>want to get out of retail and start making more money >send

I've found the easiest way to get a job is to know people and be recommended by them

>>18299687
That's a good point. So do I just try to make connections in the fields I'm looking at?

>>18299695
Basically, yeah. Where I work at the moment, pretty much everyone started there because they knew someone who was already working there. They rarely do external recruitment, and I know that's the case for a lot of places.

That said, your qualifications are just as important. Someone else can put your name forward, but it's useless if you're not meeting their expectations of what they're looking for in an employee.

How old are you, where do you live, and what sort of job are you looking for?

>>18299706
I'm 25 and in the southwest US. My degree's in fine arts, but I've more or less given up on finding steady employment there since I lack the connections, so I'm open for just about anything that pays well. I've been considering going to trade school or community college since there are a few lucrative lines of work that I think I could be good at (drafting, collision repair, etc.).

>>18299712
>fine arts
Could you not do some commissions or something? Or depending on what your medium is, approach galleries and see if you can have a small exhibition? Just something to have your work and name out there.
Teaching classes is also something you could do, a woman I used to work with teaches art classes at the local women's centre. The money's not great, but she really enjoys the work and it gets her some recognition.

>>18299722
My end goal is to get a stable job that can provide insurance and a steady paycheck and sell my art on the side - I don't know if I could handle living solely on commissions. I'd be doing it now for the extra cash if I wasn't contractually obligated not to. I hadn't thought of teaching art, though. That's not a bad idea.

>>18299726
>I'd be doing it now for the extra cash if I wasn't contractually obligated not to
How are you contractually obliged not to if you're working retail?

And again, do what you can to get your name out there. It can be as simple as doing some work for your parents or friends to hang up in their house so their friends see it when they're over. And like I said, approach galleries, or start an online gallery, or even an Instagram. If your art is going to make you money, you need to get it out there.

>>18299743
The retail situation is... weird. Basically there's enough art and design involved that no one in my department can do paid work on the side because it creates a conflict of interest, so I'd get in serious trouble if I started taking contracts and got caught.

I've got an online portfolio, if that helps, and I've had requests from coworkers and family members. I know it's not much, but it's a start, right?

did you ever get arrested?
what's your degree?

>>18300093
Nope, perfectly clean record. My degree's in fine arts.

>>18299685
"Fake it until you make it," is the short of the long; you've got to sell yourself like you're over-qualified even if you have no idea what you're doing. Also, as this is 4chan, I'm going to throw in ye-old "get a haircut, and some nice clothes," since there's like a 60/40 chance you've neither.

>fine arts
A: Get a masters and work in a museum; bonus points if you want to move.
B: Go back and get a useful degree.

Either works.

>>18300108
Actually, I recently went out and got some nice clothes for interviewing (last haircut was about six weeks ago, so I could probably stand to get it touched up soon). I've heard that you have to over-sell yourself, but I'm worried that I'll end up in a situation where I won't be able to do the job they give me. Is there a way of gauging how much to embellish?

>>18300110
B is more what I'm thinking of at this point, though I'm mostly looking at trade school since I really can't afford to go back to an actual university.

>>18299685
It's all about networking. Ask your friends to see if their work is hiring and if you're interested go for it.

>>18299685
Start in the food and bev industry. Way better than retail and im never goddamn returning. Start as a busser and move your way up to bartender. The tips are just beautiful, plus free food.