Whats my next course of action (advice please)

[bizzballer]

As it stands now, I will be graduating by the end of April 2013 with a finance degree.

I am not going to pursue CFA or CA or any professional designation.

As it stands:
23 years old (for those that are wondering I started school in 2008 - took me 5 years to complete this darn degree)
have never worked in an office
have good interpersonal skills, mediocre quantitative skills
Do not really want to work in finance, but am still open to it.
Go to a top business school in Canada (top 5)
Been applying for office assistant, marketing assistant, data entry, accounts payable, customer service professional type roles.

Whats a man to do. I am working construction right now to pay the bills. I want to move up in life. Any advice is much appreciated.

[Clueless Fox]

do you know what you want to do? or just that you don't want to go into finance?

[gnuman]

Here's a question for you. Do you like construction? There's nothing wrong with going into something completely different from your field of education.

You seem to be lost at what you like doing. Maybe you should speak to someone at school and do those tests to see what you're good at. Maybe it'll open up some ideas. To quit now what you're doing would be a waste of 5 years though.

[vero95]

consider relocation. it's hard to get the first job

[eiad77]

Why do people often say "I go to a top X school" without actually identifying the school? It's not like disclosing which university you attend will identify you.

[mykismet]

Why do people often say "I go to a top X school" without actually identifying the school? It's not like disclosing which university you attend will identify you.

Qft

[NCDkitchens]

for 5 years you were positive about a finance related career and all of a sudden puff, gone! ????

[DJ_Peanuts22]

Follow your heart

[bizzballer]

do you know what you want to do? or just that you don't want to go into finance?

I do not even think I am educated enough in office work to even make a decision if I like finance or not. What I do know is I DO NOT want a job where I am doing a lot of quantitative analysis. Financial modelling, excel, capital budgeting etc. does NOT appeal to me.

I will be straight up about it and say I did a finance degree so I wouldn't feel like a loser. Finance is a good degree and it was one of the top of the line degrees that interested me. I was never interested in things like engineering, medical sciences, etc.

As for the guy that posted about construction.....I do like construction, but I do not want to learn a trade or do the labour work involved in a construction. I am above that to be honest....way too educated. But I would like to work in the construction industry maybe in a project management type scope.

[underjeep]

ill say it agian, for business degrees you are paying to go to school for the co-op and networking opportunities that arise from them. the degree itself is worthless. try and get into a co-op position if you still can.

[kamilio]

I do not even think I am educated enough in office work to even make a decision if I like finance or not. What I do know is I DO NOT want a job where I am doing a lot of quantitative analysis. Financial modelling, excel, capital budgeting etc. does NOT appeal to me.

I will be straight up about it and say I did a finance degree so I wouldn't feel like a loser. Finance is a good degree and it was one of the top of the line degrees that interested me. I was never interested in things like engineering, medical sciences, etc.

As for the guy that posted about construction.....I do like construction, but I do not want to learn a trade or do the labour work involved in a construction. I am above that to be honest....way too educated. But I would like to work in the construction industry maybe in a project management type scope.

I hate to break it to you but finance degree = 9 hours a day of excel doing quantitative analysis. The only reason that a company will hire you is for your superior quantitative analysis skills (along with the soft skills).

Saying that you are weak quantitatively and want to go into finance is like saying that you're a slow driver but would like to become a race car driver. How bad can you be of you graduated from a top school.

Btw what are your grades? Finance managers tend to be nerds so they place a lot of value on grades when hiring.

[world25]

I do not even think I am educated enough in office work to even make a decision if I like finance or not. What I do know is I DO NOT want a job where I am doing a lot of quantitative analysis. Financial modelling, excel, capital budgeting etc. does NOT appeal to me.

I will be straight up about it and say I did a finance degree so I wouldn't feel like a loser. Finance is a good degree and it was one of the top of the line degrees that interested me. I was never interested in things like engineering, medical sciences, etc.

As for the guy that posted about construction.....I do like construction, but I do not want to learn a trade or do the labour work involved in a construction. I am above that to be honest....way too educated. But I would like to work in the construction industry maybe in a project management type scope.

Interesting post.

First, you mentioned that you don't think you are educated enough to work in an office environment.

Then, you mentioned that you are way too educated.

Do whatever you think is right. Whether it is gaining work experience or more education in a different field.

[iceee_queen]

To be honest if you don't have any office experience it will be extremely hard for you to get your first job.
You're not graduating until april 2013, don't you think its a little too early to start looking for a job?

Most companies don't post for new grad positions until September but you can start researching about these jobs. Are you interested in insurance companies because I know Manulife and Sunlife have really good grad leadership programs.

I would recommend new grad programs if you're not sure about which specific area you want to focus on.

[Swswswish]

As it stands now, I will be graduating by the end of April 2013 with a finance degree.

I am not going to pursue CFA or CA or any professional designation.

As it stands:
23 years old (for those that are wondering I started school in 2008 - took me 5 years to complete this darn degree)
have never worked in an office
have good interpersonal skills, mediocre quantitative skills
Do not really want to work in finance, but am still open to it.
Go to a top business school in Canada (top 5)
Been applying for office assistant, marketing assistant, data entry, accounts payable, customer service professional type roles.

Whats a man to do. I am working construction right now to pay the bills. I want to move up in life. Any advice is much appreciated.
You have a finance degree, but you don't want to work in finance? Even then, you're applying to jobs like data entry that only require a high school diploma, and you don't even have any work experience in a related field? What am I reading?

What's your next course of action? Grow up, move out, find a job, possibly buy a house and start a family? You've already extended your teenage life another 4 years like every other 21st century North American, do you want a masters too?

[Syne]

As for the guy that posted about construction.....I do like construction, but I do not want to learn a trade or do the labour work involved in a construction. I am above that to be honest....way too educated. But I would like to work in the construction industry maybe in a project management type scope.

Careful OP, someone is about to drop an E bomb on your ***** .

[Syne]

What's your next course of action? Grow up, move out, find a job, possibly buy a house and start a family? You've already extended your teenage life another 4 years like every other 21st century North American, do you want a masters too?

There is no such thing as graduating high school, finding a job, buying a house and starting a family anymore. That happens when you're 30, not 18. Don't blame the OP for this, it's a product of the times.

[eiad77]

Careful OP, someone is about to drop an E bomb on your ***** .

I think I am entitled to know what in the world an E bomb is!

[gotrice]

I do like construction, but I do not want to learn a trade or do the labour work involved in a construction. I am above that to be honest....way too educated. But I would like to work in the construction industry maybe in a project management type scope.
Your above what? Your just lazy and afraid of some good old fashion hard work. So the people that are in skilled trades aren't educated? Go take a look at the code books they have to study and memorize... In my mind you'll be below them for a few more years...

[markopas]

If you like the construction area, why not put your skills to use and apply within. A different dept. within your scope of education might be a good place to start to get your feet wet and the move on from their.

[siriuskao]

property appraisal? IIRC UBC offers some program in that area. Just an idea (business + construction background), I am not in that industry.

[Coma88]

Your above what? Your just lazy and afraid of some good old fashion hard work. So the people that are in skilled trades aren't educated? Go take a look at the code books they have to study and memorize... In my mind you'll be below them for a few more years...

QFT.. those guys work hard for their money, you're dreaming if you think you're above skilled labour

[flyclothing514]

I do not even think I am educated enough in office work to even make a decision if I like finance or not. What I do know is I DO NOT want a job where I am doing a lot of quantitative analysis. Financial modelling, excel, capital budgeting etc. does NOT appeal to me.

I will be straight up about it and say I did a finance degree so I wouldn't feel like a loser. Finance is a good degree and it was one of the top of the line degrees that interested me. I was never interested in things like engineering, medical sciences, etc.

As for the guy that posted about construction.....I do like construction, but I do not want to learn a trade or do the labour work involved in a construction. I am above that to be honest....way too educated. But I would like to work in the construction industry maybe in a project management type scope.

your degree/education means nothing until you actually find a job. so until than shrink your head back down to size. and that kind of ignorance, that your above everyone else isn't going to get you anywhere.

[HTTP04]

I do not even think I am educated enough in office work to even make a decision if I like finance or not. What I do know is I DO NOT want a job where I am doing a lot of quantitative analysis. Financial modelling, excel, capital budgeting etc. does NOT appeal to me.

I will be straight up about it and say I did a finance degree so I wouldn't feel like a loser. Finance is a good degree and it was one of the top of the line degrees that interested me. I was never interested in things like engineering, medical sciences, etc.

As for the guy that posted about construction.....I do like construction, but I do not want to learn a trade or do the labour work involved in a construction. I am above that to be honest....way too educated. But I would like to work in the construction industry maybe in a project management type scope.

That doesnt leave much options open

You can always do CSR/Bank teller...you wont be a bizzBALLER though

You know what's more loserish? Being unemployed and unable to pay the bills

FYI, there are alot of "educated" grads that are smarter than you who are unemployed. What makes you think that you entitled to these positions?

[HTTP04]

The biggest problem I spot is that at the age of 23 you still dont have a clue what career you want to go into.

No business student in their right mind says:

"You know what when I graduate I want to become a Bank Teller"

Alot of bank tellers are people like the OP who has no f***ing clue what they want to do in their life and forced to take bottom of the barrel position like BT

Hoping that one day they can climb up the corporate ladder with their invaluable BT experience and become big dog money managers $$$$$$$$$$$

[JK400]

That doesnt leave much options open

You can always do CSR/Bank teller...you wont be a bizzBALLER though

You know what's more loserish? Being unemployed and unable to pay the bills

FYI, there are alot of "educated" grads that are smarter than you who are unemployed. What makes you think that you entitled to these positions?

Yeah, sounds like this guy is more of a bizzFaller than a bizzBaller.

Listen OP: Those construction PM jobs you want generally go to civil engineers or trades people (that you look down upon from your unemployment ivory tower) with years of experience who have mastered that side of the business. Keep dreaming pal.

[Syne]

FYI, there are alot of "educated" grads that are smarter than you who are unemployed. What makes you think that you entitled to these positions?

E bomb dropped!

[spike1128]

E bomb dropped!

The OP is going to be part of the 15% unemployed Gen Y, as soon as he graduates.

Recent article states youth unemployment is double of the national rate. Not sure what the OP is smoking. He is saying he is too "educated" to be doing manual labour type of work. I rather with my education go work in the oil sands in Alberta, then to sit at home and be unemployed. LoL.