Coffee Break – Elinor Tote

34 Comments

1. Cute bag. Prefer the taupe to the black. Oh, and I luvs me some April, the model in the video. Feels like we’re old friends . You can tell when she likes something for real (Yes, I spend *that* much time on Zappos & 6pm.com!).

   1. LOL -totally know what you mean. I want that job!

2. Just ordered the caramel!! Love.

3. Hi all,
   Sorry for the threadjack, but I could use some advice from the brilliant ladies of corporette.

   I am trying to help a friend with a high school diploma look for jobs. Does anyone have any suggestions for jobs that do not require a college degree?

   TIA!

   1. Some medical assistant jobs don’t require a college degree, though they may require a year of post secondary school (think community college). Depending on where you get hired, they may be union jobs with benefits. Also, sometimes they will train on the job.

   2. My dad has only a GED, and I’m sorry to say, your friend is probably in for a tough job market for the rest of his career. Despite his best efforts, my dad had a hard time finding a living wage at a no-college-degree-needed job even during good economic times. EC is right – your friend’s best bests are union jobs, which usually offer benefits and better wages than non-union jobs. That’s where my dad’s best wages came from. Manufacturing, construction, custodial, transportation/trucking – many of these don’t require degrees, but do often require initial apprenticeship programs which have low wages (but still offer benefits) which can last years before a good wage really kicks in. Another industry could be hospitality/food service, because a skilled waiter or line cook can make a very good living without a degree. But akin to an apprenticeship, your friend will likely start as a dishwasher or a busser at a low-end chain restaurant, and not make a good wage for several years.

      Having seen (and lived through) firsthand the limitations of a GED-only, I would STRONGLY encourage your friend to at least get an AA. It was hard growing up without much money because of my father’s lack of postsecondary education, and though I am now successful, I don’t know how my father will ever retire – he just didn’t make enough money during his life to save much at all.

      1. to counter that, my dad never finished college (he skipped around for a few years before a professor told him he would never work for anyone) and now owns two successful local restaurants. He worked a lot of odd jobs (he once worked on a shrimp boat) and then at restaurants as a cook, then up to manager, before decided to open his own restaurant when he was like 29 or 30, I think? So not having a college degree doesn’t necessarily limit you, though it probably means you need a lot of hard work and ambition and luck compared to people with college/advanced degrees.

      2. My dad doesn’t have any college education at all, and he somehow worked his way from a nuclear worker to an engineer, and now he manages a team of phds and travels all around the world for conferences involving national security and radiation and things like that. But to be fair, my dad is obviously brilliant, and he worked very hard from the bottom up. This progression mainly took place in the 80’s to 90’s; I’m not sure that it could happen today.

         My husband doesn’t have a college degree, either, but he’s an excellent manager. It takes some time, and I’m sure that you have to have the raw talent (some people are just good at managing customers and employees- I’m not!), but retail management may be an option to consider.

   3. Depending on where he lives and what lifestyle he wants to live, resource extraction (mines, forestry, oil) jobs might be a good option. My job involves working with people in those industries frequently, and it’s a bit humbling to realise that the guy I’m talking to, who might have just a high school education, is making more than I might ever make with my Master’s degree. It’s definitely a different lifestyle, though, and not one that will work for a lot of people.

   4. On the union job line, one industry to consider is the utility industry, particularly electric utilities. A huge percentage of the workforce is nearing retirement so anyone youngish who gets hired and trained now is likely looking at reasonable job security going forward.

      1. I second the utility jobs. Many utilities, particularly public ones, will hire employees with little to no special skills and put them through training while on the job. Plus, most are union so the pay and benefits are pretty good. These jobs are pretty stable too, since people will always need water, electricity, and sewer service. I would suggest checking the employment section of the local utilities web sites directly, most will post jobs on Mondays, and be up for only a week or two.

         1. Thirded. I worked for a public utility for a few years and that was about the last place I knew of that would take people with a GED, put them in a training program, and then within 5 years they would be earning $60k as a gas line repair technician or electric line maintenance tech. The problem is, utilities are tough to get into – the one I worked for would get 450 applications for every one non-degreed, unionized job that opened up. If the OP’s friend can make some connections among people who already work at the utility, that will go a long way.

   5. Seriously, if I ever did things again I would become an electrician. Not that I’m knocking my cushy lawyer job, but wow, just think, setting your own hours and making quite a decent amount of money. That would require apprenticing (and possibly some sort of course work? I don’t know) but could set up your friend quite well.

      Also, I recently met a young woman who is a refrigeration technician. Apparently there is high demand for refrigeration technicians, and it is one of the highest-paying trades. Who knew?

      1. Electrician or plumber. Both require apprenticeships, but end up paying well and are always in demand.

      2. My dad taught HVAC (heating, ventilation and air conditioning) installation and maintenance earlier in his career, and he periodically runs into ex-students who have their own repair businesses and are making a half a million dollars a year, way more than he ever earned as a Ph.D. college administrator. He once told me that if he could do it over, he would have opened an HVAC business – because in addition to the money, he, my mom, my brother and I, and my son all could have had jobs in the “family business.”

   6. As some have pointed out, you can start out at the bottom in some service industry jobs- either in the kitchen or in the front of the house at a restaurant. I have a friend who left teaching after having a baby because she realized she made almost as much working at a tourist beach restaurant 3 days a week as she did teaching. The big downside to those positions is that very few (if any) offer benefits.

      I agree with those who say that going to community college is probably the best bet- there are a lot of jobs that have decent pay in health sciences, but they usually require some training. Unfortunately some programs are more competitive than others, but it’s worth a look.

   7. Start at the bottom of a retail or service job, then up up up the ladder. That’s how I did it, anyway. I’m the proud owner of a high school diploma and some college credits, manage a dog daycare, still moving my way on up, and making quite a nice living for myself in the northern virginia area. My next move is across in the company, to either HR or marketing. No degree, but lots of time and hard work.

   8. Trader Joe’s and Starbucks both offer good employee benefits and decent wages. I have a family member who works at Trader Joe’s and she loves it, she’s worked there for more than 5 years.

      It’s hard to break into a new service industry without prior experience in that area. S/he should pick an industry – retail, restaurant, etc – and try to gain experience. I have another family member who’s been waiting tables for 10 years now, and does very well financially now that she’s experienced enough to be a captain at a fancy restaurant.

      Non-service industry ideas – receptionist, admin assistant, maintenance worker, call center employee. Your friend could consider learning a trade such as cosmetology/aesthetics, medical assistant, plumber, etc, that will only require a few months of educational training and then on-the-job training.

      1. I don’t know if it’s still the case.. but retailers like Wal-Mart offer good opportunities for advancement…. I used to manage on campus recruiting and they would send non-degreed store managers to interview college kids for store management positions…. I suggested that they not brag about how they didn’t have a college degree when interviewing.

         My husband works in healthcare… trained on the job as a scrub technician (works in surgery, cardiac cath labs assisting the Doctors.) They now require an AA degree for it… 2 years of junior college… he makes a great living but does have to take call.

   9. My company’s CEO and the VP I report to do not have degrees. My VP started in entry-level jobs, worked her BUTT off, built credibility and learned as she went along. Now she is a top candidate for another amazing VP-level job at a company led by a team of Harvard/Yale grads with bios that are out of this world. The person that recruited her has a PhD, and had worked with her previously at another company. Her work is what matters, not her formal education or lack thereof.

      It can be done. I’d just suggest she pick an industry that lends itself to working up the ladder. Retail is one great example.

      1. Thanks everyone! So nice to hear everyone’s stories and great advice.

   10. There are medical jobs, like X Ray tech, that only require some community college training and a certificate, but pay well. Also, the last course is usually clinical, which is like an externship. Those usually turn into a job afterwards.

   11. No one has mentioned this option, so I thought I’d throw this out there: military GI bill benefits for college are quite generous. I even know of someone with advanced degrees trying to enlist, since they will pay off a portion of his horrendously large student loans

       The only catch is that you have to meet minimum entry requirements to enlist & survive basic training. And have the good fortune to not be in a combat zone.

4. Being in trial is interfering with my Corporette time. That is all.

   1. Ha!

      1. LOL.

5. Love it! I have a few Hobo items, and they are all of the highest quality with extremely good construction. I’ve been very impressed. In fact, my husband, who is very hard on things, went to the mall to buy me a wallet with a sole goal in mind — to find the most indestructible one. He has no knowledge of brands and picked Hobo based on its nice clasps, good leather, good hinges, etc. (not knowing that I already had other Hobo items). Anyway, long story short, I highly recommend it.

   1. Love Hobo. I have lots too. All are great – bags, wallets, clutches, and all with cute lining. I think they have the absolute softest leather too.

   2. Agreed.

   3. I agree – I’ve had really good luck with Hobo.

6. I am about to write a thank-you note for an interview. Any general tips or advice as per the content? I am young, and am kind of new at this.

   I should mention that the position is an unpaid college internship. Would it be over-kill to even write one, since it is not “a real job?” I was also wondering if it would be redundant, since they explained to me the general timeline, and I thanked them twice as I was leaving. I would like to stand out amongst the other applicants, but I also don’t want to look desperate.

   1. It is definitely not overkill to write a thank you note after an interview – it is a courtesy you should extend to anyone who interviews you, regardless of whether you are interviewing for a paid or unpaid position. As to content, I suggest keeping the letter short – 3-4 sentences. Thank the interviewer again for his/her time and consideration, re-emphasize your interest in the position, reiterate your skills that qualify you for the position, and try to mention something you discussed in the interview to remind the interviewer of what set you apart from the others. Send the letter within 1-2 days of your interview, if possible.

   2. I’d email the thank you note. In my firm, hiring decisions are made by the end of the day. If there isn’t a unaninous decision on a candidate, a well-written thank you note often gets the person hired. No thank you note days later, person doesn’t get hired. If the note is snail-mailed, it might get there too late. :-(

7. I just got a 25% off coupon code for eBags. Not sure if this is a one-time-only use code or not:
   TPYPR59E04

   Expires on Tax Day, April 15th. I won’t need it, hope another ‘Retter can use it!

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