Thread: Career options
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Old 09-12-2014, 02:26 PM   #1 (permalink)
Xist
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Career options

I researched in-demand careers before leaving Germany and Speech-Language Pathology seemed great, I just did not realize how demanding the program would be, and difficult to get into grad school. I had planned on becoming a Speech-Language Pathology Assistant (SLPA) and taking on-line classes while I study for the GRE until I finish my contract with the National Guard October 20th, 2,016, but with recent complications to my life, I just do not know how realistic that is. I had many people tell me that I set my goals too high and needed to come way down, which I did not appreciate. One keeps asking me about becoming a teacher, but supposedly I can earn as much as an SLPA as I could after yet another two years of college, and all that I need is a hundred hours of training and to pay some fees.

My main concern is that I do not even know where to search for SLPA jobs. Indeed.com, which searches job search sites, showed sixteen results, but only one was real, although: "Starting hourly rate ranges from $16.03 - $18.14." However, they say they require a certificate through a college or university. ASU's program costs five thousand dollars and I am not sure that they would accept me. However, I do not need to go through a school, I just need an SLP to provide one hundred hours of hands-on training.

I just worry about recent complications.

One SLPA opening in the entire Phoenix metropolitan area, but fifteen erroneous or duplicate listings.

My ex-girlfriend is finishing training to become a dental assistant, which may pay as well as an SLPA, but Indeed shows 437 listings for that, although I imagine many are duplicates. One step up from that is dental hygiene, but that is a huge step! I took out a dental hygienist a couple of months ago and it only requires an Associate's, but even with two Bachelor's, and one is somewhat medical, I would still need to take prerequisites for a semester or two before I could start the two-year program! Starting pay is slightly better than speech therapy, though, but they require better grades to stay in than I managed so far.

While I was in school, my cousin told me to go to an HVAC school, and said that as smart as I am, I could do very well. He graduated at the top of his class and even though he is a felon, he got a great job, which he quickly quit.

Gateway Community College in Phoenix has an HVAC program, two years for just under six thousand dollars--one semester of grad school! My ex-girlfriend works full-time and takes night classes. I doubt that any of my classmates worked full-time, but my only employment was the Guard, and I struggled. If I could somehow do school and work, I would rather use student loans and save my GI bill for an MBA or something.

The top two jobs at The 100 Best Jobs | Best Jobs | US News Careers are on computers, but I cannot even keep mine running!

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