State gave me voucher for a yr of job training school-Help me pick a career to go for

[Khadijah]

Hey yall, I dont mean to use this forum as a personal school counselor for me becuz I hate it when ppl do that in my forum, So, im sorry if this comes off that way, but I really need some help and I am mad ignorant about this field to be honest and I aint sure wat to do on my own. I can get a tuition waiver of 4000 dollars to go to any county school in Jersey, from unemployment. There is also a list of other universities that I could apply the vouchers at too, like William Paterson and shit. Im plannin on goin to Passaic county community college prolly, but anyways, that aint the point.

I can get this voucher if i do a program that will be completed in less than 1 year. The whole idea of it is so ppl can get educated with job skills that wil get them a job and off unemployment. So, now I got to figure out wat Ima do! thats where yall come in. I need to find a program of study that will get me some kind of certification or somethin like that. I aint getting no degrees or nothin. Its more like when you go to one of them trade schools to learn a trade, like beauty school or auto tech school or medical billing or wtfever--those 6 or 8 month courses where you learn a skill specifically devoted to that skill only and you come out at the end certified and ready to work.

I was gonna do phlebotomy cuz i heard it was a quick course , but apparently if u got a bad record like i do, they dont let u into the medical field. the lady said that some girl who had a misdemeanor got banned from takin medical classes or gettin a job in that field nd i got felonies so Im beat, So now I dont know wat I want to do thats why I made this thread, becuz my only plan is beat now.

So now on to phase 2. first tho my record is like this, i got a possession of heroin, conspiracy to distribute, and possession of heroin again. the 2 last ones was felonies, the first one got downgraded to misdemeanor cuz it was my first offense and out here they dont treat heroin that serious cuz theres so much of it. So my BG check shows 2 felonies, all of them i been convicted of in 2009, the 3rd one was only 4 mos ago i got convicted, so it aint too long ago which looks bad. I included the info about my record cuz obv. the school aint gonna give a shit, but it matters cuz it will affect wat carreer I study. I need to train for a job that aint gonna care about my record, I dont want to train for a job that i will end up not bein able to get hired for becuz of my criminal background.

So.....Wat kind of programs is available out there in this world, for somebody who needs a course of under one year, that will train them for a easy to employ carreer? Unemployment wants you to find a field thats in demand and needs workers, becuz they want you to use the education to get a job right away, it aint just for you to get some free education , you know? I live in jersey, if that matters. I am tryin to find out in-demand fields and I figured some of yall might know that.

I know it depends on wat courses the college offers also but i figred some general advice would still apply to me, i got so many schools to choose from that I can pick one that got the program I want instead of havin to pick the program I want basedon the school , you know? I aint got no experience in the office/business world. I always been a hands on type of person and i am real good with art, thats one of my passions. I have no real background or experience in jobs other than labor jobs like housekeeping and cooking and landscaping. This is all extremely new to me and I aint got no idea where to start at, so to sum it up this is wat Im lookin for:

TL;DR Summary:

I am looking to find wat field I should go to school for that I should train for becuz I got a grant available to me to go to college and train for a particular field. ** I only got one year or less to complete my school, so any program for a degree is 100% out of the question. ** I need a trade education type of subject to study for- somethin where I get a certification or some type of full training for a particular job like that, i cant just take a bunch of random classes for credits if they aint gonna add up to a completed certificate by the end of the year. ** I got a felony criminal record with more than one conviction and all my convictions was in 2009, so it aint long ago enough to convince employers im changed, so I have to study somethin in the field of a job i can actually GET. if i study to do a job that would not hire me becuz of my background it would be a total waste of my one chance here, so i want to make sure I pick the right thing.

Any suggestions at all yall migt have would be extremely appreciated. I am a 23 yr old female with a GED and I am willing and open to all suggestions becuz I just really need a job, so I want to take this schoolin for anything that will give me a solid chance at gettin a good, real job. Thanks alot yall...I hope u can help me. Any thoughts at all that u got would be welcome.

 

[PinezPeakZ]

First off congratulations on recieving the voucher, now is deffently the time to be in school with the recession the way it is now. I think the most important factor in selecting a career choice nowadays is job availability it seems like you have already taken that into account. Just try talking to a counsoler and see what they have to offer.

 

[Cyc]

Am I correct in assuming that all employers run criminal background checks? I only ask because it's relatively uncommon where I'm from, unless you're working for the government, or child care. If I recall correctly, in order to even ask for such information, a private business must demonstrate that they're in a "need to know" situation. Similarly, you can't run credit checks on employee hopefuls, and discriminate based on their past financial decisions. Makes sense, right?

One could easily argue from a social standpoint, that those with a criminal history or poor credit, are those in the greatest need of stable employment.

Further, it's not the government's responsibility to protect private a company's liability with federal or state protected information, and in fact, they should be more worried about the rights of their constituent voters.

Sorry, I know that doesn't answer your question but if I were you, I'd be pissed off that your private information is being traded around like a note at recess. I don't see why you couldn't go into the medical field if that's what you'd like to do.

 

[purple_cloud]

I don't really have a solid answer for this either, but you should investigate what you want to do more. You have a decent amount of options...I think you should think about what you can see yourself happiest with. Luckily for you, you're in NJ, and as a NYer I know this area still has some opportunity in it even with a recession...especially with such a high concentration of people, the need for skilled labor jobs is very high.

What subjects did you find most interesting when you were in school? You're very involved in BL so I'm gonna guess you may be on other forums as well, what kind? Essentially, I just think it's important that you actually enjoy whatever option you go with, and can see yourself doing it seriously. Best of luck with this, from one tri state area italian chick to another

 

[Khadijah]

Well, i like cosmetology and that type of shit but i cant do that, damn ppl at the county said that aint a 'real' carreer. Fuckem! Im personaly offended by that but watever.

So , I always thought it would be ill to have a construction company, my man is a mason and he done roofing, carpentry, carpeting, landscaping, pretty much every field of construction he been in at some time or another and he is gettin the voucher too so i think it would be sick if we could have our own company someday but that is kind of not the type of thing that i would be able to do wiht just one year of school.

So, anyways...Iunno....I like people and dealin with people . Im good at customer service. LOL i know some of yall prolly imagining me like "O yea mutha fucka? Well how bout you go head an call my assistant manager then, and he tell you that you a punk ass bitch too! *click*!" :D But I actually pretty good with answerin phones n shit like that.

I could be a secretary I bet.

I mean at this point, I dont give a shit if its wat I love or not. I have worked my whole life since i was 10 yrs old and full time since i was 16, and none of it has ever really been somethin i loved, so Im over it. I need a job, not a fuckin hobby. Its the hard reality of shit. sure you can find a carreer that you will do the rest of you life and hopefully you love it so its never too bad of a job. But right now im just in the position that i need to get any skills that i can get a job, so fuckit you kno? It is wat it is.

Shit, If i had a choice I would work at a hip hop magazine or some shit like that, or be a model for Enyce or somethin, shit lol, but that aint gonna happen, Im down to work in a factory, wat the hell ever you know?

I am thinkin of gettin a CDL and drive trucks, I got clean piss now and aint a addict no more so I can deal with the piss tests. That would be fuckin hot. I would always think about drivin trucks when I was younger. That dont take background checks neither. Iunno, as you can see I am just clueless so any suggestions of anything that you could possibly think would be a good training to get would be appreciated.

Also Kyk yes, I know. They check even for jobs like at Kohls a local discount clothing chain. Like Target. Everywhere you go yo, you just cant win. I AM pissed about it. But its life. Its my life, its who I am now. Im used to accepting the shitty realities of my life when it comes to this and the way I am pretty much owned by the state and they can fuck me at any time, and how i cant find a job for shit, and all that, so it is wat it is and im past complaiing I just got to deal with the reality of how it is and pick somethin tha will work for me. and btw Thanks PC.

 

[PinezPeakZ]

Well, i like cosmetology and that type of shit but i cant do that, damn ppl at the county said that aint a 'real' carreer. Fuckem! Im personaly offended by that but watever.

So , I always thought it would be ill to have a construction company, my man is a mason and he done roofing, carpentry, carpeting, landscaping, pretty much every field of construction he been in at some time or another and he is gettin the voucher too so i think it would be sick if we could have our own company someday but that is kind of not the type of thing that i would be able to do wiht just one year of school.

So, anyways...Iunno....I like people and dealin with people . Im good at customer service. LOL i know some of yall prolly imagining me like "O yea mutha fucka? Well how bout you go head an call my assistant manager then, and he tell you that you a punk ass bitch too! *click*!" :D But I actually pretty good with answerin phones n shit like that.

I could be a secretary I bet.

I mean at this point, I dont give a shit if its wat I love or not. I have worked my whole life since i was 10 yrs old and full time since i was 16, and none of it has ever really been somethin i loved, so Im over it. I need a job, not a fuckin hobby. Its the hard reality of shit. sure you can find a carreer that you will do the rest of you life and hopefully you love it so its never too bad of a job. But right now im just in the position that i need to get any skills that i can get a job, so fuckit you kno? It is wat it is.

Shit, If i had a choice I would work at a hip hop magazine or some shit like that, or be a model for Enyce or somethin, shit lol, but that aint gonna happen, Im down to work in a factory, wat the hell ever you know?

I am thinkin of gettin a CDL and drive trucks, I got clean piss now and aint a addict no more so I can deal with the piss tests. That would be fuckin hot. I would always think about drivin trucks when I was younger. That dont take background checks neither. Iunno, as you can see I am just clueless so any suggestions of anything that you could possibly think would be a good training to get would be appreciated.

Also Kyk yes, I know. They check even for jobs like at Kohls a local discount clothing chain. Like Target. Everywhere you go yo, you just cant win. I AM pissed about it. But its life. Its my life, its who I am now. Im used to accepting the shitty realities of my life when it comes to this and the way I am pretty much owned by the state and they can fuck me at any time, and how i cant find a job for shit, and all that, so it is wat it is and im past complaiing I just got to deal with the reality of how it is and pick somethin tha will work for me. and btw Thanks PC.

Construction is a great trade for felons to get into. Excellent pay and benefits and alot of people in similar situations that also have "checkered" backrounds. Starting a construction business would take a serious about to dedicated and not to mention capital to start up. Not saying it cannot be done but it wouldn't be easy. Unfortantly the construction industry has suffered greatly due to the recession and not many people have the funds to spend on buildouts and such. Just some food for thought id like to chime in about your other ideas but im not fimilar with commerical driving, make up, or being a secretary. Best of luck!

 

[ChemicalSmiles]

I could be a secretary I bet.

I know its corny, but you can be anything you want to be....

 

[izzy66]

be an electrician. your man is in construction, maybe you could eventually get a general contractor's license. as a woman contractor, you could get a lotta jobs cuz of the minority and women owned business rules for state n federal construction jobs. and trade unions, like ibew (electricians union), do apprenticeship programs where you work n only go to school like 1 night a week, then take a test to get your journeyman license. good job, good pay, good opportunities after you get experience, like doin the general contractor thing.

(btw, wtf is up w/ hair, cosmetology, etc not bein a career? pffft, they're crazy.)

best of luck with w/e you choose. you can do anything.
-izzy

 

[HighonLife]

Congrats

How about Nursing?

also despite whatever someone said about becomming a phlebotamist check into it. you dont gotta waste your one opportunity on it but dont just take someones word for it. i dont see why Carter Blood Care or anyother non-profit/helping agency wouldnt try to help you out in getting back on your feet

 

[Khadijah]

na nursing is a no go yo...I looked at the booklet for the county college and it even said "To enter this program you must be of certifiably good character and pass certain criteria such as never having a drug abuse or addiction problem, no criminal or arrest record, and" a bunch of other shit like people vouch for you being good peoples. I did do some of my own research.

I was thinkin of doin somethin like gettin a backhoe operators certification and become a excavator or somethin like that. Only thing is construction is takin a real hit right now. But i have always wanted to be in construction and that trade, for some reason, IDK I just enjoy it. I would like to be the broad behind the brawns and run the company and shit like that and drive the dump truck too lol .

Ima call the school and see if i can get with some kinda counselor who can give me the 411 on wats a good choice for me. I dont care, i just want "REAL JOB"....The shit that I see so many peopel take for granted, be bitchin about and all that, is me (and lots of other ex addict, felons) dream, its like I feel like if i could just get that, my life would be perfect again...this is my one chance, i hope I can do it and make it somethi good.

 

[sleeping pains]

in terms of cosmetology, my s.o. is a 'certified' makeup artist and she can't find work for shit. just like me, she works in retail. there are plenty of jobs in retail, but they don't pay well, are no fun, and will surly make you want to start using again

 

[rant*N*rave]

Are there any programs related to art/design? (Metalwork, interior design, graphic arts, textiles/fashion, whatever...) I'd think those would be the most interesting, and you'd be good at that kind of stuff. It wouldn't be a bad idea to get something related to construction or whatever like you said so you could go into business with your man at some point - or at least maybe be able to find jobs from the same company.

 

[Khadijah]

yea....and like i said, the focus aint on me not knowing wat to choose--i know lots of shit i would like to do, if i had a choice of anything to go for. but my question is things I can do with a felony record, a very recent one. I cant go train for something that will be impossible to get hired for due to my record so i got to pick somethin that is easy on the background checks and all that, forget whether i really like it or not, u feel me? liking aint the priority here....Ima do wat i gotta...its just about findi a felon-friendly work place that happens to be a carreer that is also something that the schools i could attend would offer a certificate program for. like sure the restaurant industry is kind to criminals but i cant take a certificate course in short order cooking , u kno? so it narrows it down a little much....

@sleeping pains....U got to understand....My job right now dont pay well. that job is nothing, i am unemployed, other than a job i had for like a month in october, i aint been working for almost 2 years, and that aint for a lack of tryin. I been bustin my ass tryin to get work, in all type of jobs, but its hard as hell with a record like mine.

If i could get a job in retail, I would. But i prolly cant becuz almost all these places does background checks. But if i could, Then that would be great. if i was makin minimum wage, that would be great. Thats "well" to me. IDK wat u mean by the dont pay "well", cuz if i was makin 8 bucks a hour, that would be good to me. I dont make shit. I need to work so bad. It aint about if I like the job or not. I aint got the luxury of pickin and choosin based on whether or not i "like" a job. If it was shitty, then so the fuck wat. I sure as hell would not throw away all my success and progress just becuz I dont like my job and be like oh well poor me this jobn makes me miserable i have to shoot dope to put up with it. No way yo, not me.. I am the one in control of if i go back to shootin dope...Not my job. I mean shit, to me work is great, even when its a job most people hate. I am so happy to be working that I dont even think about complaining or feelin pissed. When i had the job i was doin a few mos ago it was only temporary til another worker came back but i was so hapy to go to work everyday. I got up at 5am and went to the meth clinic then to my job and it was like more than 2 hrs of drivin every mornin and i honest to god was happy every morning, just so glad that I had a job again, you know? I definately would not be like, oh i gotta go get high on dope again cuz I have a job and it sux. Havin a job, period, regardless of the kind of job, is enough to make me NOT want to use becuz its such a blessing to have work. Iunno how it is for yall, but I really appreciate the shit that I got , and if i had a job you wouldnt catch me on that "this shit sucks, i wish i could quit" type of attitude....After you be out of work for a long time u realize just how lucky u are to have work and ur mind definately quits that shitty attitude about hatin ur job. its natural to feel that way when u been there a long time but u forget just how good u got it cuz ur used to it, u feel me?

I aint sayin nothing about U in particular, dont take it that way or feel offended, im just sayin that to say im better off not workin in retail cuz it sucks and i would end up wantin to go back to gettin high, is so far off from the truth when u apply it to how i feel about shit and where im comin from, thats all. i do appreciate the heads up tho, i know u was just tryna give me a fair warning and offer advice, i aint hatin on u or sayin nothing about u.

 

[rant*N*rave]

I could teach you how to make custom lace wigs - even the non-custom ones sell for hundreds of dollars on eBay. I shit you not. If I can't find a job when I graduate, it's what I'm gonna do. No background checks, and being your own boss is the shit. I dunno about the voucher though... Maybe go for some kind of business thing? Then you could probably get gov't money to start your own business too.

 

[theseeker]

Can you go to DeVry or go to a community college that has an agreement with DeVry? They have all these trades they train people in. You can often go to those classes through community colleges I think.

Here's one that would require at least an associates (2 yr) degree- something in social work like a drug counselor. I'll bet you could be of tremendous help to so many people. You've been where they're at, you can relate. Have you considered that at all? Who would be a better drug counselor than a former addict?

A felony for drug charges....for fucks sake. Sometimes I hate this fucking country. Felonies shouldn't be handed out unless violence is involved or direct harm has come to someone. That's my opinion and I know that doesn't help you worth shit....

Stay in there, my friend.

 

[Khadijah]

Thanks for the advice yo--I would love to do that, but i can only go for a year or less. I cant afford to go to school without the money from them. I aint eligible for no type of student loans or financial aid b/c of my criminal background. And I guess you might think that i was causing harm to others in some way since I was distributing narcotics, but that aint the point. That was only one of the felonies I been charged with and convicted of , so watever, I understand ur point that id does suck and its fucked up and i agree with u 100%. Im just lucky that we in jersey and not one of them other fucked up states where you can catch much harder sentencing for dope than you do here becuz theres so much of it so they alot more used to it and dont be as hard on you when you get caught with it.

Anyways, I am for real thinkin on that counselin thing, but it aint in my reach right now...Im thinkin ima go with Legal Secretary class and try n get me some normal job skills, secretarys is always useful, right....And wit my past I sure know enough about the legal system already

Ima come abck up in here and let yall know my choice once i make it.

for now Im also goin to the community college and take a Notary republic class. That way I can verify the documents and shit, you know? Its a 50 dollar class, but I can pay that with the money I make from doin nails on the side and go there. If i got that on my resume thats one more good thing. Well, I aint got a resume right now, but I can make one tho and then put that on there.

 

[Max Power]

Great news lacey. It's awesome that you got this and things are headed in the right direction.

Not even being sarcastic right now ('cause we've had our issue before lol), I can tell you're a smart woman. Do your thing!

 

[theseeker]

Anyways, I am for real thinkin on that counselin thing, but it aint in my reach right now...

Great, lacey! I mean- do what you've got to do to get by for now, but maybe keep this in the back of your mind as a future goal. I know it sounds really, really corny- but it helps to have like a dream in your life. It gives you hope and gives you something to strive for. It's really helped me in my life.

 

[flacky]

"O yea mutha fucka? Well how bout you go head an call my assistant manager then, and he tell you that you a punk ass bitch too! *click*!" :D

That made my day!

Anyways, the combination of notary and secretary training could potentially be very useful. Big companies handle a lot of notarized documents and if you can notarize documents, it makes you a lot more valuable as a secretary (someone who essentially handles documents).