im rly mad Posted March 2, 2011 Share Posted March 2, 2011 I know its unrealistic and naive to go into the world thinking I can get a career without at least a bachelor's degree, but I can't stand anymore time at my university. I'm not on any path right now and I've been looking at trade programs at my local community college. They have some programs I'd be interested in, but I'm curious to know: Do certifications or associate degrees in fields really carry any value for employers? Obviously they'd prefer to see a higher level of education, but I would rather gain experience and work my way up than have to continue school and be placed in a better position at a company later on. Is it even worth it to shoot for an associate degree/certificate or should I just suck it up and keep pounding away for a potentially useless bachelor's degree? Link to comment
thejigsup Posted March 2, 2011 Share Posted March 2, 2011 If you think a Bachelor's is useless, try getting a good job with an Associates. I have two nieces with Associates. One works at WalMart and the other can't find work anywhere. Stay in school. Link to comment
Mercurial Girl Posted March 2, 2011 Share Posted March 2, 2011 Maybe you're more suited to "blue collar" employment? I'm happier than ever now that I've taken the pressure off to get a desk job and just did what I enjoyed. It took me forever to let go of the plan to get a degree but it was all about pride. I denied it but I didn't want people to look down on me for what I do now. You might also be burnt out and need to take a semester off to reevaluate your goals? Link to comment
abitbroken Posted March 2, 2011 Share Posted March 2, 2011 How far are you along? Employers like to see a bachelors in some cases just because it proves that you started and finished something. It is NOT useless! But it depends on the field you are going in. Some fields its critical. Others it is not. But it might get your resume read. I would try to funnel your existing credits into an associates degree that will able you to still finish your bachelors but at least give you that in the meantime. You can take a break after that or continue,but at least you would feel as if you have achieved something. In some fields, people hire folks that have an associates but are actively working on their bachelors. As far as just having an associates, it depends on the career you are looking at. If it is related to technology or a trade, than an associates will work, as employers will see that you just were educated with the latest technology and are ready to go. But if you are looking to get into something else, then do the bachelors. An associates in English Lit is not nearly as useful or impressive as a Bachelor's in the same. Link to comment
Anonymous122 Posted March 2, 2011 Share Posted March 2, 2011 An associates degree in a field like nursing will get you a $20 per hour job. Unfortunately, a nursing degree is probably going to be a lot harder than a bachelors degree in a liberal art or something like that. It involves tons of biology, microbiology, chemistry, anatomy and physiology, etc - other than an associates degree in nursing, I can't imagine one that would actually get you a job. Link to comment
orchidrose Posted March 2, 2011 Share Posted March 2, 2011 I know it's tough now, but I really think you've got to stick it out and get the Bachelor's. My mom dropped out of college in her early twenties, raised us kids, and finally had to go back at 43 to finish her Bachelor's because getting any decent job was impossible without it. An Associate's degree may get you steady work, but often times it will not get you a career, a salary or benefits. Link to comment
im rly mad Posted March 2, 2011 Author Share Posted March 2, 2011 The only reason I said "potentially useless" about a bachelor's degree is because look at all these kids graduating with them and not getting any job with it... In my case, I kinda screwed my GPA at my uni, so even if I get a bachelor's, won't they look at me GPA and be skeptical? Link to comment
Mercurial Girl Posted March 2, 2011 Share Posted March 2, 2011 Do you have a specific career goal in mind? Link to comment
im rly mad Posted March 2, 2011 Author Share Posted March 2, 2011 Do you have a specific career goal in mind? I have no clue; if I knew what I absolutely wanted to do, I would have no problem sticking it out. Regardless, I'm going to fail a class and lose my scholarship this semester and won't be able to attend next semester, so community college is really my only option right now. Link to comment
Mercurial Girl Posted March 2, 2011 Share Posted March 2, 2011 I have no clue; if I knew what I absolutely wanted to do, I would have no problem sticking it out. Regardless, I'm going to fail a class and lose my scholarship this semester and won't be able to attend next semester, so community college is really my only option right now. I would put college on hold in that case until you have decided on a career. If you don't have a goal, you wont have the drive needed to succeed in all of your classes and you'll be wasting your time and money on failed classes and lost scholarships. I personally couldn't do a good job in a class if I wasn't able to identify a concrete reason for being there. Link to comment
thejigsup Posted March 2, 2011 Share Posted March 2, 2011 I never had a clear goal in mind the first two years of college. I just knew I had to have a very high GPA to transfer to the 4-year-college of my choice from my local community college. There, I decided on a major and went for it. You DON'T need to know your major to have drive! Link to comment
Mercurial Girl Posted March 2, 2011 Share Posted March 2, 2011 I never had a clear goal in mind the first two years of college. I just knew I had to have a very high GPA to transfer to the 4-year-college of my choice from my local community college. There, I decided on a major and went for it. You DON'T need to know your major to have drive! I know so many people who do that -- but for me specifically, and maybe for the OP, a clear goal was necessary to keep the motivation going. Link to comment
Jeremy21 Posted March 4, 2011 Share Posted March 4, 2011 I would actually kill to be able to go back in time and prevent myself from going to college at all. Bachelor's degrees aren't just useless but actually have negative value right now; the odds are too steep to find any sort of "legitimate" job, and the lower-wage/menial jobs see you as being overqualified and won't generally hire you if you have one. At the very least, I would focus on doing enough lower-wage/blue collar work that you have enough experience that you can leave the degree off of applications later if you need to. Link to comment
Philos Posted March 4, 2011 Share Posted March 4, 2011 You need experience when you get your BA. Most students don't volunteer or do co-op work study etc. through college and then wonder why it's so hard to get hired. During your junior and senior years you need to be out volunteering at a place related to your field that preferably hires. Best case scenario is that the place you were at hires you when you graduate, often because it'd cost them so much to replace you since you made yourself invaluable to the organization and also that you are already trained. If not, you have an immediate edge over people going to school with you, other recent graduates, or even graduates with some work experience. Volunteering lets you gain experience at reputable places which other people with a degree and work history may not even be able to be hired at, so you can have a resume padded with a year of work experience at a prestigious place, including letters of recommendation, etc. etc.. Not to mention, since you work for free, people naturally like you better, you often get a lot of benefits (like gas-reimbursement, free food, perks to the position/office, etc.), people don't ride you really at all... It's really laid-back and not even like normal work positions for the most part. Plus, when you do get a paying job in the field, you'll have job experience and have an edge over people without it in learning new things etc. which can help you meet people and impress people a lot more. That's a surefire way to get you a job. Who would an employer hire? The kid who just graduated with a BA or the guy who graduated with a BA and 18 months of relevant work experience at a comparible or even-better place? Link to comment
Lonewing Posted March 4, 2011 Share Posted March 4, 2011 They really don't care what degree you have if they like you. That's jsut a matter of doing your job well wher eyoua re now and having good connections. No degree with get you that... If anything, the degree wil kind of alineate you from any blue collar connections. Link to comment
Philos Posted March 4, 2011 Share Posted March 4, 2011 They really don't care what degree you have if they like you. That's jsut a matter of doing your job well wher eyoua re now and having good connections. No degree with get you that... If anything, the degree wil kind of alineate you from any blue collar connections. It is unfortunate but true. I know that just the fact that I'm going to school has alienated me (I think some of it might be jealousy) from people who haven't or aren't. Specifically, people who blew their chances in their youth to get a higher education and got stuck working X job to support a kid or... Link to comment
quantumstate Posted March 4, 2011 Share Posted March 4, 2011 Many trade jobs pay a lot better than degree jobs. It's not uncommon for a master plumber to clear $250,000/year if he works for himself. If you enjoy hands-on work, perhaps the trade route is the better route. Link to comment
Lonewing Posted March 4, 2011 Share Posted March 4, 2011 It is unfortunate but true. I know that just the fact that I'm going to school has alienated me (I think some of it might be jealousy) from people who haven't or aren't. Specifically, people who blew their chances in their youth to get a higher education and got stuck working X job to support a kid or... They also tend to thin kthat a degree means you're einsten and you work ont he stock market and you automatically clear 100,000 every year. The beliefes about degrees by the blue collar generation are wildly distorted. Only about 10% of all degrees do the things they think degrees do - and they are rather shocked at all the things you CAN get a degree in, and then puzzled as to why anyone would get that degree if it doesn't even pay much more than without the degree. Then they smile because they know they're on the hiring side of the tabe and laugh at you. Link to comment
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