Woman. 38yrs for a technician, is it too late?
I’m reaching out for some advice. I have been living in Santa Rosa, California, for two years now, where I’ve been studying Industrial Maintenance at the local community college. So far, I’ve completed several core technical courses as well as foundational classes like Pre-Calculus. I am also currently working toward my GED—I have passed three subjects and only have English left to go. On top of that, I am currently learning to drive to get my license.
Over these past two years, I have saved up $5,000, and I anticipate having enough for a down payment on a used car by Christmas. In terms of technical skills, I have been training in soft soldering and manual arc welding.
However, I am struggling to find relevant work in the area. I believe this is due to a few factors:
1. **Lack of transportation:** Without a car, I cannot easily travel to job sites on demand.
2. **Limited professional network:** I don’t have any local connections in the industry. Most of my classmates are from the local Mexican community, and they primarily work in supermarkets or restaurants, rather than the maintenance or repair fields I’m interested in.
3. **Local market limitations:** This city seems dominated by the hospitality, medical, and wine industries, with very few factories or industrial demand.
I’m feeling quite conflicted. Should I continue my studies here, transfer to a city in Southern California with a stronger industrial base later, and wait until I have my bachelor’s degree to start job hunting? Or, should I focus on saving for a car first and look into leaving this city sooner, since I’ve realized there aren't many opportunities for the kind of industrial internships I need here?