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The key is a marketable college degree. In fields such as aerospace and defense where the credential is the key to open the door, get the credential as cheaply
by gbacon 9y ago
The key is a marketable college degree. In fields such as aerospace and defense where the credential is the key to open the door, get the credential as cheaply as possible. Do a couple of years at a community college and then finish at a state school. Name-brand degrees bring no extra value. Oh yeah, and get your master’s while you’re still in the zone.
The idea that trade school somehow is lower tier or oppressive is a staggering disservice. Just like every college-bound high schooler is not med school material, not every high schooler is college material. Put a wrench or saw or blowtorch in the hands of a doctor or engineer, and crummy is the likely result. Skilled trades are an honorable, respectable way to earn a good living. Forcing people into tracks for their own supposed good but where they feel hopeless is horrible social engineering.
- KekDemaga 9y agoNot only what you said, trades can also lead you down a path of owning your own business. If that is the direction you go often you can exceed the incomes of the college educated quite handily.
- gbacon 9y agoGreat point, but for some reason union-protected professional educators who hold degrees from accredited institutions and who control state education monopolies are hostile to this worldview and deride it as “demeaning.”
- bpicolo 9y agoThere are plenty of fields where name-brand degrees mean a crap ton starting out, e.g. finance, law.
- ghaff 9y agoIn fact, the conventional wisdom these days seems increasingly to be that you should go to a top-tier law school or just not bother. And that seems to be becoming fairly common advice for MBAs as well, although that's not as cut and tried because MBAs cover a wider range of programs than law degrees do.
- cableshaft 9y agoLaw is not a guaranteed payout. The competition is incredible, and if you don't get into those firms, there's a big drop off in what you're likely getting paid. $30k a year jobs for those that didn't make it into the prestigious firms (or start their own practice) is fairly common.
- gbacon 9y agoGranted. My comment was in the context of aerospace and defense.
- jononor 9y agoThose are on the higher end of risk (and upside potential). Would only do it if some else foots the bill, eg parents.