Hey everyone, looking for some honest advice.
I'm 25 and have two diplomas from Algonquin College, one in business and one in computer programming. Lately I feel like I've wasted my time. I don't have a degree, and I'm sitting on about $28K in OSAP debt.
What I do have is a lot of work experience. I started out doing customer service at my uncle's pizzeria (paid cash, so not much on paper). That eventually led to my family and me buying an existing pizzeria, which I've been running for the past 3-4 years. It's been 7 days a week, and I handle everything an owner would: operations, staff, payroll, books, inventory, marketing, all of it.
Now I want to move into a corporate/office job with real long-term earning potential. I'm willing to grind and start at the bottom. I've been looking at entry-level project management and tech/business consultant roles.
A big part of what's driving this is that I don't have any savings right now. Running the restaurant keeps me busy, but it hasn't left me with money to actually do anything. I want to start building my life, put money away consistently, and get to a point where my money is working for me instead of just barely keeping up.
Part of why I did the IT diploma is that my dad works for the federal government and said he could help me get in. It turns out they're on a hiring freeze right now, so that door is closed for the time being.
I know the job market is rough right now. So I keep going back and forth: should I bite the bullet and do a degree (BBA or something in IT) for another $12-15K? Or is my experience plus two diplomas enough to get a foot in the door if I play it right?