The whole minimum wage discussion depresses me.
I went to college to get a degree in my field (architecture), incurred the debt associated with attaining that degree (but luckily not 5 years worth of debt), only to enter the work force to find out that the financial compensation I would receive for the bare minimum I had to do to get into my field of work (a field widely misunderstood as one that pays very well) barely ranks above the proposed new minimum wage.
I'm incredibly thankful that my folks let me live at home while I was adamantly paid off my debts because I would not be able to afford rent, food and loan payments on the salary I make.
Add on top of it that I have to pay out of pocket to take all of my AREs (Architectural Registration exams: 7 exams at $210 a pop, assuming you don't cancel (exam fees are non-refundable), reschedule (which costs $60-80) or fail a test and have to retake it, for a total of around $1500) which I would not be reimbursed for until after I pass all 7. I technically could start taking them but I can't afford it, and won't be able to afford it for years at this point, and that's if I start saving for them right now. In addition to the yearly fee I have to pay to maintain my NCARB record.
It makes me wonder about whether, if this new minimum wage was nationally instituted, companies like mine would restructure their financial compensation plans, or whether I would have been better off not going to college and getting a job at Target or something instead. I would be miserable doing a job I don't care about, but I wouldn't have to incur all these other costs.
I went to college to get a degree in my field (architecture), incurred the debt associated with attaining that degree (but luckily not 5 years worth of debt), only to enter the work force to find out that the financial compensation I would receive for the bare minimum I had to do to get into my field of work (a field widely misunderstood as one that pays very well) barely ranks above the proposed new minimum wage.
I'm incredibly thankful that my folks let me live at home while I was adamantly paid off my debts because I would not be able to afford rent, food and loan payments on the salary I make.
Add on top of it that I have to pay out of pocket to take all of my AREs (Architectural Registration exams: 7 exams at $210 a pop, assuming you don't cancel (exam fees are non-refundable), reschedule (which costs $60-80) or fail a test and have to retake it, for a total of around $1500) which I would not be reimbursed for until after I pass all 7. I technically could start taking them but I can't afford it, and won't be able to afford it for years at this point, and that's if I start saving for them right now. In addition to the yearly fee I have to pay to maintain my NCARB record.
It makes me wonder about whether, if this new minimum wage was nationally instituted, companies like mine would restructure their financial compensation plans, or whether I would have been better off not going to college and getting a job at Target or something instead. I would be miserable doing a job I don't care about, but I wouldn't have to incur all these other costs.
Teenaged X-Files obsession + Bermuda Triangle episode + Self-led school research project = Atheist.
