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I'm 31. I was a big dumbass for most of my twenties, bouncing around various retail jobs. I finished an AA in community college, but then dropped out of university while perusing a degree that would be nearly useless anyway (history). I'm a hard worker, but outside of one very brief stint at a startup that overreached and then had to lay off nearly their entire team, I've hardly ever been more than a dollar or two above minimum wage. I recently accepted a moderately decently paying warehouse job, but as far as I can tell it doesn't have a ton of upward mobility. My current city's community college offers certificates in several areas that I think I could excel at, including dental and medical assisting, facilities maintenance, CIS, and HVAC, as well as several tech-based apprenticeships. Would it be worthwhile to go back to community college part time to earn one of those certificates, or would that be a waste of my time? How do employers view people who go back to school later in life to learn a trade, and do CC certificates actually look good to employers?
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Apr 1, 2022 05:43
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I cant speak to certificates, but i went back at 29 to get an A.A.S in Wind energy, ended up getting a job at a local factory as a PLC technician and I'm making more than double what i did managing a lovely pizza joint. It seems a ton of older electrical/mechanical tradesmen are retiring and lots of places are desperate.
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Apr 1, 2022 09:02
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Tons of people make career changes in their late 20s and early 30s. I spent over 2 years at a tech college to get IT certs. It worked out well and I got hired with zero relevant professional experience. I can't speak to whatever certificates your community college is offering but maybe it's possible to reach out to a counselor there and see what kind of placement rates they have for people that complete the courses.
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Apr 9, 2022 17:13
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I went back at 30 to get an MA in Accountancy. Had to work during the day and school at night for two years. Took out a bunch of loans. It paid for itself in 3 years.
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Apr 11, 2022 03:33
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I went at 29 to get a masters in economics with a data science concentration. It paid for itself in 1 year
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Apr 11, 2022 15:43
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I started school at 24 but took 8 years to get my BSc while working full time, and went from glorified baby sitter to ecologist and started making a living wage (relatively speaking) overnight. TBH money is still an issue but that's more to do with the field I chose and at least I'm not paycheck-to-paycheck anymore. The real upside is having a career I can be invested in and do something different almost every day, and I'll never run out of things to learn or be curious about that are relevant to my job. I'm planning to go back for my MSc and know the feeling all too well; I'm already more than midway through my working career but feel like I'm just starting out and I'm getting dumber every day as I age. You just need to go, what do you have to lose? If you can, go full time or start out half-time and transition into full time once you get the routine down, you'll realize quickly that you can adapt to anything.
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Apr 14, 2022 16:12
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I went to college at 17, did a couple years, transferred, became a heroin addict/alcoholic for a decade and then finished my psych degree, which felt good and led to a decent job. Then i went to a code bootcamp and got a much better job. I don’t live in an area where I’d be likely to stumble into a durable career, so I’m pretty sure I’d be slummin it still.
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Jun 24, 2022 01:30
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My wife is looking for remote work. Is IT/an associate's degree in computers the best way to start on that path?
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Jul 8, 2022 16:05
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DTaeKim posted:My wife is looking for remote work. Is IT/an associate's degree in computers the best way to start on that path? There's remote work these days for a lot of different industries. I have a neighbor who's a Nurse that works remotely, he does informatics I think. I mean IT has an abundance of remote work available, and it pays pretty well, but I wouldn't tell someone to go into IT if they want to work remotely. IT is also very broad. Project Management, being a SCRUM Master, Analyst roles, there's lots of ways to be in IT or IT adjacent without needing a degree in computers. I started my career with an AAS in IT, and it got me my first job as a jr admin/desktop support person for 42K a year, and from there I worked my way up. I wouldn't recommend it though, it takes a while to work your way up and there's other ways to get your foot in the door without starting out doing desktop support. Salesforce certificates/training, Google Cloud/Amazon/Azure certificates/training, Security training (SOC Analyst), there's a bunch of options out there that I would recommend before doing what I did.
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Jul 11, 2022 22:02
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I got a 2 year degree out of high school, then hit a salary/promotion cap and went back at age 27. It was 100% worth it for me, the salary increase my first year paid for the tuition and i paid off my entire student loan (100% financed including rent) within 5 years of graduating. Trades are desperate for people who know how to do things and are willing to do them, I can't imagine you'd be worse off getting trained in something useful. And any good employer will see your self improvement as a positive asset.
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Jul 13, 2022 18:43
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community college is cheap as poo poo and the certificate programs often have employers hiring directly out of them. For a trade-related certificate it's not just about the paper, those programs get the students up to a level of proficiency that stands on its own. 1000% worth it. The one caveat is that a half-finished program is almost worthless, so you shouldn't take it without finishing it.
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Nov 3, 2022 08:16
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Vinny Possum posted:I'm 31. I was a big dumbass for most of my twenties, bouncing around various retail jobs. I finished an AA in community college, but then dropped out of university while perusing a degree that would be nearly useless anyway (history). I'm a hard worker, but outside of one very brief stint at a startup that overreached and then had to lay off nearly their entire team, I've hardly ever been more than a dollar or two above minimum wage. I recently accepted a moderately decently paying warehouse job, but as far as I can tell it doesn't have a ton of upward mobility. My current city's community college offers certificates in several areas that I think I could excel at, including dental and medical assisting, facilities maintenance, CIS, and HVAC, as well as several tech-based apprenticeships. Would it be worthwhile to go back to community college part time to earn one of those certificates, or would that be a waste of my time? I see so much of myself in this post. I'm 37 and dropped out of SF State in 2008 to join a startup tech company that imploded 3 months after I joined because of the great recession. I fell into bartending and did that until I reached peak bartending: a rooftop union job that was around 100k a year in salary + amazing benefits. Then the pandemic. I went back to school and did Western Governors University online, got my Bachelor's in Healthcare Management. Leveraged that (plus my solid interview/communication skills) into a job with a healthcare company as a project coordinator because I've got extensive management experience. Working remote, which absolutely owns. Now, I'm finishing up my MPH which has already got me in the final throes of landing a job with the Department of Health. Close to 6 figures, tons of upward mobility, incredible benefits, and hybrid/remote. Aside from the tangible benefits of career advancement, there's a massive, incredibly important emotional/mental component for me that was tying up the loose end. I've always hand-waved away my education in the past and made excuses about how 'school sux' etc, but while bartending I knew that I was selling myself and my potential short. So did my wife, who is the primary reason I have been able to do what I've (read: we've) done. In addition, we're welcoming our first child in about a month and a half from now, so the new position will ensure that he's got access to incredible health care and that we can take care of him to the best of our abilities and that I'll be able to be here with him and not be gone every night/sleeping in the mornings/destroying my body/hating life as I got older, slinging drinks. Is going back to school worth it? For me, unequivocally and resounding yes, provided you have a plan and a purpose that you're going to use it to fulfill. I strongly encourage you to never settle for selling yourself short in whatever capacity that may be, and if you feel that gnawing feeling in your bones, apply yourself and your future self with thank you for it. I only wish I'd done this sooner. TheKevman fucked around with this message at 22:37 on Apr 24, 2023 |
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Apr 24, 2023 22:34
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I would encourage you to even look into finishing up your bachelors. Personally I went and got a masters in a new field in my 40s. Not even online, I actually went to classes on campus with kids, hah! It was a bit awkward for a bit, but there are older folks doing it. I might do it again just to keep the brain fresh.
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Apr 26, 2023 18:02
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TheKevman posted:I see so much of myself in this post. I'm 37 and dropped out of SF State in 2008 to join a startup tech company that imploded 3 months after I joined because of the great recession. I fell into bartending and did that until I reached peak bartending: a rooftop union job that was around 100k a year in salary + amazing benefits. What up, fellow Night Owl. Currently, about 25% done with the new M.S. in Digital Marketing program and will probably enroll in the DM Analytics degree since some courses overlap and you get prior credit.
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Jun 26, 2023 21:29
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Man, I went back at 41 to get my Associates in a field I actually give a gently caress about. It's never too late to better yourself. It's not weird at all, at least it wasn't for a community college tech school. There's folks just as old there. The instructors love you because you're there for a reason, and they know you won't cause any trouble. Absolutely 100%, do it.
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Jul 1, 2023 00:45
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I came to this forum wondering if there was a thread about this, haha. I'm thinking about an MBA. Specifically with a focus in data analytics. I don't have a bachelor's in this at all - but I do have a doctorate in a completely unrelated field that will never have any relevance whatsoever. I no longer use this education for anything. I have left the field entirely and do not plan to ever return in any capacity. However, some of the experience I have from it has made it possible for me to find myself essentially teaching credit cards and banking systems to new call center agents. I make about 50k right now and I think it's reasonable for me to expect to keep moving up pretty quickly - when I started here in october of 2021, I made 33k, and I have a team of 14 agents reporting to me now. It kicks rear end, life is great, I've never made anywhere near this kind of money so as piddly as I know it is in the grand scheme of things, I feel downright rich lol. I hope to be officially a trainer within another year, and should be around 65k if I am. But I keep looking at our job postings. These motherfucking data analytics roles man. They make like 130-150k at my company. I could do that poo poo. But no way will I ever get one of those jobs without a degree in it at the very least. there is a fully online mba program with a focus in this area in my state for $16k tuition. That really seems reasonable to me considering how much more money I could make. I love working for this company and as far as I'm concerned, this is it. I don't ever plan to leave - I mean to retire working here. But I don't want to cap out at like, 70k. Has anyone ever gone straight to an MBA without any prior business degree or experience in that realm of academia? If so what was it like?
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Jul 25, 2023 06:31
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If you've got that many people reporting to you you could likely leverage that into much higher paying management roles than you currently do. All depends on your specific experiences but typically employers don't care where your masters or doctorate are in, it just shows that you're committed to something long term. I don't want to say that going back to school wouldn't be worth it, but your current situation could likely lead you down a similar path without it. Perhaps take a visit to the resume thread and see if its something that people could see you attain based on your details.
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Jul 25, 2023 14:46
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I used to not think the online MBA's were worth it, because a good chunk of the value is the networking. But these days it doesn't seem to matter nearly as much. And if you really want to just stay at the same company, then it *really* doesn't matter. You don't need a background in business / associated areas. You're already managing 14 people though, that *is* plenty of relevant experience. I'd say go for it, and doing an MBA is a good choice instead of an MS specifically in data analytics. Because while you might be getting a masters right now for that specific purpose, things change. You can leverage an MBA into all sorts of opportunities.
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Jul 25, 2023 15:44
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Blurb3947 posted:If you've got that many people reporting to you you could likely leverage that into much higher paying management roles than you currently do. All depends on your specific experiences but typically employers don't care where your masters or doctorate are in, it just shows that you're committed to something long term. I see two paths to the kind of income I want to get to (more than 100k basically) at this company: department manager, which I could reasonably say I'm on the path towards already, or data analytics, which I would almost certainly need a degree in. I'm going to talk to my company's HR department today to see if it's possible to get them to pay for some of the degree and also the recruiters to see if that degree is necessary or would actually move me towards that role. I think an MBA could reasonably make me a better candidate for both roles, but it would be best to make sure about that as best I can before doing anything. But I do have to move fast here because application deadline is 8-16 and classes would start 8-30. I don't have to do it that quickly but I do think that once I've decided I want to do it, I just want to do it. I've done 3 degrees already and I'm not scared of another one, especially fully online, but it would be in addition to my full time job of course. but as it stands right now that's fine, my job absolutely rules and there's plenty of space in my life for classes if I choose.
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Jul 25, 2023 17:28
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I don’t really get doing an MBA with an analytics emphasis as you can do DA stuff without the MBA for cheaper and if you do an MBA I think you should set your ambitions somewhat higher than data guy.
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Jul 26, 2023 00:33
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Well, part of it is that I'm going off of what programs are listed in my job's tuition assistance program. However, they do have MS in data analytics rather than just business, or MBA. I'm definitely not sure yet whether going pure data science or MBA with a concentration in data science is the right move for this. I found one of the still open data analytics postings at my company and messaged the recruiter asking for more information and whether that degree will move me closer to being a qualified candidate for roles like that, hopefully they'll have some more information for me tomorrow when they're on again.
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Jul 26, 2023 00:45
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teemolover42069 posted:they do have MS in data analytics rather than just business, or MBA. There will be significant overlap in the classes, but the MBA is so much more marketable, and useful for you 10+ years from now. At my local university I think it is one more semester for the MBA.
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Jul 26, 2023 01:30
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I feel like for data analytics certs and such are fine, no need to go for a full masters.
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Jul 26, 2023 03:20
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KYOON GRIFFEY JR posted:I feel like for data analytics certs and such are fine, no need to go for a full masters. the job postings specifically say they require either a 4 year bachelor's or a 2 year master's degree in the field at my company for these roles. and i may be able to get 'em to pay for it completely too
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Jul 26, 2023 05:32
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I think online school is dumb as gently caress and am trying to find ways for you to do less of it but if you absolutely need that poo poo to advance sure go ahead
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Jul 26, 2023 12:06
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KYOON GRIFFEY JR posted:I think online school is dumb as gently caress and am trying to find ways for you to do less of it but if you absolutely need that poo poo to advance sure go ahead Depends on the school and program! But I hear you.
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Jul 26, 2023 16:14
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I think higher education is just a racket and I could easily learn the skills I need through on the job training or free online courses, I have three degrees I don't use at all anymore. I see absolutely no added value in being in person vs being online. If I'm going to have to get another degree to get where I want then at least it can be online. I don't intend to ever work anywhere but from home ever again and I drat sure don't intend to go to a class in person ever again.
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Jul 26, 2023 16:18
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teemolover42069 posted:I think higher education is just a racket and I could easily learn the skills I need through on the job training or free online courses, I have three degrees I don't use at all anymore. I see absolutely no added value in being in person vs being online. If I'm going to have to get another degree to get where I want then at least it can be online. I don't intend to ever work anywhere but from home ever again and I drat sure don't intend to go to a class in person ever again. a large part of business school is getting friendly with a bunch of people who you can reach out to throughout your career, and it is a lot harder to do that online. But doesn't sound like you're really interested in all that! So paying way less just to get the actual meat of the courses is probably good. MBA should involve a lot more presentations (online is weird), and paper writing than an MS, which you also might not be interested in.... but I think its good to get those reps with honest critiques of your communication.
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Jul 26, 2023 16:57
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I absolutely kick rear end at writing papers and doing presentations, I used to write papers for money actually (sorry everyone). And part of my job role is currently giving presentations to the agents I support. I have written capstone papers for masters degrees I never took a class in, got an A on all of them too. The networking thing I feel like I'm basically getting at my job now - that's part of why I mean to stay at this company forever, because everyone is so supportive of one another here, it is the least toxic work environment I've ever experienced or even heard of tbh. MBA is feeling like the right choice so far. I hope I hear back about the employee tuition assistance program thing soon.
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Jul 26, 2023 19:29
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Baddog posted:a large part of business school is getting friendly with a bunch of people who you can reach out to throughout your career, and it is a lot harder to do that online. I agree, a MBA without the network seems sort of like buying a car without wheels. You've got most of the cost but none of the utility. And the point of the network is it's an external network - you may love your company and want to stay there forever, but your company probably doesn't love you back enough to never lay you off if times get tough. That's when you want that network of (at least nominally) high-value, highly networked people outside of your company. teemolover42069 posted:the job postings specifically say they require either a 4 year bachelor's or a 2 year master's degree in the field at my company for these roles. and i may be able to get 'em to pay for it completely too I assume you've internally networked and talked to people and stuff and figured out whether this is an honest to God requirement or not. Lots of places will list requirements like that but for internal candidates they're not necessarily actual requirements. I didn't care for a lot of aspects of school, and it sounds like you don't either, so I want to be sure that you are positive that this is the easiest path to get to where you want to go.
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Jul 27, 2023 12:41
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KYOON GRIFFEY JR posted:I agree, a MBA without the network seems sort of like buying a car without wheels. You've got most of the cost but none of the utility. And the point of the network is it's an external network - you may love your company and want to stay there forever, but your company probably doesn't love you back enough to never lay you off if times get tough. That's when you want that network of (at least nominally) high-value, highly networked people outside of your company. I did reach out to the recruiter, they didn't tell me much of anything except basically "yeah, it's a requirement". I might reach out to another one if I see a different one on a similar posting though because their response was kind of useless
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Jul 27, 2023 16:10
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Recruiters don’t know gently caress all Get connected to someone who has the kind of job you want at your company and offer to take them to lunch/beers/coffee if you can pick their brain about the job.
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Jul 27, 2023 17:57
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KYOON GRIFFEY JR posted:Recruiters don’t know gently caress all we are fully remote and spread all over the US, but I think you're right that it'll be more worthwhile to figure out who actually does this job and ask them the questions I asked the recruiter.
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Jul 27, 2023 20:21
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Piggybacking off of this thread because I came in with the same question. For reference, I am soon to be 40 and an A.S in FAA mechanic program and am debating the worth of getting a (real) 4 year, as opposed to some online program that would have me in a very generic B.A. in under a year's time. There are still other chances in the works, but sadly its looking like I won't be getting one of those full ride scholarships. I come to you, the internet, because I have been debating the pros and cons for about a year now. Ultimately, my career goals involve getting off of the factory floor before my back gives the rest of the way out. If I stay the course in Aviation, I prefer to go towards safety and/or QA work. For reference, my academic performance has been historically terrible, but somehow, I seem to have spontaneously developed discipline over the past 15 years. E: This thread has some great perspectives that I appreciate. nomad2020 fucked around with this message at 03:32 on Jul 28, 2023 |
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Jul 28, 2023 03:20
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nomad2020 posted:...somehow, I seem to have spontaneously developed discipline over the past 15 years. Hah! Yah that happens. You don't have a 4 year degree right now? What are you looking at specifically? Some masters programs do take life experience instead of requiring an undergrad degree.
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Jul 28, 2023 03:38
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Baddog posted:Hah! Yah that happens. I do not currently have a 4 year. If I commit to the long haul and get accepted into a program, I'm looking towards some variation of engineering. Probably aeronautical engineering given that it dovetails nicely with the mechanic certs. Also considering some form of data analytics, because that would dovetail more directly with the bellow career goals. current programming skill is somewhere around 'script kiddie'. For career goals, I'm trying to head in a direction of tasks that I enjoy. Health and safety, Quality assurance, and training being the major points. I don't really care about airplanes, but I do care about the people gluing them together. I hadn't thought about an accelerated masters program, and I'm kind of at a loss of where to start searching for that but It sounds like a good place to look.
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Jul 28, 2023 04:14
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as it happens I was accepted to both the tuition assistance program at my company and the university  so I guess this is happening. 2 classes at a time, fully online is honestly a joke and my job is gonna pay for it entirely. guess we'll probably take a hit at tax return time but oh well.
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Jul 28, 2023 04:17
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nomad2020 posted:
Probably a tough lift to do a masters in engineering without a suitable undergrad. But it wouldn't hurt to reach out to a local university, explain your situation and see what they would recommend. When I went back, the professor who ran the program was actually happy to get me in (I think he just wanted more warm bodies that year, hah). A possibility might be to take the aeronautics undergrad level courses to be sure you are up to speed (although your certs might fill in here) , but skip all the general requirements. teemolover42069 posted:as it happens I was accepted to both the tuition assistance program at my company and the university Good deal! Baddog fucked around with this message at 05:53 on Jul 28, 2023 |
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Jul 28, 2023 05:50
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If I do stick with engineering, I plan to finish off most of the lower classes at CC. Which gives me another ~year to work out the details and apply to more scholarships. Current plan is to slog through the calculus series (next term is pre-calc) and other assorted transfer credits. teemolover42069 posted:as it happens I was accepted to both the tuition assistance program at my company and the university Gratz!
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Jul 28, 2023 06:48
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I am in IT and I can confidently say that nobody give a flying gently caress about my three degrees it is all about certifications in this industry. The neat part is, if you know the right places to look, you can find the answers to the CompTIA and Microsoft Exams because they are 100% bullshit and have nothing to do with your real day-to-day duties so I have no scruples suggesting that you find that poo poo and use it. I honestly feel kind of cheated with a BSBA in business management, if I ever get a job that really cares that I have it or wants to utilize any of the skills I have, I'll report back. But every org I saddle up with wants to turn me unto a phone jockey after a year or so and I'm pretty tired of it, to be frank.
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Aug 24, 2023 07:05
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