Career Confused

Dear Job Search Girls:
I am in my early 20's and have never had a job other than retail and customer service.  I want to start thinking about my future and the bottom line is that I can't be a Cashier for the rest of my life.  I don't know where to start, I don't have the money to go to school and who is going to hire someone with hardly any experience and pay me above minimum wage!  - From, Career Confused

Dear Career Confused:
You sound like you are very frustrated in your current occupation and its time for a change!  Not every job which will lead to a career requires post-secondary education.  Often experience and attitude counts more than credentials.  It all depends on what direction you want to go in.  I would suggest you do some career exploration to determine your interests and transferable skills.  This will help you determine a career path and then you can research different occupations in that career path. 
From: Sunny

Sassy: You also need to be realistic.  You can't just jump into a job with no education/experience and expect to be given all the perks!  You have to gain knowledge/experience in order to make a decent living for yourself.  Exploring career options is fine and dandy...but you will have to work your way up in any job! 

Sunny: Even though you will have to start entry-level, doesn't mean you can't make a lucrative living..eventually, and everything isn't all about money, the more exploration you do, the more likely you are to enter into a career that you will be truly happy doing.  Remember, its all in your attitude and a willingness to learn!  Starting from the ground up also gives you more opportunities down the road within a company - you will learn the ins and outs along the way; therefore making you a bigger asset to the company!