Have BA but no experience- who's hiring? ((And paying))?

[claudius]

I have a BA in Communications which is apparently worthless. I have considered going to my local community college (which is ABA approved) for a paralegal cert. However, I keep hearing their job satisfaction is terrible and they are overworked. I have met a few paralegals that are happy and have heard that if you stay away from personal injury/ major corps and giant firms it's not bad. Still, 1 1/2 yrs is a while so I want to be certain I can find a job that I can tolerate at the end.
I know it's all about healthcare, that's all I ever hear. I could not be a nurse and it's **extreamly** competitive admissions( not to mention I would need to do a semester or two of pre-req classes beore I even applied). Also, all the programs (radiology tech, physical therapy asst., respiratory therapist, dental, etc.) are 2 years of M-F daytime only classes so I couldn't possily work. That is just not realistic.
I don't have to be a millionaire but I do have a degree and bills so I would really like to start around 40k. I am open to ideas. ((Although I don't have the math skills for tech/IT)).
Anyone think paralegal in TX is a good idea? Any other career ideas?? Thanks!

[dacy17]

I don't know how old you are, but have you considered accounting? While paralegals are a great job opportunity, you'll never get the satisfaction that you'd like of being your own boss one day. You'll constantly be working for attornies. Does that bother you? If not, then I don't see what the problem is with becoming a paralegal. I think there is great opportunities in that field as well. But becoming a certified public accountant is a very fulfilling job that only requires a total of 5 years and provides a world of opportunities! From corporate to public accounting to tax to consulting, to auditing, you can do different things for different companies and still have a work life balance, espacially if you own your own business.

One other thing you may be thinking as you read my response is "but I suck at math." If you did just say this to yourself, then I should give you a heads up; accounting only requires you to add, subtract, multiply, and divide. Hopefully you've mastered those skills and just like a lawyer, the accountant is required to apply the law to a specific case; unlike the lawyer an accountant does not argue the law.

Goodluck!

[choviohoya]

I think you're better off finding a job in your field - there are plenty of employers who will take bachelors degrees, you just need to find one. You say you have no experience, but you must have done internships in college and worked over the summer. Use those skills to get in somewhere entry-level. Check out nonprofits. You won't get paid much, but social media especially is a *huge* deal right now with nonprofits so if you can use your communications skills to become a social media expert you may have some options.

In terms of paralegal opportunities, if you don't *actually* want to be a paralegal, don't spend the time and money on an AA. (Certificate programs are worthless and not respected by employers.) It's highly unlikely you'll make more than $30,000 for several years, especially if you're avoiding large firms. Also no employer wants an inexperienced paralegal, so you'd have to get some experience there before anyone would consider hiring you anyway.

It seems you need to spend some time figuring out what you do want. Figure out what your dream job is and what you need to do to get it. You may have to work in a less than desirable job for awhile before it becomes possible, but at least then you'll have a respectable goal rather than simply "finding a job [you] can tolerate."