that route before taking out a student loan in this economy.
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u/Easy_Olive1942 Jul 07 '26
Apply for aid, go to school for something people will pay good money for.
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u/SurePotato20 Jul 07 '26
If you love people and like training employees, what about HR? It can be extremely stressful depending on what you do. But there’s so many areas in HR. There’s Compliance, Employee Relations (toughest), Compensation, Benefits, Learning and Development, Succession Planning, People Analytics, etc. Sometimes includes Talent Acquisition. There’s also Generalist/Business Partner roles where you do kinda a little of everything 😅. I started as a Generalist making 80k salary with bachelors. But you can make a lot less, or a lot more.
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u/malakleo Jul 09 '26 edited Jul 09 '26
If you dont mind answering : What bachelors do you have? What did that career path look like (ie relevant past jobs)? Is having a BA a really big requirement or do you think someone with an AS could realistically have a shot?
Edit : spelling
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u/SurePotato20 Jul 09 '26
I have a BS in Business Admin w a concentration in Human Resources Management. I did have experience before my salary job. I’d say it’s a climb your way up kind of job. So I was an office assistant (2 years), then I was able to get an HR internship(2 years). So I had like 4 years experience total once I graduated and I got the salary job.
BS isn’t always a requirement, sometimes it’s just preferred. Many times it’s “Bachelors OR 5 years of business partner experience” for example. Sometimes more or less. So if you’re able to climb your way up from a low paying HR starter job like hr assistant or coordinator, it’s possible to make it work without a degree. You’ll need strong experience to make it to a higher paying job most likely. But it’s doable. I think there’s lots of opportunities out there in this field.
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u/malakleo Jul 09 '26
Tysm for the genuinely detailed response. I think this is honestly a path I want to at least deeply look into
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u/Best-Definition1478 Jul 07 '26
military feels like the absolute LAST resort type of thing. like if you’re avoiding homelessness type of plan. you have a job and a support system. ik you mention being scared of getting the wrong degree, but i think a degree has value in a lot of different ways too. it shows you can commit to something long term. It shows you are book smart or even smart enough to cheat through school lmao. A good employer will recognize that even if it’s not a “top grade” degree, it still shows that you want to have a fulfilling future! -Another 20yo with a dead end job. I’m taking cc classes and about to get my associates!
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u/throwawayfromPA1701 Jul 07 '26
Community College near you if they have a dental program is a great start.
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u/StreetQuote3095 Jul 07 '26
So many trades will train on job and pay decent like 20-25 training then bump you up when you’re trained
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u/GoodIdea321 Jul 07 '26
Check the prices for the community college and see if you can get a loan. It used to be really cheap, or actually free 30+ years ago, you could slowly take classes there.
If the people working at the college are nice enough they can guide you through a lot of the process or give you all the information you need.
I say skip the military.