Can I step in here for a moment?

I have to say, I'm really glad you commented. We need more voices like yours.

I'll give you my perspective. I live in Maine. I got rejected from my dream school, despite having a great résumé and a good portfolio. I went to a community college instead. I lived on that campus because it was an hour away and it had the program I wanted to take. I graduated and got my associate's degree. I tried…

I never expected dreams to be handed to me. I'm actually kind offended by that. I know I have to work for my dreams. But if I can barely afford to fucking move out of my parents house in goddamn east bumfuck maine, can you expect someone like me to be able to move to a populated urban area to do what you did? I…

DAMMIT.

wut.

Thanks for the info!

Well, maybe with a better paying job than waitressing, I might be more willing to go back to school. Just right now, that's not an option.

Yes, but even that is something that I simply can't afford to do. I just can't. I understand the media world, because that was the field I wanted in on. I was good at what I did when I was in college. But I didn't have that ability to get an internship.

Hmm. I will look into that. The closest I ever came to programming was when I was like 13 and had a Jurrasic Park game that I edited the game files for with some minimal help from the Internet. I wanted to access allll the dinosaurs dammit, and have more than a stupid 60. Somehow I didn't break the game.

Yeah, I think I'd rather go for a certification than go back to school. I can't afford student loan debt.

Does upgrading my ram on my 2009 MacBook Pro count?

How do I get into tech?

So that means it's okay to allow companies to continue to use interns illegally?

Those things that allowed people to "break in" to a job were called "entry level". Expecting experience for an entry level job defeats the purpose of calling it entry level.

LMAO I do understand. I've fed obvious trolls before too. Bat away!

That is why I said if. I do find that most of the Jez authors are pretty wealthy compared to us plebes. And I did read that too. I understand that you had paid internships, and as far as I know, you are incredibly lucky to have been able to land something like that.

My point is, however, that your post is apologia for…

Yup. I'd love to have a career. But I can't afford to work for free. And if that is what is determining who goes into specialized fields, then the playing field ain't level and the people who can afford to do such things need to check their privilege - they might be underqualified next to someone else, but because…