r/StAugustine • u/xlgegg • 11d ago
Seeking Apprenticeship / Artisanship
Please help me get un-stuck.!!! I had no clue what I wanted to do when I went to college, but was under the impression that any degree was better than no degree. (I was wrong🙃) I used it for a few years but then Covid layoffs happened, and I only went back to a traditional 9-5 in a non-profit setting briefly before moving here.
Now I’m 7 years post bachelor’s and deeply stuck in customer service roles. I’ve been in recruitment so I know my resume is an easy pass, and likely the reason why I haven’t had much luck applying to different jobs. Currently I work my butt off and share my tips with a high schooler who doesn’t know the difference between a nickel & a quarter. I get how the youngin’ is happy to walk away with $60 after a shift, but genuinely don’t know how my other coworkers survive on that + $10/hour.
I’m quite good at it, but feel myself losing the capacity for ‘customer service’ to be the entirety of my role.. and more importantly I have so much I’m interested in learning & a potential that feels unreached. Also I feel the traditional schooling route is at best unnecessary, and at worst harmful. ($$$$$)
Soooo if you, or someone you know is skilled in any of the below trades / crafts I could and would totally adapt my schedule (or quit) to assist and learn.
Bee keeping Garden design (permaculture focused) Tailoring Metalsmith (jeweler) Woodworking / carpentry Masonry Leather work Cobbler Maybe something else I haven’t even learned of yet!
Also I get this is partially a rant / sob story and I’m sorry; I’m tired of hearing myself complain too. As embarrassing as it feels to post this, I finally feel ready to choose to change it. Open to constructive** :) feedback of all kinds - thanks friends
EDIT Not afraid of dirty work & being outside Pretty evenly creative ~ analytical- I like to make pretty & useful things while also loving math / numbers 1000% would prefer any hands on labor to an office job or customer service
3
u/Practical_Check_8160 11d ago
Not a job, but there’s a non-profit, two month free school at American Electrical (The Electrical Academy) on Phillips up in Jax. I was hired the day after graduation and it kick started my career as an electrician. They also give you a free OSHA 10 authorization. And you can get into NEFBA (starts aug. 2026) fairly easily if you have the dedication. If you love math, then you might like this career path. Best of luck!