Ashley Rabe

A trip down memory lane

November 18, 2009 at 10:55 am (Reporting)

Chuck Dean, a husband and father of two returns to school seeking a degree to help solidify his future.

“Right now, I work in the IT field as a dataflow technician. It’s okay – but it’s just about all I’ve done for 25 years [in one form or another.]”

“I currently attend Howard Community College; I have one class left then I’ll have an associates [degree] in general studies. I’m also enrolled in the bachelors in intelligence studies at the American Military University.”

“I’ve got a lot of experience in my field, but I’m pretty much locked into it since I have no degrees. I’ve found that many employers value experience, but they’re required to hire folks with a degree – in something. The customer wants people with degrees or certifications to be on a contract; experience doesn’t always get you in the door. I want to be able to have some flexibility in my future career decisions.”

“I’ve always wanted to be an intel analyst, so I’m hoping a bachelors in intelligence studies from AMU [plus my military experience] will help me find something in that field.”

Throughout his life he has held odd jobs periodically. The economy is not the only reasons people look toward odd jobs; Chuck Dean used these options throughout his life.

“I worked on a dairy farm where I basically got the lousy jobs that the owner’s family didn’t want: forking out the manure piles, carrying feed and water to the barns, stacking hay and straw in the haymow. I didn’t get the cool jobs like driving the tractors or milking the cows.”

“One of my jobs in the Navy was a flight deck safety observer. That job consisted of me walking all around the flight deck of my ship, keeping my eye on the guys actually doing the work (handlers, fuel guys, maintenance techs, and ordnance men among others), making sure they worked safely and that they were aware of what was going on around them. Most of them had no communications in their helmets, so they didn’t know when helicopters or Harrier jets were coming or going. I made sure they kept clear of landing spots and that they were wearing their safety gear properly.”

“Odd jobs are definitely character-building experiences… they can teach some humility to young folks who have basically never had to work for anything. Another thing that odd jobs can do is help a young person possibly see some of the details that go on which they may otherwise had not been aware of.”

“I believe that having any job [odd or normal] will enhance a person’s career plans with regards to making more money – if the job is done well.”

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A look from the norm

November 12, 2009 at 6:07 pm (Reporting)

Not only do people with odd jobs have advice but people with regular jobs do too. Kristen Joyce, a senior at Towson was able to grab a two of the “normal” jobs that this area had left, however it hasn’t stopped her from giving advice to other students about how to make money in other ways.

Joyce works at Olive Garden and Winebrenner and Associates Physical Therapy. She says the goal to finding a job and making money is, “Just have motivation to get your act together.”

Joyce also expresses the importance of not living off your parents and how big of a role that plays in the grand sceme of things.

“I think that in college you should have any kind of job you can get. By this age you should have some responsibility in your life and should be paying for things yourself and not living off your parents. I think that it is OK for college students to be getting some things paid for by their parents but you aren’t going to be able to practice good finance management later in life if you don’t take some responsibility now.”

Another important thing she adds is that you have to settle for whatever you can get in this economy.

“At this point if you need a job you need to take what you can get…especially for those who aren’t creative…there are jobs out there. They might not be jobs that you want but if you need a job you have to do what you have to do to make the money so if that means working in a fast food place or doing something that you don’t want to do or is low on the totem pole you have to suck it up.”

All in all, Joyce said, it’s all in who you know.

“Get out there and meet people… they might know someone who needs help too.”

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Odd job number seven: unique sales

November 5, 2009 at 12:51 am (Reporting)

Josmari Rodriguez, a senior mass communication major at Towson has her own ideas about making money. And she has found a unique way to do it. With family circumstances being a factor, this students does what she can to help her family and afford school.

“My real job, I’m a manager at Aldo shoe store and how I try to make extra money is… well let me just start from the beginning, it all ties together.”

“My father was just recently diagnosed with Alzheimer’s so he was dismissed from his job, so my sister and I, she does a lot of crafty stuff and she sells a lot of that. I don’t have time to do that so I just take all my purses that I don’t use ever and I took my mothers shoes that she hasn’t used in years, most of them were brand new or lightly used, and I box them up and chose the nicest ones to sell. The ‘80’s style is in so her shoes from the ‘80s are perfect for people who really like vintage.”

“Everything is lower than $20, what I make is money that my mom doesn’t have to spend on me.”

“I could used the money to help pay for my school. So since my dad doesn’t work anymore, last semester I had to work full time. Because of that I failed two of my classes. I’m retaking them right now, so I’m not working as much at Aldo right now. That is why I decided to sell that stuff out of my car to make extra money.”

“I can’t tell people to come to me to buy stuff, I have to bring it to them that is why I keep the stuff in my car.”

“I haven’t been advertising lately as much as I was in the beginning because its November, the semesters ending and there’s a lot more school work to do. But I did have some phones calls.”

“Some ads get ripped down so people can keep the phone number or so other people can put their stuff up and I haven’t been reprinting them like I should be.”

“I mostly took all the purses and had an event at my house to sell them. We have one once or twice a year. That’s where my sister sells her stuff so I sell mine to.”

“Creativity is key, basically creativity will tap in when you really, really need the money. I really needed the money so I started selling my stuff.”

“That’s so 5th grade, but I had to think of it as a way to make money. I had to price it as high as possible, but I had to think of what students would buy, so it couldn’t be over $20.”

“When someone has the resources, like I have a car, I can bring the stuff to you, you don’t have to come to me and when you need the money, the ideas will come to you.”

“I printed out flyers. I picked a font and wrote out the prices. I did it all in the library.”

“I’ve done it since the beginning of the semester.”

“I had a lot of clients in the beginning of the semester. Word of mouth helps me. It doesn’t mean I get a sale every time, but it’s something.”

“I sell knock off bags. I sold a knock off Dior bag for $20. The buckle was broken, but the girl still wanted it. I mean it was a Dior bag, what the heck.”

“There’s name brand and non name brand stuff.”

“Once I sell the stuff I have I will do other stuff. Even right now too, I make and sell earrings. I buy the posts and glue stuff to the front of it.”

“It’s really easy but sometimes people don’t have time to do it, so they’ll just buy it.”

“I also got this idea from a local headband designer, you just glue decorative flowers to the band. So when you put the headband on, it looks like you have a flower in your hair.”

“This is kind of funny, but I was watching Master P, he has a reality show and I only saw the first one and I think he’s so corny, a rapper trying to have a reality show, but his points were so true. Excuses won’t get you anywhere. Just because I dress a certain way, means I cant get a job. You’re not obligated to dress the way you do. You can change what you look like to change the impression you give people. Its just excuses.”

“If you want to make money, you will.”

“If you’re good at something, sell it. If your good at braiding hair, advertise that you know how to braid hair. I did that when I was younger, I could corn row. I don’t do it anymore, I don’t have the time and it makes my hands heart, but yeah.”

“Market yourself if you know how to do something. If you know how to dance, shoot, put on a show.”

“Everybody is looking for something different, especially if it’s affordable.”

“Its important to just be creative. Then your not blending in, your standing out and someone is going to look at you.”

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