5 ms·

Honestly, I think a lot of people in your position just lie about having a degree. I wouldn't recommend it though, the downside is large (and it's not ethical).

Honestly, I think a lot of people in your position just lie about having a degree. I wouldn't recommend it though, the downside is large (and it's not ethical). How about an online degree? At your level of seniority no one even cares about grades or how long the degree was. It's usually only: type of degree (bachelor's, Master's, etc), and if it's a well known school or not. I don't even go into detail about my degree, just where I went and what degree it was. Jumping ship is really the only way to get a good raise in this business. Go to a bigger city if you have to so you have more choices. Really avoid the "tell us your salary history" trap. If you get on with a good company, their healthcare plan should cover you from the unforeseen windfalls. Otherwise you could move somewhere that has a reasonable government healthcare program (semi serious here). If you actually have a proven ability to provide value in an important capacity, that's actually quite bankable. Maybe have someone help you with your resume, and self marketing. You ought to be able to double your income (WAG here, I don't know what you do). I've worked with folks in your situation - and I find it shocking how some people will accept being so radically underpaid. Research the market, what you're really worth, and stand up for it until you get it.

ryanmercer 7y ago
>How about an online degree? Online degrees are often more expensive than in-state school (my current employer has partnered with a major university for a SPECIFIC online degree at 420$!!! a credit hour and will reimburse a whopping 5k of that a year), still require proctored exams. And again, it's still going to take 4-6 years to get a BA/BS with tens of thousands of dollars of debt and puts me at 38-40 competing against 20-22 year old applicants. Age discrimination is very real and 22 year olds often have far lower expenses than 40 year olds, so they will work for less.

ryanmercer 7y ago

>How about an online degree? Online degrees are often more expensive than in-state school (my current employer has partnered with a major university for a SPECIFIC online degree at 420$!!! a credit hour and will reimburse a whopping 5k of that a year), still require proctored exams. And again, it's still going to take 4-6 years to get a BA/BS with tens of thousands of dollars of debt and puts me at 38-40 competing against 20-22 year old applicants. Age discrimination is very real and 22 year olds often have far lower expenses than 40 year olds, so they will work for less.