A. Rasberry has lamented her difficult life after earning a doctorate but without a job. Raspberry told Business Insider that she has more than $250,000 in student loan debt and a bachelor’s, master’s, and doctorate in business administration from Saint Leo University in Florida.
She has applied for jobs numerous times but has had difficulty finding a position in her field of study over the past four years. The 38-year-old told the outlet, “I thought education was the road to financial freedom, but I was wrong.”
She believes her search has been unsuccessful because “most organizations prefer experience over education,” adding, “Had I known that, I would not have spent so many years in college.”
Rasberry recalled that one of her first career goals after earning her doctorate was to work as an adjunct professor. However, after talking to educators, she changed her mind because she would have needed to go back to school to take more courses as she would need “more education-related credits.”
She also mentioned that although she obtained some entry-level work experience in banking, human resources, and bookkeeping positions while pursuing her degrees, she believes that employers may view this as insufficient.
“I am underqualified for management or leadership positions, but I am overqualified for most entry-level positions,” she said. “Ultimately, my degree has been both a blessing and a curse.”
Rasberry has since been working in healthcare to help pay the bills. She started about a year ago, putting in up to 80 hours a week as a direct care liaison, reviewing patients’ healthcare needs and outlining the support they require, while also finishing a training program to work remotely for TurboTax as a tax expert.
She explained, “I picked a position that provided training and certification at no additional cost to me. I find it rewarding, and I like the shift flexibility.”
Unfortunately, while the certification allowed her to work in an entry-level role at her current workplace, it could not be transferred to other employers, restricting her prospects.
Still, she has not considered the job, which paid $21.50 per hour, to be full-time and has kept looking for other remote positions, such as the TurboTax offer, which she hopes will allow her to keep her healthcare career, save money on commutes, and care for her dog.
Last month, she had favorable development when she was promoted to a position as a care plan consultant, which pays almost $70,000 per year, or more than $30 per hour, and enables her to work from home.
Although this is good, she will continue to look for better-paying positions in her field of study.
She stated, “When I’m not working, I’m online, putting in applications for employment.”
Rasberry recommends that people who pursue higher education do their homework. She expressed her regret that she had not taken the time to research her school’s internship programs, job placement initiatives, and recent graduate employment rates in various professions before pursuing her degrees.
She also suggests giving careful consideration to the worth of a college degree and the most effective ways to use it to obtain employment.
