Suggestions on how to start a career after 30 with no degree?
I’m 31 years old from Southwestern Pennsylvania and when I graduated high school I went to college to pursue a degree in business management. Long story short I had got into trouble my 2nd semester of my 2nd year of college and received a felony conviction and could no longer stay enrolled because I had lost my financial aid due to my conviction. I then found a job as a contractor’s helper afterwards that I kept for about 3 years, and then I got lucky and was given a position as an independent contractor for a local flooring company in my area. It was a total leap of faith because I had little to no experience in laying floors on my own but it felt like an opportunity that could give me the career I’ve been looking for and I couldn’t pass it up. After one year I had received two service calls for my work and was then let go. Since then I have been doing gig work just to get by but I have been struggling since to find my foot back into the door even if I had to go back to being a helper. I have applied to a couple apprenticeship programs that offer paid on the job training but I have had no success. I would love to go to a Trade School but I do not have the finances to do that. It’s been rough on my mental health the last couple of years and it almost has me feeling as if it’s too late for me and I have already exhausted all of my opportunities and also makes me question my worth as a man. I hope this post reaches someone that was facing similar challenges and was able to overcome them, but either way does anyone have any suggestions for me?