Anonymous
06/26/2025 19:30
Subject: Re:s/o What about a man taking a blue collar job because the market is so bad?
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:The boomers are out in force on this thread. Like people just walk into professional roles like teacher, paralegal, nurse... maybe in 1980? Now all those things require extensive, expensive training. No, turning up in person at the office and being friendly to the boss's secretary will not get you a job in 2025.
Not true. As long as you have a bachelor’s degree in any area, you can teach through an alternative program.
I went through an alternative program. It isn’t *quite* as easy as showing up and saying “look! I have a degree!”
1. I had to have the right coursework for the area I wanted to teach. A History major can teach History, etc. For elementary, your college transcript has to have a spread of different types of courses (math, science, etc.).
2. I had to spend my summer before teaching as a student teacher. I was observed every day in a summer school class.
3. I had to take 9 credits of education courses during my 1st year teaching.
4. I had to pass 3 Praxis exams.
5. I had to go to regular new-teacher meetings and complete additional tasks (weekly required lesson plans, additional peer observations of colleagues, additional admin observations of me).
After completing those requirements, I finally received certification. I could then breathe a bit because I wasn’t under the microscope quite as much. It was a tough first 18 months, though.
Don’t get me wrong. All of it is a lot but the OP could apply and as long as he has a bachelor’s degree, he could be accepted. Then the marathon begins. I went through a traditional program in college so at least I felt prepared. But the bar to entry is pretty low these days. Still we have a shortage.
Anonymous
06/26/2025 18:01
Subject: Re:s/o What about a man taking a blue collar job because the market is so bad?
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:The boomers are out in force on this thread. Like people just walk into professional roles like teacher, paralegal, nurse... maybe in 1980? Now all those things require extensive, expensive training. No, turning up in person at the office and being friendly to the boss's secretary will not get you a job in 2025.
Not true. As long as you have a bachelor’s degree in any area, you can teach through an alternative program.
I went through an alternative program. It isn’t *quite* as easy as showing up and saying “look! I have a degree!”
1. I had to have the right coursework for the area I wanted to teach. A History major can teach History, etc. For elementary, your college transcript has to have a spread of different types of courses (math, science, etc.).
2. I had to spend my summer before teaching as a student teacher. I was observed every day in a summer school class.
3. I had to take 9 credits of education courses during my 1st year teaching.
4. I had to pass 3 Praxis exams.
5. I had to go to regular new-teacher meetings and complete additional tasks (weekly required lesson plans, additional peer observations of colleagues, additional admin observations of me).
After completing those requirements, I finally received certification. I could then breathe a bit because I wasn’t under the microscope quite as much. It was a tough first 18 months, though.
Wow, how rigorous! GMAFB.
Yeah teaching requirements are really ridiculous these days for what is basically babysitting for the public.
And kids who graduate are dumber now than ever. The whole public education sector has been going downhill for 5-7 decades.
And somehow, with these “easy” 18-month training programs for people entering the profession with college degrees, we can’t seem to get many of them to finish the program and remain in teaching. The burnout rate is high, especially for career changers.
(OP: if you do consider teaching, be aware that this negativity toward you and your profession is something you’ll deal with every single day.)
I don't even know why people are wasting time talking about teaching. It involves the public which OP clearly said was a nonstarter. Just like to hear themselves talk I guess. Which also explains the suggestions of cop/ firefighter/ emt/ ups/ warehouse/ nursing(?!?!) (all public and/or physically demanding) and much of the rest of this thread. Pretty useless.
Anonymous
06/26/2025 17:50
Subject: s/o What about a man taking a blue collar job because the market is so bad?
Teaching.
With all the extra responsibilities and duties it is a blue collar work.
With all the extra responsibilities and duties it is a blue collar work.
Anonymous
06/26/2025 17:34
Subject: Re:s/o What about a man taking a blue collar job because the market is so bad?
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:The boomers are out in force on this thread. Like people just walk into professional roles like teacher, paralegal, nurse... maybe in 1980? Now all those things require extensive, expensive training. No, turning up in person at the office and being friendly to the boss's secretary will not get you a job in 2025.
Not true. As long as you have a bachelor’s degree in any area, you can teach through an alternative program.
I went through an alternative program. It isn’t *quite* as easy as showing up and saying “look! I have a degree!”
1. I had to have the right coursework for the area I wanted to teach. A History major can teach History, etc. For elementary, your college transcript has to have a spread of different types of courses (math, science, etc.).
2. I had to spend my summer before teaching as a student teacher. I was observed every day in a summer school class.
3. I had to take 9 credits of education courses during my 1st year teaching.
4. I had to pass 3 Praxis exams.
5. I had to go to regular new-teacher meetings and complete additional tasks (weekly required lesson plans, additional peer observations of colleagues, additional admin observations of me).
After completing those requirements, I finally received certification. I could then breathe a bit because I wasn’t under the microscope quite as much. It was a tough first 18 months, though.
Wow, how rigorous! GMAFB.
Yeah teaching requirements are really ridiculous these days for what is basically babysitting for the public.
And kids who graduate are dumber now than ever. The whole public education sector has been going downhill for 5-7 decades.
And somehow, with these “easy” 18-month training programs for people entering the profession with college degrees, we can’t seem to get many of them to finish the program and remain in teaching. The burnout rate is high, especially for career changers.
(OP: if you do consider teaching, be aware that this negativity toward you and your profession is something you’ll deal with every single day.)
Anonymous
06/26/2025 17:28
Subject: Re:s/o What about a man taking a blue collar job because the market is so bad?
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:The boomers are out in force on this thread. Like people just walk into professional roles like teacher, paralegal, nurse... maybe in 1980? Now all those things require extensive, expensive training. No, turning up in person at the office and being friendly to the boss's secretary will not get you a job in 2025.
Not true. As long as you have a bachelor’s degree in any area, you can teach through an alternative program.
I went through an alternative program. It isn’t *quite* as easy as showing up and saying “look! I have a degree!”
1. I had to have the right coursework for the area I wanted to teach. A History major can teach History, etc. For elementary, your college transcript has to have a spread of different types of courses (math, science, etc.).
2. I had to spend my summer before teaching as a student teacher. I was observed every day in a summer school class.
3. I had to take 9 credits of education courses during my 1st year teaching.
4. I had to pass 3 Praxis exams.
5. I had to go to regular new-teacher meetings and complete additional tasks (weekly required lesson plans, additional peer observations of colleagues, additional admin observations of me).
After completing those requirements, I finally received certification. I could then breathe a bit because I wasn’t under the microscope quite as much. It was a tough first 18 months, though.
Wow, how rigorous! GMAFB.
Yeah teaching requirements are really ridiculous these days for what is basically babysitting for the public.
And kids who graduate are dumber now than ever. The whole public education sector has been going downhill for 5-7 decades.
Anonymous
06/26/2025 17:23
Subject: Re:s/o What about a man taking a blue collar job because the market is so bad?
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:The boomers are out in force on this thread. Like people just walk into professional roles like teacher, paralegal, nurse... maybe in 1980? Now all those things require extensive, expensive training. No, turning up in person at the office and being friendly to the boss's secretary will not get you a job in 2025.
Not true. As long as you have a bachelor’s degree in any area, you can teach through an alternative program.
I went through an alternative program. It isn’t *quite* as easy as showing up and saying “look! I have a degree!”
1. I had to have the right coursework for the area I wanted to teach. A History major can teach History, etc. For elementary, your college transcript has to have a spread of different types of courses (math, science, etc.).
2. I had to spend my summer before teaching as a student teacher. I was observed every day in a summer school class.
3. I had to take 9 credits of education courses during my 1st year teaching.
4. I had to pass 3 Praxis exams.
5. I had to go to regular new-teacher meetings and complete additional tasks (weekly required lesson plans, additional peer observations of colleagues, additional admin observations of me).
After completing those requirements, I finally received certification. I could then breathe a bit because I wasn’t under the microscope quite as much. It was a tough first 18 months, though.
Wow, how rigorous! GMAFB.
Well, given that I was also working 70 hours a week as a new teacher WHILE I took the 9 credits… it seemed like a lot to me. Not to mention the stress of a teacher’s first year, two extra cohort meetings a week, regular evaluations, required lesson plan submissions (that nobody else had to do)…
But I suppose it would be easy for you. As the PP said, as long as you have a degree “in anything,” you can apparently breeze into a classroom and enjoy a laidback, well-paid job. What do I, as a career changer who actually did this, know?
Anonymous
06/26/2025 16:37
Subject: Re:s/o What about a man taking a blue collar job because the market is so bad?
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:The boomers are out in force on this thread. Like people just walk into professional roles like teacher, paralegal, nurse... maybe in 1980? Now all those things require extensive, expensive training. No, turning up in person at the office and being friendly to the boss's secretary will not get you a job in 2025.
Not true. As long as you have a bachelor’s degree in any area, you can teach through an alternative program.
I went through an alternative program. It isn’t *quite* as easy as showing up and saying “look! I have a degree!”
1. I had to have the right coursework for the area I wanted to teach. A History major can teach History, etc. For elementary, your college transcript has to have a spread of different types of courses (math, science, etc.).
2. I had to spend my summer before teaching as a student teacher. I was observed every day in a summer school class.
3. I had to take 9 credits of education courses during my 1st year teaching.
4. I had to pass 3 Praxis exams.
5. I had to go to regular new-teacher meetings and complete additional tasks (weekly required lesson plans, additional peer observations of colleagues, additional admin observations of me).
After completing those requirements, I finally received certification. I could then breathe a bit because I wasn’t under the microscope quite as much. It was a tough first 18 months, though.
Wow, how rigorous! GMAFB.
Anonymous
06/26/2025 16:32
Subject: Re:s/o What about a man taking a blue collar job because the market is so bad?
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:The boomers are out in force on this thread. Like people just walk into professional roles like teacher, paralegal, nurse... maybe in 1980? Now all those things require extensive, expensive training. No, turning up in person at the office and being friendly to the boss's secretary will not get you a job in 2025.
Not true. As long as you have a bachelor’s degree in any area, you can teach through an alternative program.
I went through an alternative program. It isn’t *quite* as easy as showing up and saying “look! I have a degree!”
1. I had to have the right coursework for the area I wanted to teach. A History major can teach History, etc. For elementary, your college transcript has to have a spread of different types of courses (math, science, etc.).
2. I had to spend my summer before teaching as a student teacher. I was observed every day in a summer school class.
3. I had to take 9 credits of education courses during my 1st year teaching.
4. I had to pass 3 Praxis exams.
5. I had to go to regular new-teacher meetings and complete additional tasks (weekly required lesson plans, additional peer observations of colleagues, additional admin observations of me).
After completing those requirements, I finally received certification. I could then breathe a bit because I wasn’t under the microscope quite as much. It was a tough first 18 months, though.
Anonymous
06/26/2025 15:34
Subject: Re:s/o What about a man taking a blue collar job because the market is so bad?
Anonymous wrote:The boomers are out in force on this thread. Like people just walk into professional roles like teacher, paralegal, nurse... maybe in 1980? Now all those things require extensive, expensive training. No, turning up in person at the office and being friendly to the boss's secretary will not get you a job in 2025.
Not true. As long as you have a bachelor’s degree in any area, you can teach through an alternative program.
Anonymous
06/26/2025 15:15
Subject: s/o What about a man taking a blue collar job because the market is so bad?
"You're proving the point: your relative got paid from day 1. That's the great thing about apprenticeships in the trades."
You're right. And the union training program was FREE and he has no student loan debt. He (and his parents) are beyond thrilled.
You're right. And the union training program was FREE and he has no student loan debt. He (and his parents) are beyond thrilled.
Anonymous
06/26/2025 15:12
Subject: Re:s/o What about a man taking a blue collar job because the market is so bad?
Anonymous wrote:The boomers are out in force on this thread. Like people just walk into professional roles like teacher, paralegal, nurse... maybe in 1980? Now all those things require extensive, expensive training. No, turning up in person at the office and being friendly to the boss's secretary will not get you a job in 2025.
People who just graduated from college are hired to be paralegals in biglaw with basic liberal arts degrees. Maybe age discrimination would prevent OP from being hired, but I think OP's background would be very desirable, assuming OP is willing to work long hours and take orders from demanding lawyers.