Just feeling generally disheartened about the #slowtrack the careers been on. Strongly considering Grad School. I'm currently more or less debt free which has been the one thing really holding me back. Hoping for advice, worth it? Good schools? Etc.

Thanks.

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Team Cutler.

Area of study?

I see it as something that could be useful later in life, and completely useless if you don't have much experience in whatever field you work in. You're a relatively young guy, right? What would a grad school degree do for you in your field?

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Is the goal a career change or to get further along with your career?

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You do not talk to me like that! I work too hard to deal with this stuff! I work too hard! I'm an important member of the CSFMB! I drive a Dodge Stratus!

You will make more money

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"That's what the internet is for. Slandering others anonymously." Banky
“Been that way since one monkey looked at the sun and told the other monkey ‘He said for you to give me your fuckin’ share.’”

Not necessarily true.

My degrees are essentially useless unless I go to Law School or teach. Double major is History and Political Science. I work in IT currently sitting at a desk playing with Excel and Microsoft Access Databases all day, it's kind of awful, pays terribly and the company is going bankrupt.

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Team Cutler.

What was your initial goal out of school?

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Especially if there are no jobs available in your field of study within 40 miles.

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@audioidkid

Are you interested at all in information technology?

Depends on whether you're mobile and go do this fulltime. I'm biased but a two of my college roommates wanted to stick around IU and enrolled in Master of Science in Information Systems. The program is offered through IU's Kelley School of Business (has a great rep and still rising). Your familiarity with Access and Excel should work well with admissions process. Both got full-time consulting gigs.

Yes it is, it is an absolute truth, 100% guaranteed.

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"That's what the internet is for. Slandering others anonymously." Banky
“Been that way since one monkey looked at the sun and told the other monkey ‘He said for you to give me your fuckin’ share.’”

Alright, a dig at Obama, har har. Any credible suggestions, NSD is looking for legit help.

There are so many factors that your question is kinda vague:
What field?
Masters or further?
Are you willing to go out of the area?
Do you want to be a full-time student or are you going to be trying to get your degree around your work schedule?
These are just some questions that should be answered.

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It's not a dig at Obama, but for the most part you will get a better job. You will get more interviews.

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"That's what the internet is for. Slandering others anonymously." Banky
“Been that way since one monkey looked at the sun and told the other monkey ‘He said for you to give me your fuckin’ share.’”

Experience trumps everything.

If I get a resume of someone who has been a lifelong student, and has a grad school degree, versus someone with 5 years experience, I'd hire the more experienced person probably every time.

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I would not recommend doing an informations systems program through a business school. Do it through a place that will teach you how to be prepared for whatever the hot technology is in ten years. If even 50% of the curriculum is based on business you likely won't learn enough to be able to prepare yourself to constantly change what programming language or other technology you are using.

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You do not talk to me like that! I work too hard to deal with this stuff! I work too hard! I'm an important member of the CSFMB! I drive a Dodge Stratus!

What's the downside to grad school?

I have two relatively useless grad degrees (econ, education). If you are under 30, an MBA from a decent school is probably a good investment. I am a big proponent of starting your own business...a real business, not like I'm unemployed so I'll call myself self-employed kind of a business.

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Reality is your friend, not your enemy. -- Seacrest

Poor ROI. A person incurs ten-of-thousands in debt without an improvement in job prospects.

For example, how does a graduate degree in Russian literatue improve your marketability?

Or more realistically, the glut of lawyers entering the job market. Many people went to law school to "wait out" the recession leading to an oversupply of lawyers. Now many people can't find high-paying law jobs to service their debt.

Well I assumed we were talking a valuable degree. Just wondering what the cost and loan stuff is like. Is it a good investment?

Just think of all the interviews you could get if you got your doctorate!

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Frank going to enlighten us with your views?

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"That's what the internet is for. Slandering others anonymously." Banky
“Been that way since one monkey looked at the sun and told the other monkey ‘He said for you to give me your fuckin’ share.’”

You could be a male nurse and work with tons of hot and horny poon.

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O judgment! Thou art fled to brutish beasts,
And men have lost their reason.

It depends. If it's for a life change, then it is almost always worth it for happiness reasons alone. Just pick something that you don't hate, and something that you can make money with. If it's just to improve your current career it may not do much more than someone working for 2 years. An MBA can make a bigger difference there depending on what you want to do and if you are interested in management.

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You do not talk to me like that! I work too hard to deal with this stuff! I work too hard! I'm an important member of the CSFMB! I drive a Dodge Stratus!

I don't know what Dan should do. So rather than say something stupid and not necessarily true like you did, I won't say anything at all except good luck to Mr Dan.

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So, getting more interviews is stupid? being exposed to more job possibilities is a 'Stupid thing"

Anything else you can help us out with here?

So much for your theory on not saying anything stupid, but I know you have much more to share with us.

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"That's what the internet is for. Slandering others anonymously." Banky
“Been that way since one monkey looked at the sun and told the other monkey ‘He said for you to give me your fuckin’ share.’”

Take a year off, work and save money and then go get certified to teach. Eventually European History at the college level. I didn't due to the difficulty of teaching jobs in the area and I'm committed to staying in Chicagoland for various reasons. Couldn't justify the 60k+ debt without being fairly certain my job prospects would improve.



This is very true. One of many reasons law school does not appeal to me at all.



I can be. I'm good at it and relatively enjoy new challenges and projects when I actually put my process analyst hat on here. I just go stir crazy sitting at a desk and meetings all day. Love my serving side job 10X more than here.

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Team Cutler.

An MBA in hospitality management could make sense especially since you have restaurant experience already.

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You do not talk to me like that! I work too hard to deal with this stuff! I work too hard! I'm an important member of the CSFMB! I drive a Dodge Stratus!

Your undergrad school may have free/cheap career counseling. Couldn't hurt to talk to them.

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Reality is your friend, not your enemy. -- Seacrest

Going to grad school does not necessarily mean he will more interviews. Those interviews do not necessarily mean that its an "absolute truth, 100% guaranteed" that he "will make more money" than he is right now. Sure its likely, but certainly not an "absolute truth."

Stupid was the correct adjective to use there.

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