This doesn't surprise me. There's a LOT of people with a college degree that don't have jobs right now (myself included)...It's quite depressing, really.

You can do well without degree. I think there are folks who excel in a certain field or are driven to succeed. They may do very well with no formal training. I got lucky, and was at the right place at the right time to get OTJ training in a great field that I enjoy and am good at. I have had on occasion where I was very well qualified for a job WRT the technical qualifications, but the company required a degree. I'm not distraught over not finishing my degree, but in would like to have a degree. The big problem that I had was ignorance over what jobs were out there and what jobs I might have wanted or enjoyed.

I've never been asked about my college degree or experience in a job interview. The lady who hired me for my first real job out of college did so because she knew about my prep school, which she always drove past on the way to visit her daughter at Princeton. At another job my manager did ask me about my college experience and it's a good thing I didn't lie. She knew several of my good friends and neighbors and used to hang out in our row of houses. I don't remember her from back then, but she'd have had no problem checking up on me through friends of friends.

Those non-profits can be very lucrative.

personally.............................i wouldnt hire anyone without a degree!


BECAUSE:.........................I KNOW 1ST HAND THE HELL(GINORMOUS EMPHASIS) I WENT THRU FOR MINE going to the following institutions of higher education:


1) jesuit prepster high school(all 4yrs-totally sucked)

2) regis college denver colo. "loyola of the rockies" 3 yrs snow skied my azz off and skied for my collegE TEAM.

3) u/a tucson,az. (2) semesters

4) pima college tucson. (2) semesters

5) paradise valley community college

6) NAU graduate -"CUM-LAUDE"



one of the most difficult ginormous PITA's, i have EVAR experienced, SO AUTOMATICALLY WHEN SOMEONES "FIBS" about their degree..................they are so gone! DELETE............next.



i would equate getting my degrees , with pulling (10) full size cow or bull elk/buffalo out of wiggins canyon,az. in the dead of winter and snow up to my waist!

ftfy

When asked, I usually make the same comparison.

This! High school counselors are suppose to help with this, but I've found they are worthless. They rely on the standard test (remember when you took those in HS and they told you you should be a scientist or something?) and have no idea what the student is capable of (or not capable of). I spoke to my niece's (she is under our guardianship) HS counselor when we first enrolled her at the local HS. This was a mid to late 20's woman who apparently had a masters in education. I was floored to learn how narrow minded she was. She hadn't taken the time to talk to my niece to find out anything about her before recommending classes. What was even more disappointing was that she tried to steer my niece down a path that is traditionally female! WTF! This is not 1970. The cream on top...as she turned around to pick something off her desk her shirt was pulled up to reveal a big arse tramp stamp on her arse. Great...I remember those girls in college...they weren't particularly wise...and weren't so difficult to get into the sack. These are the people we have influencing our kids at their schools...(not all of course)...additional evidence...see the "horny teacher thread."

Not because of the above, but parents have a major role in directing their children's future. They know their child best! So the parents must educate themselves enough to help steer their kids toward a good path...career path, and they must be realistic enough to understand that college is not for every child.

One problem in the 70s and 80s (I'm being hopeful here) was there weren't as many college educated nor professional parents as there are today (the hopeful part). Perhaps if you grew up in an 80's white collar neighborhood, you were lucky to have never known this reality. So a lot of kids went off to college without a good game plan. The fortunate thing is that it might have been easier in the 80's and 90's to get a job with a less-in-demand degree. Some of the smarter and luckier kids used the job as a stepping stone to a real career if they didn't like it.

Still today, there are a lot of kids who have the opportunity to go to college from blue-collar families (or white collar families not grounded in reality) who don't have the right advisors around them. This is great for colleges....but not so great for the kids, nor our work force.



As for my niece...I made sure she took classes that I felt were going to help her prepare for college despite what the tramp counselor recommended. My niece just started her second semester in Finance at Southern Illinois University, and in her first semester, she got a 4.0 and is on the Dean's List. I take every opportunity to guide her toward a good career, never missing an opportunity to point out the successes of those who made the right move. So as to not be too overbearing, I've encouraged her to be prepared to change paths if the right opportunity presents itself, but she must have a good base to start from..a degree in Finance with perhaps a minor in Accounting in her case.

In 1990 when I was heading off to college, a mechanical engineer average salary was $35K/year. At the time, I thought that would have been great! Especially since my parents were both working their arses off to make a combined $25K or less per year. At $50K/yr...you are right, you would have been better to take that job in 1990, but it seems you've done well, and despite the 90's you might not be where you are today if the circumstances were different. Congrats on your success.

When I got my first engineering job, technicians at the company were making more than me to start! Some were making 2-3 times what I made my first year. I wasn't discouraged. I knew that over time, I would surpass them and the security and opportunites my degrees provided would count for something. I was determined....and within a relatively short career, I make more money in a year than I spent on college over 7 years. I have no regrets, and I would not be where I am if I had not gone to college. But I had a goal in mind...and I'd like to think that I made a lot of right moves along the way, despite derailing myself mid may through college because I lost focus and enjoyed the girls and drinks a little too much.

By the way...technicians in the oil and gas business start out in the high 40's and can make 60-70K in a very short time if they are smart and eager to work...and the work is easy compared to what I saw my parents do to ear $25K/yr. So for some kids...college is really not the only option.

Maybe you should take this opportunity to explore a job (training) or education toward a field that is in demand or will always had demand?

IMO, college is not a prerequisite for monetary success. I chose a different path as college just wasn't for me. That said, one still needs a skill of some kind. I happen to excel at sales and usually land around the 6 figure threshold consistently. I have also worked for at least three different companies while retaining the same pay. Additionally I have survived the deep recession and avoided layoff while I see many of my college grad friends fall victim to company downsizing. But there is sales stress so its not all pretty. :)

cost and value are two different things. And frankly, you often get out of college what you put into it. If you're there punching a clock and partying...

I was going to post a related question though. A colleague is 25, no degree, makes $75K as a programmer (and he is very good, though somewhat "chaotic"). Is complaining that he doesn't make enough. Gets to take one or two university courses a semester for free and wants to get his degree but wants it *now*. Thinks the university should give him college credit for his expertise, or should just pay to send him to college full time to finish his BS (probably 2.5 years worth of mostly in-major courses still needed).

I've told him if he wants more money, he needs to change jobs - you don't get rich working at a university going up through the ranks as a staff member. I also find it hard to believe that he's highly under-compensated. Maybe I'm out of touch?

Soukus hit it right there. When I went off to college for my first degree, my father said he would pay for half if I went into engineering, computer science or education. His reasoning was that anything was worthless and he wouldn't put his money up against it. College may be good experience to learn skills you might not otherwise get without college...but the program you take to recieve education also matters. So if you are going to shell out the money, why not recieve both experience and education.

My first job didn't pay all that well. But when compared with my peers that never went to college, I started to get promoted faster than the rest. Not because I had a degree, but my education and experience allowed me to excel compared to them. Later on down the road once I had real work experience under my belt, my education started to open doors that my non-college peers didn't have the opportunity to apply for.

A degree may not make you rich, but it does open doors for you to find a job that makes you happy. And if you don't find that job the first time around, you won't be as stuck like your non-degree peers. A degree makes you more mobile...atleast in my opinion.

75k ? uh no I would say he makes good money. with overtime I did in the 60s last year. 75 would be nice.

My brother went to college for programming, and ended up dropping out with a year left because he found an awsome job that also paid well. After working a few years, he decided to make sure he finished his degree because the company said they would pay him more. Finished his degree and got something like $20k more a year I think.

Ironic thing is...about a year later his company got bought out and torn apart. Of all the people that got jobs in the new company, my brother was something like one of two. Not everyone in the company finished thier degree like my brother. Once again, degrees make differences when things change compared to non-degree counterparts.

Atleast from my experience...although this was before the recession. And since the recession, I've have a gov't job, so I may be jaded...so ymmv.

Its my belief that its the person that makes the degree, not the degree that makes the person. Unless one is smart and motivated it doesn't matter how many letters are behind the last name. I see many kids coming out of school with an entitlement attitude that because they have a degree now a job is somehow automatic, and along with that mindset is an attitude that they deserve something for their efforts.
That being said, with the exception of medicine, law, and some engineering fields a degree is not necessary for success, but having a degree can be a big plus for motivated person later in their career.

this one is more of a lack of motivation, pot smoking, loser issue. he erased his degree.

I dropped out of college. Despite not having a BA, I do fairly well in my field. It seems people are more concerned with your portfolio than what school you attended...

Statistically people with a bachelor's or higher degree have less than 5% unemployment amongst them (12/2010). In contrast to high school drop outs who are at over 15%.

Table A-4. Employment status of the civilian population 25 years and over by educational attainment

G

+1

My history degree is virtually worthless without a master's in something else; I would say most liberal arts degrees are worthless without something else, like teacher certification or graduate school.

That said, my undergraduate years were the best time in my life. :D