Recent college grads looking for tips

[arkmann]

Its VERY hard to go back to school once you leave....

That is so true... If you need to take time off school though, don't let it go past 2 years. I graduated last summer this summer and I'm already enrolled this summer in preparation for my MS. I realized that the career path that I want to pursue won't be possible with a bachelors...

Seriously though, consider going to grad school. For one, you don't have to worry about paying your student loans (you get to accumulate more!!! woohoo!!!), and you don't have to worry about the job market. It's only a matter of priorities and what you can give up.

With your degree though, you can definitely get into the 6 figure zone in a matter of 3-5 years... With the MS, there is nothing holding you back.

 

[ShipOfFools37]

Have you thought about continuing your education towards a Masters given the current economy?

Its VERY hard to go back to school once you leave....

This is the best thing. Get back into school now, I graduated with my Bachelor's in 2007, and I went back to get my Master's a year after that. I don't want to be in school anymore, but I know I'll make more money with the advanced degrees. I applied for several jobs where a Master's and little experience automatically qualified you. College is the best place to be with the economy in the state that it's in today. Ontop of that, if you go on to get your PhD (which I'll do starting in 2010), You're automatically qualified for a job as a professor, while it may not be what you ultimately want to do in life, it's a secure job, there are plenty of openings and it's good pay. It's a safe fallback, you figure that if the best place to be in a bad economy is school, someone has to be there to teach those people, and there you are with a job and some security in the field. Good luck with everything, I hope that you're able to get a job or back into school soon.

 

[MadRussian79]

I'll have to agree with the above posters while I'd have rather climbed into a Hass programed by a drunk monkey then go back when I graduated it was the best thing. The salaries are much higher (mine more than doubled) and the work you do is just more fun. Also you have a Eng. Tech. degree which may hold you back getting an MS in Engineering (not Engineering Tech.) would put you right at the top of the list for candidates.

 

[turkeyboy85]

I'll have to agree with the above posters while I'd have rather climbed into a Hass programed by a drunk monkey then go back when I graduated it was the best thing. The salaries are much higher (mine more than doubled) and the work you do is just more fun. Also you have a Eng. Tech. degree which may hold you back getting an MS in Engineering (not Engineering Tech.) would put you right at the top of the list for candidates.

True, however the only difference between the engineering tech degree at UW-Stout to an engineering degree from madison, is that we do not study thermal (steam power) which is the only reason it is conisdered an engineering technology degree, (not to be confused with technition) there really is no need to study steam power in todays market anyways. The interviews I have had, actually like the way Stout's program is set up over a traditional engineering degree like Madison, because the basis of our degree is more geared towards Engineering as a whole, then we go into our concentrations. Thus, we are able to switch between other engineering backgrounds.

 

[turkeyboy85]

Right now i really dont want to go back to school, I really dont like school lol

 

[MadRussian79]

True, however the only difference between the engineering tech degree at UW-Stout to an engineering degree from madison, is that we do not study thermal (steam power) which is the only reason it is conisdered an engineering technology degree, (not to be confused with technition) there really is no need to study steam power in todays market anyways. The interviews I have had, actually like the way Stout's program is set up over a traditional engineering degree like Madison, because the basis of our degree is more geared towards Engineering as a whole, then we go into our concentrations. Thus, we are able to switch between other engineering backgrounds.

I know that at many school the difference is minimal but many HR and enough engineers don't. You are taking a gamble with that, if the person you are interviewing with knows the school you are golden.

Thermal at least when I took had little to do with steam and more to do with heat dissipation. Think about the amount of Mechanical Design that went into the cooling system for the PS3, or even a basic chiller. I hated thermal with a passion (well except the TA) but it helped, well the basics did the esoteric part is modeled in CAD not paper anyway.

 

[turkeyboy85]

I know that at many school the difference is minimal but many HR and enough engineers don't. You are taking a gamble with that, if the person you are interviewing with knows the school you are golden.

Thermal at least when I took had little to do with steam and more to do with heat dissipation. Think about the amount of Mechanical Design that went into the cooling system for the PS3, or even a basic chiller. I hated thermal with a passion (well except the TA) but it helped, well the basics did the esoteric part is modeled in CAD not paper anyway.

Sorry, i guess i didnt explain it that well, we did do thermal, however we left out the steam portion. Our program director has been trying to work with the engineering liscensing for quite a while about that, but he figures it will be another 5 years before they achnoledge that there is not the need for steam that there was when the liscensing was set up. UW-Stout in this area is actually looked at like the MIT of engineering

 

[ShipOfFools37]

i think that MIT is considered the MIT of engineering.

if you consider your school the MIT of engineering, aside from MIT, then you should automatically be qualified for all the jobs you apply for, if you aren't, maybe you should go get another degree.

 

[njackson]

i have the same problem , iam looking for a car mechanic job ,i finish soon, i don't want to go back to college. gd luck mate

 

[12 Volt Man]

back in 2002, I was in the same boat.

graduated with a Bachelor's in biology, all decent jobs reqired a masters..

ended up doing a one year post grad program at a local college in the environmental feild, after that got a career started working for municipal government as a wastewater treatment plant operator which paid decent money

saved for a down payment while still living with mom and dad, and bought a house.

in other words, consider more schooling, and don't count out related feilds of study.

employers can love the one two punch of a degree in one area, and a certificate or post grad degree in a related but slightly different field.