So, for context I just recently moved here about a year ago. I graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Psychology (I know, that was a horrible mistake) and I have worked about 6 jobs in the past 6 years. I worked at a pizza shop part-time for a few months before moving to a different state and paid me about $8.00 an hour while being a part-time community college student and earned my associates in general studies in 2021. Then when I moved to another state in 2021 (unwillingly with family), I worked at UPS worldport and was getting paid about $19 an hour starting pay and by year 3 I was getting paid $23.75 an hour PART-TIME while being in college getting my bachelor's. then some unfortunate things happened and I ended up working part time for FedEx around... October 2024 and got let go around January of last year.
Then February 2025 I worked about 2 weeks as an RBT (Registered Behavior Technician) and that didn't last long because their training only consisted of me watching 30 hours worth of videos before my actual start date and have me shadow for one week and take a test twice to become official. The last two recent jobs are kind of related as I was a sub at an elementary school working with special needs kids (without my knowing) and now I am a permanent employee working as a teacher assistant working with special needs students. To preface/clarify, I do not enjoy being around children that much, but when the market is so bad and you're desperate for money, you have to take whatever job is as desperate as you when no other job is willing to hire.
What I'm trying to get at, is this: I live in a pretty nice area near the airport but there are no jobs where I can apply to that would pay me bare minimum $20 an hour; I am overqualified to work in retail and fast-food services (trust me I have tried applying to almost every other place in RiverCity marketplace) and I am too underqualified to be working the jobs I actually want to work in. I have been trying to apply to office administrative assistant positions that pay a minimum of $20 or more that DOES NOT involve sales rep or working directly or indirectly with children at all. I have also tried applying to warehouse work jobs but even they're not hiring and I am in need of a summer job until the next school starts. It's just a hot mess over here. I apologize for the long rant/TMI but I'm at my wits end on trying to find a job I qualify for that pays that amount. I'm currently getting paid less than $17 an hour to deal with children that, although I love and care for deeply, I'm just not getting paid enough to get sick constantly every month and deal with the lack of discipline these children have.