college degree

Just anecdotal I know.

" my son worked at apl for 3 summers, my niece works there as a physicist and they paid for her masters and all the beenies her older brother with a masters in history works in a beer store, my brother knows how we feel.

My younger son has like 7 good friends, 4 business majors, 2 criminal justice, one biology no of them can find work except as waiters or selling medical crap straight commission and you pay for your own gas.

there's no work out there and I'm in the DC area.

http://www.siliconinvestor.com/readmsgs ... htype=Next

A post from up stream in the same thread.


"so I said my older son got stolen by Univ of md to work for them, he started yesterday, he's 24. 100k a year, free new desk top computer, free top of the line lap top , free apple what ever cell phone, housing money, free car, free air line travel, free parking, free phd, sh** free space shuttle travel, works 11am to 4 pm and can work any time at home, free lunches at any restraruants (sp) hell free anything.

and my younger son just graduated with a business degree and was turned down by McDonalds.

my wife and I are convoluted how do we celebrate our one son, this sukks and yet it doesn't. my second son is so depressed."

http://www.siliconinvestor.com/readmsg. ... d=29357649

Also anecdotal:

I got a college degree in 1970. Went looking for work, all I found in my 'field' paid crap, and did not interest me.

Had an opportunity to take a 6 month job as a draftsman, which paid less than I wanted, but more than unemployment, I took it.

Stayed with that job for 22 years, ended up working directly under the corporate president, saw a lot, learned a lot, enjoyed a lot. Took 'reduction in force' when told I had to move where I didn't want to go or become unemployed, and moved on to 2nd and 3rd 'careers', and eventually retirement.

Moral? IMO, a college degree indicates only that you can be trained. What you do with that ability is up to you. I have never been employed specifically in the field of my degree, but the knowledge I gained getting that degree has been helpful to me in everything I have done.

In short, don't be afraid to take a job you think may be 'beneath your training', it may be a great opportunity to advance. And, if it isn't, at least it is providing experience and $$ while you look for something better. A college degree is just a piece of paper, it should not limit you to working in that 'field'.

College is so much more than a way to get a better job........ A well rounded education creates a better person, and also a better employee. The degree shows a willingness to learn, the discipline necessary to complete a degree, the ability to reason, problem solve, and at least some basic English and social skills. It also gives a student the chance to grow up some, to forge friendships and networking skills, I really can't see a downside to it. I have never worked in the field I studied, but I have used different parts of my education in everything I have ever done, from early days programming (back in the 60s when it was new and groundbreaking), to several years as a transportation systems engineer, to the design and computer control of manufacturing machinery, to the design and project management of swimming pool construction, to tax prep and small business accounting, to eventually my own business in data base design,...,. Yet my degree is in Sociology. Without college I doubt I would have the skills to accomplish all that nor have gotten in the door in the first place, especially as a woman in the 60s looking for a technical position. I made damn sure I never learned to type because back then it was the first question they asked a woman looking for a job. (I regret that decision now, I still can't type)

... and two days out of high school, I went to work for Beneficial Finance at it's main headquarters in Morristown NJ. It was a job right out of a 1930's movie. Working in the secretarial pool, getting the company president his favorite cigars, running million dollar checks into New York City, learning all the current office machines, working in Finance as an intern.

And then in 1977 I went to work at a company that designed printed circuit boards. I learned how to lay out circuitry and started working with personal computers. That lead to me fiddling around with some early programming languages.

Went to a children's hospital in IT. From there it was programming job after programming job. Programming for health care industry, science and research, finance, employment law. My longest steady job was at NREL in Golden, working as a contractor for the federal government. I was there almost 15 years.

With the help of mentors I've taught myself all aspects of live theatre, learned how to write, published some plays, have wrote columns for specialty magazines, learned public relations.

Close up and stage magic has always been a vocation, but off and on it's move into the professional arena. Producing shows for outdoor entertainment venues, theme parks and indoor venues.

I'm now 61, out of work (except for some writing assignments) and it seems that all those years of on the job education is worthless to anyone anymore. I'm not proud, I've worked retail and blue collar jobs, they are just as meaningful to me as any other profession because I like to work, period and I can learn how to do anything. Maybe it's ageism, maybe it's still the state of employment opportunities in this country.

I wanted to work until I die. I guess I will have to settle for just dying.

(P.S. that was not veiled language, I'm not thinking of going anywhere soon and I'm not depressed. It's just an observation of facts)

Problem is - education is out-of-synch with the work place. For the most part, businesses are not interested in "soft skills" by themselves. Sure - it's important to be able to communicate (English/Art) to contextualize (history, anthropology, sociology), and to think (philosophy). However, the work place won't be impressed if that's what you get your degree in - unless you can show some hard (math, in particular) or technical (engineering) skills to go with it.

You don't need a degree for a good job. My oldest is about to get a big bonus (more than I get paid in a year) from the Navy --- he operates nuclear reactors (one of the hardest jobs to get in the Navy).

My second kid is looking at Stanford, Mines, and CU-Boulder. If he studies a science field - they're all worth it. Now if he studies the sociology of indigenous red-haired gays ---- it's not worth squat. That's not me speaking --- it's the work place.

Bailey Brat #3 is interested in architectural engineering (building managers used to not need degrees - now they need engineering degrees).

I understand what you're saying RR, I was out of the work force for a period of time as we were moving from city to city with my ex's job and I had kids that I wanted to be home and available for. When the divorce happened I still had an 11 yr old at home and I needed a source of income. However, at 50 I was unable to find anything even remotely close to what I was experienced in, I was willing to start back at the bottom and work my way back up but I found myself competing against 20 yr olds, and working as a merchandiser part time didn't pay all the bills......at one point I had 3 part time Jobs...... For sure by the time you are 30 years out of college no one much cares if you went or not, and experience starts to work against you.

archer wrote: I understand what you're saying RR, I was out of the work force for a period of time as we were moving from city to city with my ex's job and I had kids that I wanted to be home and available for. When the divorce happened I still had an 11 yr old at home and I needed a source of income. However, at 50 I was unable to find anything even remotely close to what I was experienced in, I was willing to start back at the bottom and work my way back up but I found myself competing against 20 yr olds, and working as a merchandiser part time didn't pay all the bills......at one point I had 3 part time Jobs...... For sure by the time you are 30 years out of college no one much cares if you went or not, and experience starts to work against you.

Not to mention that today's graduate could still be paying on student loans in 30 years.

http://www.businessweek.com/articles/20 ... t-for-life

"Student Loans: Debt for Life

(Corrects the 20th paragraph to provide a more recent total for student loans owed by people 60 and over: $43 billion rather than $36 billion. Corrects position of the National Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators on legislation introduced by Senator Al Franken.)"...

True BB, but I would still rather be making 50k and paying 5k/yr on a loan than making 20k.

* numbers used as example only and are not meant to depict any actual situation.

I do not have a college degree. I joined the Air Force and left for Basic Training 6 weeks after graduation. I then spent the next 20 years in the Air Force. I never took any college classes--a decision I now regret sometimes. And I haven't taken any in the almost 9 years since I've been retired.

I have a GREAT job that pays well and gives me bonuses each year I've been here. I was told by my boss that the reason I was hired over a few other applicants was because of my military experience...he said he knew after speaking with a couple of my references that I could handle the job...I'd be on time to work, I'd not freak out in emergency situations, and I'd be calm when dealing with difficult customers. He hasn't regretted hiring me and has told me on more than one occasion.

I am one of the ones that made it without a degree...and in my case a degree probably wouldn't have helped me get this job, which was where I was supposed to be.

archer wrote: True BB, but I would still rather be making 50k and paying 5k/yr on a loan than making 20k.

* numbers used as example only and are not meant to depict any actual situation.

I would too. I believe the issue is kids who can only find jobs paying 20k a year and having 5k or more in annual payments on their student loans.

I do have a bias. I have had a Dave Ramsey outlook on debt since before he was born. It is how I was raised. Long before there were working moms, my mom worked. She worked mornings as a legal secretary and was home in time to fix me lunch when I was in elementary school. I think I was around 6 or 8 when my folks celebrated paying off the mortgage on the house.