By Real Life Sucks - 26/05/2015 16:50 - United States

Today, it's been exactly 2 years since I graduated college. I make less money in my full-time job now than I did working part-time in college. FML
I agree, your life sucks 34 166
You deserved it 3 132

Same thing different taste

Top comments

Taking a pay cut is common when you're breaking into a new industry- you'll be rolling in cash if you stick to your career path!

Comments

I feel your pain, OP. Exact same situation for me. I worked part-time for the government during college. Couldn't keep the job when I graduated since it was a student position, and nothing else was available with them at the time. It's been 6 years since I graduated, and every job I've had after has paid less. I won't blow smoke up your ass and say that it will get better. I WILL say that depending on how much you liked that part-time job and/or company, you might want to try reaching back out to them. (Of course, if you hated the job and/or company, then don't bother.) I have a Master's Degree now, so I might try working for the government again. Good luck with whatever you decide to do.

That and being saddled with student loan debt that hasn't gone away in nearly 30 years since undergrad. My wife makes nearly 15 K more than I do with no college degree. College recruiters and advisors are basically selling a dream that no longer exists for most people.

yeah, right now my job is solely to cover student loans. They take pretty much every dollar that I have coming in. :(

#27, sure, they're selling a dream... but it can and does exist for lots of people, and lots of jobs require degrees. No one should go deeply into debt for college unless earning a degree that makes them extraordinarily likely to be able to pay it back readily, such as an MD or law degree. Even then, it helps to do what's feasible to minimize debt: apply for every available scholarship, work overtime between terms and as much as reasonable through the school year, and live cheaply until earning real money -- and yes, consider going to a less-expensive school. Also, it's almost always better not to get a degree for something you won't enjoy just because you think it'll earn you money; if you don't like your field, you generally won't do as well in it or interview as well for it as those who do. But it's also worth noting that college isn't just for the money. Education is wonderful, and nobody can ever take it away from you. However, some education isn't worth its cost. And if what you want to do in life doesn't require a degree and you don't feel any other need to go to college, it's definitely not worth going into heavy debt for. Also, if you've been paying your student loans for 30 years and still aren't done with them, look into student loan forgiveness programs.

mwali02 32

We need a detailed follow up! What was your part-time job during school, and what industry are you working in now? Think of your career as snakes and ladders. There will be some ups and downs, but make sure that you keep your eyes on the prize. Who knows where you might end up? Hang in there, and good luck! :)

for now, Ima be an ass and assume your part time job didn't offer much in benefits, raises or any career path.

That really sucks. Hopefully your hard work now will pay off in the future. But you never know... That's why I think it's so important for people to find something they love doing and then try to figure out a way to profit from it. As long as it's legal... Or at least doesn't harm anyone xD

I know I'm gonna get eaten alive for this, but I have to play devil's advocate because no offense, I've gotten kinda tired of this type of FML. Look over your diploma, and see if somewhere on it, it guarantee's a job/career/salary; it most likely doesn't. As annoying as it may seem, all a diploma say's is that you've successfully completed a degree in 'X'. Unless you, as a person, can sell yourself to a company to get a job aligned with what you believe you are worth, job market permitting, you will not get the desired result. A degree is just one of many facets that makes a successful person, and its not even required per se. Many people can have a degree but be an overall lazy idiot because they met all the wickets to graduate, and conversely, a person who is a high school drop out can be incredibly successful. Point blank; no one is owed anything just because they have a degree; all a degree certifies is that you've been taught something; knowing and doing are two very different things.

You sound like the business majors at my university... They're assholes who lack empathy and are driven by money and greed. I stay far away from them

What was your degree in, underwater basket weaving?

Lol, I work at a university taking tuition payments, and this dad came in to pay his son's tuition. He asked what class he had added, and I said Advanced Underwater Basket Weaving. My coworker burst out laughing, but the dad just glared at me.