Are We Getting to the End of the Degree?

I ended up as a hybrid dev/admin based on my ability to pick things up quickly. I haven’t done much with my degree (marketing) since I was actually still in school. The paper makes people look at me and go “has education”, though, so I can’t complain. It’s still opened a few doors, even in tech.

3 Likes

I have heard in the past few years of an increased interest in technical schools that, with two years of education, can provide a practical way into employment. Often, those who go that route, while maybe not making the yearly income of another more ‘professional’ job, will still make out better when time and the cost of education, especially with student loans, are factored in.

I will also never have a diminished view of manual labor. It is all, in my mind, a means to an end. That is, providing for ones self and family, should one have such. To work is a gift. I have been laid up before, unable to work. It isn’t pleasant.

Looking at local news, the employment office ‘lump’ maternity and various gaps in employment in the same avenue.

getting back to work was something wrote a_lot about on my locked-out subreddit - you can just look at employment and realise that it is back to 2008-times aswell.

1 Like

Getting a degree actually seemed to annihilate my former incipient career in tech. Before I had a formal degree I had held tech positions in computer operations. After earning a useless 4 year state university degree in mathematical computer science I have never been hired in tech again and have been at best able to attain part time minimum wage service employment.

This is a real pity, any idea why?

It is certainly the case that I have failed to get jobs in the past because I am overqualified. I’ve never been sure if that is because my prospective new boss has thought I am a threat to his future career or a belief that what I am applying for is only a stop gap and I would be looking to move on once a better opportunity presented itself.

The only thing I can suggest here is to tailor your C.V. (Curriculum Vitae) or Resume for the position you are applying for. You must remain honest in all cases but only mention what is relevant for the position you are seeking.

For example, my aunt (not really an aunt but a close friend of the family) used to run a small private hotel (or B&B) in the seaside town of Blackpool. When I was younger I used to help out as a waiter and later a bar tender. When I have been looking to supplement my main income with a little extra cash by working in hospitality this features prominently on my CV, my graduate and post graduate qualifications do not get a mention except to state that whilst at university I worked in a number of bars and restaurants

My main CV plays up to my qualifications and technical strengths and does not mention hospitality work at all. If an employer is looking for a senior electronics engineer then the fact that I know how to pull a pint is not relevant to the job in question so does not get mentioned.

Your resume, or CV, needs to be honest and truthful but should play to your strengths as they apply for the position you are seeking.

2 Likes

I decided to not go down the degree route. I’d not really enjoyed my latter years of school. I, instead, decided to do an apprenticeship with BT for my qualifications. This was great because they paid us to learn and I always learn better on the job, rather than out of a book.

I got a fairly lucky break with my first, full time, programming job. I put the effort in and built up a good list of specialties on my CV and now I don’t think it matters at all. I’d do it the same way again if I needed to :).

4 Likes

Answer - nope. (think of songs from that georgeharrison bloke)

#BeefyMiracleIsTheSecretReleaseNameAfterAardvarkSaysAtSabdfl

1 Like

Did you use this skills-website then pal?

What? What are you talking about?