I’ve finally realized that I’m just not cut out for traditional employment. I’m 24 and I’ve been to 4 colleges. The whole degree thing just ain’t gonna happen. At least, not now. So, I’m seeking some alternative employment. I’d like to find a job that’s an adventure. I’ve been thinking about jobs on cruise lines or anything else having to do with travel. I’m young, unattached, and I can go basically anywhere on a moment’s notice. I’d love to do something like Habitat for the Humanity, but with board and a stipend. Any ideas?
The Peace Corps. You’ll get to travel, learn some skills, and they pay you at the end with about $5,000, I think.
Or, alternatively, you could start your own business. That’s what I’d do, if I had a bit of money. You can start are relatively little, too.
Large Marge had the same idea I did, yay us.
The Peace Corps is restricted to US citizens (you don’t list location), but I know several people who have been abroad as “non-clergy missionaries” or with different NPOs (Doctors Without Borders, Greenpeace). A cousin of mine who is a psychologist went with the Jesuits and spent her whole time helping people with paperwork; another one is a nurse, spends 6 months abroad with DWB every year and has stories about anything from actual nursing work to stuff that here would be an MDs job to helping kids with their reading skills.
I have to say, it looks like the military is exactly what you’re looking for. Worked for me.
If you’re in the United States, check out Americorps! At 24, you’re just within the age range for NCCC, which is the traveling program. Food, board, transportation, and medical insurance all paid for by the US government, not to mention a $300 stipend per month and a scholarship. Imagine spending two months in the Appalachias working with forest conservation – then six weeks building with Habitat for Humanity in Washington State – then two weeks distributing food to hurricane survivors in Florida – then two months teaching underprivileged children Braille in Boston. Talk about an adventure!
Alternatively, Club Med has employment opportunities you might like to check out.
Thanks for the replies. I thought about The Peace Corps., but after poking around their site, I don’t
think I would qualify. The Americorps sound great, but I just missed the deadline for admissions by 3 days. I’ll be 25 by their next call for applicants, so I’ll no longer qualify.
I’ve given serious thought to the military, but I don’t think I would do well. The travel and routine are appealing, but death…not so much. Yes, I would be scared to join and to be honest, I’m not completely sure what we’re fighting for.
Any other ideas?
Prostitution springs to mind, but that’s not for everybody.
A couple of jobs that allow you to travel and find work pretty much anywhere:
ESL Teacher
Bartender
Waiter/Waitress (sorry, but do not know if a bananafish is male or female)
Hairdresser
Computer programmer
There are actually quite a few jobs that do not require formal study, but do require some experience. Trick is, get of your behind and go someplace and start doing it. You might want to get some of that experience on your home turf before you set out in the world. The secret is to go where the jobs are - touristy locations right before the beginning of tourist season is a good start.
Actually, banana, not all military jobs involve getting to know your fellow man over the point of a bayonet. You can be a nurse, a linguist, a medic, a lab tech, or any number of interesting jobs (Yes, any position in the military involves potential danger, but it’s a question of degree, and anyway, that’s the thrill, right?).
At 24, it sounds like you still have some exploring to do before you find yourself, and there’s nothing wrong with that. At your age, I certainly wouldn’t classify you as a vagabond, and quite a few people in the army come from a similar background of going from one college to another to another before realizing that it’s not for them.
Note that I’m not recommending you join the military. I could never in good faith do that. I found myself in the army, but I also learned that finding yourself is no easy task. The bullshit level was incredible, I was almost killed twice without even seeing combat, and I walked out a totally different person from when I walked in, which is sort of good and sort of bad.
Still, in all honesty, I was able to settle down and start living a normal life thanks to the military. It answered a lot of practical, philosophical and spiritual questions that I wasn’t able to figure out in college. So the military was both good and bad as far as that was concerned.
Just my two cents.
Ooh, I’ll also second DMark’s ESL idea. I got to know a lot of ESL teachers when I was in Korea, and man, that’s some kind of life. You won’t be bored! One thing, though. If you’re going to teach in a foreign country, do it legally!!! I knew some ESL teachers in country illegally, and that’s a way of life that truly sucks. Make sure your paperwork is kosher before you get on the plane.