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In most cases a four-year degree will guarantee up a leg up on other entry level competition. It will also help you pursue promotions, where mid to higher level positions will likely require a four-year degree.
That being said, two upper level managers in my department have degrees that are totally irrelevent to what they do. One has a masters beyond this and the other doesn't. My guess is, the degree's helped them to get to where they are, insofar as consideration was concerned, and that their talents propelled them into advanced positions.
I graduated with a college degree (2 BSc's: computer science and biology) in 2005 from a prestigious public university and found it very difficult to land a job. It seems like entry-level opportunities, especially in IT, are hard to find. Every company wants people with experience, but none are willing to provide an opportunity for young people to obtain it.
I have numerous acquaintances who have had trouble finding jobs after they graduated and have had to settle for low salaries and/or unfulfilling jobs.
You are so right! I'm gonna tell ya, it's gets worse than that. I had just moved back to town and went to Burger King for an interview for assistant manager. Well in the first place, I was interviewed by a very sloppy, greasy haired, obese man. I was not impressed already. I, on the other hand was very well put together for this interview. After the interview, he explained to me that he had a friend of his in mind for that peticular position. I said ok, well may I work on the floor as just a normal employee? He said no, because I was over qualified, due to the fact I had been certified in food sanatation. But at the same time, I did not have any experience in the managerial positions, so that is how he ended it. I never got to flip burgers at Burger King!! I'm still shaking my head on that one. I was about 30 years old at the time, so age and availability was not a problem. I just don't get it sometimes. THanks for listening. LIVE LAUGH AND LOVE
I have not read the responses to this post, I wanted to voice my opinion first.
A college degree does not guarantee you a job anymore, however, it does help. I graduated 3 years ago from a great business school. All throughout my 4 years they painted this picture that you would graduate with already having a job, and you would make a good deal of money. Boy were they wrong. I did have a job right out of college, and make ok money, got a free company car, free gas and insurance.. but I sold my soul. I worked 60+ hours a week, and it was NOT in sales. I left there after a year and a half. I took a different job and maybe crap money. Now I work for a large company making decent money... It took me forever to get this position. I started as a temp just to get into the company.
I just think that this picture is painted making people think things that are not true. I do feel that a college degree will get your further along in a career, and in the end help you make more money. I'm still fighting to pay my student loans ($630 a month), but I know that say 10 years down the road I will be further along in my career than someone who does not have the college degree.
HI. I'm just wondering how you could know that without getting statistics. I would agree that a college degree of any kind is a good thing, but to take it as far as to say that you will come out ahead of others who don't have one is jumping the gun. I do wish you all the good stuff that you are working toward. You have earned it. Thanks LIVE LAUGH AND LOVE
I don't think this is a recent thing, but is more noticeable now that these new college grads also have big loans. When I went to college in the 1980s it was cheap enough that you could pay as you go. I didn't know anyone on loans. Then when we didn't come up with "real" jobs after graduation it was more of a no harm no foul thing since we didn't have student loans. Now these new grads really NEED a higher paying job to pay the loans and living expenses.
I remember in the mid 1980s at a sorority meeting where the seniors pass on their wisdom to everyone else, one girl got up and said whatever you do get a degree in something that leads to a job. She said, "I am getting a degree in French and have accpeted a job as a manager trainee at 7-Eleven. I never thought I would be working in a convenience store as a college grad." This was 25 years ago.
Sometimes it pays off and sometimes it doesn't ... it depends on the person... you need more than an education... you need a can-do attitude and go-getter ambitions... your degree can open doors but is ultimately you for the follow-through... so to answer your question... its not ONLY an education you need.... People think that all you need is an education and opportunities fall in your lap... you need to shake the room to make them fall into your lap... your education just tells you what to do once you start working...
Get a degree in accounting and work for a city gov't as a gov't accountant. You can move up quickly and jobs are all over the country. My degree isn't even in accounting, never took an accounting class (Psych major) but I worked my way through college temping as a bookkeeper/a/p clerk, etc. I got all the experience there. Now after 13 years in the accounting field I am a CFO at a local gov't. I earn a very good salary and am only in my mid 30's. It can be done if planned strategically. I can tell you that the shortage of gov't accountants will increase as more and more older gov't accountants retire.
Last edited by CTR36; 12-03-2007 at 09:17 PM..
Reason: grammar
Get a degree in accounting and work for a city gov't as a gov't accountant. You can move up quickly and jobs are all over the country. My degree isn't even in accounting, never took an accounting class (Psych major) but I worked my way through college temping as a bookkeeper/a/p clerk, etc. I got all the experience there. Now after 13 years in the accounting field I am a CFO at a local gov't. I earn a very good salary and am only in my mid 30's. It can be done if planned strategically. I can tell you that the shortage of gov't accountants will increase as more and more older gov't accountants retire.
Could you point me in the direction of where there are available government accountant jobs? Seriously, I would love to get a cushy government job. Ive never seen a government accounting job advertised that is below management level. Obviously I probably couldnt get a management level gig, but I have a 4 year degree in Finance and 2 years experience in corporate accounting as an accountant (not a clerk of some kind).
Could you point me in the direction of where there are available government accountant jobs? Seriously, I would love to get a cushy government job. Ive never seen a government accounting job advertised that is below management level. Obviously I probably couldnt get a management level gig, but I have a 4 year degree in Finance and 2 years experience in corporate accounting as an accountant (not a clerk of some kind).
Go public for a year or two and you should have no problem getting into gov't.
Go public for a year or two and you should have no problem getting into gov't.
1. Public accountants deal mostly with taxation. Id prefer to not have anything to do with taxation if at all possible. If I stay in the accountancy field, I need to stay in corporate or corporate type accounting. I have no interest in taxation, and I would change career fields before going in to that. Corporate accounting bores me enough as it is and Im only really in the field by default rather then I actually have interest in it at all.
2. Public accountants usually require a very high GPA, and often CPA canidacy or a CPA certification. I have none of that. Im about 15 credit hours of being qualified educationally to sit for the CPA, and my GPA was pretty much damaged irrepairably when I got extremely sick in my junior year of college.
3. The original poster I replied to seems to have not only bipassed public accounting, but also bipassed having an accounting degree at all. I need to find out how to do that.
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Sad But True
HI. I'm just wondering how you could know that without getting statistics. I would agree that a college degree of any kind is a good thing, but to take it as far as to say that you will come out ahead of others who don't have one is jumping the gun. I do wish you all the good stuff that you are working toward. You have earned it. Thanks LIVE LAUGH AND LOVE
