Since when do they need to teach accounting in MS/HS? I don’t think there has ever been a huge demand for it.
Look into a CATE (Career and Technology Education) certification. Lots of high schools offer Accounting, or other business classes. A CATE teacher might also run the schools Co-op program.
A school doesn’t need as many CATE teachers as history teachers, but there are also fewer applicants.
Thank you I will check it out!
I don’t know where you are located, but I work with training and job placement in the Lansing Michigan area. We house several of the large insurance companies, such as Farm Bureau, State Farm, etc. Statistically, about 40% of their workforce are eligible for retirement over the next four years. Just saying, it is likely to be a sellers market around here for those with accounting degrees pretty soon.
First off, don’t box yourself into thinking that you have to have a career in your degreed field, that your degree is somehow pointless because you don’t end up in that field, or that you must have a white collar job.
Mr. Loch Raven graduated with a bachelor’s in Secondary Education. Unfortunately, at that time teaching jobs were almost impossible to find, so he went to tech school and became a programmer. Later, he did night school and got a second degree in (I almost hate to say it) Accounting. He loves the field and has been in it for almost 20 years now.
I majored in English and worked in publishing for 15 years, then went back to school and was a Radiographer (X-ray tech) for 12 years. Then I switched gears and went into machining. I’ve been a machinist for about 15 years now and I love the work and make more money than I did in either of my previous incarnations.
Don’t dismiss the idea of going into a trade. You can make great money, there are always jobs around, and if you want to you can start your own business.
Just take some time, look around, and think about the kind of work you want to do. Do you like working with your hands? Is problem solving your thing? Do you like a set routine, or do you want a lot of variation? What kind of hours do you like to work? What do you enjoy doing that might parlay itself into an employment field?
Meanwhile, do what you have to to keep food on the table, and know that life has a way of taking you in unexpected new directions you never thought you’d go. Be open to that. Good luck on your journey!
If you hate accounting, somehow I don’t think teaching accounting would be that much more enjoyable. My best teachers had a passion for the material.
Here’s a thought. Combine “Accounting” with “Teaching” and you also end up with “You need to know Math”.
Talking to some of my teacher friends, Math teachers tend to still be in high demand. You said you’re in NYC … NJ offers something called “alternate route certification” for teaching.
An accounting degree shows you have enough math skills, and combine that with some of your teaching background and it could give you a leg up on getting like an elementary or middle school math teacher position.
It’s a thought!
Info on Alternate Route Certification in NJ:
http://www.state.nj.us/education/educators/license/alternate.htm
NYC or NY State might have something similar.
Well, go to any middle school in the US and I defy you to find a ‘demand’ for history!
More to the point, tho…to try and inveigle the OP into further study any history is to do all concerned a disservice. He/She already has a degree that can’t land a job, and that is for a serious degree. If accounting degrees aren’t helping, just see how many history majors are going hungry. The* Ph.D* in History market was glutted 30 years ago.
handsomeharry, B.A, History
Believe it or not I wouldn’t be against teaching accounting because while in college studying this stuff I have had on two occasions actually taught the material to other classmates for a test that was coming up and they ended up with grades in the 90’s while I got a 60 both times.
I can teach it just not actually practice it.
I don’t usually suggest this, and it may not be a good fit for you at all, but Peace Corps can be a good way to jump start an early career. They have lots of programs working with microfinance firms and teaching basic business. That will set you up for an enormous number of options once you return to the states, particularly if you are willing to move. There are also many grad schools that offer very good deals (up to full scholarships) to returned Peace Corps volunteers.
It’s a two year commitment, and the application process is long and obnoxious. But once you are accepted in, all the plane tickets, medical care, living expenses, etc. are paid for-- you won’t need any additional money, and it’s very file for an interest-free deferral on most loans. You’ll receive an amount of money after completing two years- when I returned, it was around $10,000. You’ll also likely learn a new language, which can be very marketable.
It’s not for everyone-- it’s tough, it’s a long commitment (but it goes fast), and it requires good health and mental stability. But it’s also a lot of fun and opens up entire worlds. I was in your place before I joined, and my service has taken me down a path I would have never imagined.
PM me if you want more info
Anyone with a degree in anything can work as a substitute teacher, and that will pay better than minimum, and get you some job experience you can add to your resume. You can also continue to work something part-time for minimum in the evenings or weekends if you need to.
But there are lots of things that look better on a resume than you’d think, have benefits, and pay more than minimum. Most people think of working at Walmart or McDonald’s as dead-end jobs, for anyone other than a high school kid, which is probably true for the people at the bottom on the pile, but you can apply for manager’s jobs without having to work your way up, since you have the degree. Those aren’t dead-end jobs, and at any rate, can lead to things outside Walmart or McDonald’s.
Here’s what may be an insulting question, but one never knows: do you own a suit and tie? My husband showed up to a job interview once in a sport jacket, dockers, dress shoes, and a tie, and was worried he’d be under-dressed because he wasn’t in a suit; the guy just before him was in jeans and dirty sneakers. Husband was hired on the spot. You should probably be showing up to these interviews in a suit and tie, but at a bare minimum in a sport coat, dockers, and tie, and dress shoes.
Also, have you been applying at banks? Tellers probably make a little over minimum, and get benefits if they are full time, and can probably be promoted to the help/open account/apply for loan desks, and someone with an accounting degree would probably be an advantage in seeking a promotion. I haven’t looked for a job in a while, but I used to see teller jobs advertised a lot. You might just try walking in to banks and see if they are hiring. Wear a tie, ask to see the manager, say you recently graduated with a degree in accounting, and are looking for an entry-level job somewhere in a related field.
Actually bank teller can be a pretty decent job. I worked a summer as a teller for Chase and made $8.25; that was double minimum wage at the time (1994), and there was frequent overtime at time-and-a-half.
TD
http://www.tdbank.com/careers/openpositions.html
Chase
Citibank
https://citi.taleo.net/careersection/2/jobsearch.ftl?lang=en
I’m actually terrible at math and was pretty good at this job. Its actually more about being methodical and following the protocols the same way every time than anything else. You’ll be given a book that tells you exactly how do do things and if you can do them exactly that way, you’re ahead of 90% of your hiring class.
And if you ever need a retail job in the future, they love that you’ve run a high-volume register at a bank.