I got a useless degree, and now I’m stuck in a dead-end job. What do I do?

The reader is not pictured. 

Dear For Love and Money,

At 18 years old, I made the mistake of getting a degree in a career that has no real practical use or future prospects. Now, I am 27 and working in a low-paying field that has nothing to do with my degree and no way of moving up.

I am drowning in student loan debt, and just debt in general, as my income doesn’t even fully cover my monthly bills. I’m afraid I’m falling deeper into a hole, but the only way out that I see is returning to school to get better qualifications with more immediate and practical prospects.

This will cost more money and time, neither of which I have. I don’t know what to do. I feel trapped by my own poor choices.

What can I do?

Sincerely,

Too Poor to Get Rich

Dear Too Poor,

Have you ever heard of the sunk cost fallacy? It’s what we call that human tendency to stick with something well after it’s proven useless because we’re reluctant to lose the time or money we’ve already invested in it. Reading your letter, it seems you’re feeling this lose/lose dilemma in your career — or lack thereof.

You’re right. You made a mistake at 18. When you think about it, it’s wild that we expect any 18-year-old to correctly set the course of their life at such a young age. But here’s the good news: You actually made two investments back then. You invested in an impractical degree, but you also invested in yourself.

I understand your impulse to move on from a degree that never paid. By all means, move on from the fantasies you concocted as a college freshman. But don’t give up on yourself. After all, investing in yourself means betting on the one thing you can control — a pretty safe bet when you think about it.

Long ago, I imagined myself 10 years on, sitting seaside, clacking away on an absurdly vintage typewriter, creating novels that, on publication day, would leapfrog the New York Times Best Sellers list to claim the No. 1 spot.

With dreams like these, who needed a degree that would translate to boring jobs with practical skills? So, I graduated from college with a Bachelor of Arts in English Literature. I don’t have an oceanfront villa or any published books, but if you want to debate the impact of Allen Ginsburg’s “Howl” on 21st-century poetry, I’m your girl. But my guess is, you probably don’t. No one ever really does. Hiring managers certainly aren’t interested.

Every time my student loan payments leave my account, I look back at that younger, more idealistic version of myself, and sigh. You know what I also do? I pull out my books and start studying.

Because while I no longer believe in the hands-on value of a degree in my own first language, I still believe in myself. I look at my transcript, and it is straight As. I look at my ability to take a boring topic and make it engaging and the insight others have told me I’ve offered them. I think of how natural it’s always felt for me to see people’s flaws and love them harder still, and I recognize that this is a woman worth betting on.

So, at 36 years old, I am trying again. I am pursuing my Master’s in Counseling. Once again, I have taken out loans. I am not beating myself up over this choice because my past, mistakes included, brought me here, and “here” is a career I can’t wait to start.

You said you felt trapped by your own poor choices, but that’s not how life works. Life is a series of tomorrows where you wake up and try again. Learn yesterday’s lessons and work to ensure today will take care of the next.

For you, this might look like finding out the options your current job offers. Many companies have scholarship programs for even their lowest-level employees.

First, make sure you have a clear idea of what you want your second career to look like. The best part about making these decisions later in life is that you’ve had way more time to get to know yourself and the world around you. We have the benefit of age to show us that the jobs we may have previously considered uninspiring are the most reliable way to get paid, and we’d be good at them, too.

If your company doesn’t offer tuition assistance, perhaps your next venture is a certification program or a Master’s degree that builds on your former experience and makes you more marketable. You could even tap into your niche interests and begin a small business. These things will cost money, but you aren’t a bad investment.

That said, I know it’s hard to build a lifeboat when you’re already sinking, but there are social supports and options to get your head above the water. So, if your current debt is too high for you to even think about accruing more, look into debt relief programs or call your creditors and negotiate the debt down yourself. Look into scholarships, work-study programs, and government aid.

Everything I have suggested here will take energy, money, and time. Three resources you may feel ill-equipped to give right now. But remember, tomorrow is worth the effort of digging deep. You’re worth it.

There’s a great line from the movie “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button” that your letter reminded me of. “For what it’s worth: it’s never too late or, in my case, too early to be whoever you want to be … I hope you live a life you’re proud of. If you find that you’re not, I hope you have the strength to start all over again.”

Rooting for you,

For Love & Money