University Degrees and your current profession.

-Savage- · World Chat Champion Joined: 10 Jun 2005 Karma :

Seeing the GCSE and A-Level results that have been out recently, it got me thinking about an opinion I have.

It seems to me that most people who do A-Level are expected to progress to university. I started a course but found there to be a sever lack of jobs in that field, so I changed course. This has meant all my school mates have already qualified and gone out into the real world.

It seems to me that only those people who chose professional degrees have ended up working in those areas and using their degrees.

Eg, doctors, opticians, teachers, etc have now gotten jobs with their degrees, but thats only a small minority.

Most of my mates who did degrees in things like sociology, business studies, computing, media etc are working in the local supermarkets and fast food shops for the past 2 years.

Maybe it's just N.I. We have better A-Level results than the mainland, and maybe a higher percentage of people subsequently go to university.

Anyone have any thoughts?
____________________
My Bikes - - - Royal Enfield 500 with sidecar, VFR800, CBR600FX,
Peugeot Speedfight 100, Kymco Hipster 125, GSXR750K5, Jawa TS 350

Dragonfly · Super Spammer Joined: 05 Sep 2005 Karma :

From what I see most people from NI move to England for a better job. I think its a shame when you see someone who has years of education and degrees working in a shop. I know plenty that didnt bother with Uni though as there wasnt much hope here after it. Aparently the only jobs that are qualified with college are beauticians who are guaranteed jobs when they leave. Even Seana didnt take her 3 years of media to uni.
____________________
All the breast.
Muzza on Binge:
He's too busy beating the everloving shit out of Lizzie to notice this thread has taken a turn down Drama Avenue and stopped off at the popcorn shop.

Catalyst · World Chat Champion Joined: 29 Nov 2006 Karma :

Most of the people i know at uni don't actually take a specialist degree, it's always computing, business & law or sociology. It's because they don't have any idea of what they want to do, so they take something like business thinking it means they can get a decent job in an office, which isn't true.

Degrees don't get you jobs they just get you more money later on in life. Ok if your doing a specialist degree like a doctors or vet or something then that would get you a job, but for anything business it's just not true.

I'm doing A levels but not going to uni, i just can't justify the amount your paying to be taught something that you might end up not even liking when you get into the real world working in that field. It's been proved that people with degrees are on more money than someone that doesn't but that only applys when you hit about 40. You get promotions quicker because you will be picked above someone that didn't go to uni, but i personally don't think it's worth it.

By the time my mates have come out of uni i will have 4 years of work experience and working in the real world, if we both applied for an office job then i would most likely get it because companys prefer experience to grades.
____________________
|--Previous--|:2007 Aprilia SX50... Neutral

--Current--|: 2007 Kawasaki ER-6N
SlimRick - I can cook really well - but it's a useless skill, as I'm not a woman and it's their fucking job!

Wafer_Thin_Ham · Super Spammer Joined: 18 Nov 2005 Karma :

Im doing a degree in computer science and I have no idea what I want to do. Something in computing would be cool though. I don't think a degree counts for a whole lot these days and I was in two mind whether to go, but I figured it's better to go now and get it down rather than find that I need a degree to progress later in life(like some people I know have). Some companies won't even consider you for a position unless you have a degree now.
____________________
My Flickr

Hetzer · Super Spammer Joined: 19 Feb 2007 Karma :

Most degrees aren't worth the paper they're printed on these days, so far as getting higher-paid jobs are concerned. Most degrees can be obtained by just about any idiot (my sister-in-law being one prime example).

Specialist degrees are where it's at, as they require actual intelligence and ability. Otherwise everyone and his uncle would be a doctor.
____________________
"There's the horizon! Ride hard, ride fast and cut down all who stand in your way!"

GhostRider · World Chat Champion Joined: 31 Jan 2008 Karma :

I think its a similar case across the board, I think a lot of people will go into uni generally based on what their A-levels showed that they were better at, not necessarily what they want to do.

Also note that the market is saturated with graduates of all disciplines these days and you will see that many graduates end up in office/agency type jobs a lot of the time due to being unable to stand out in the crowd and so cannot get employed.

More money? Hmmm, not sure about that. We were told during our final year of uni, in terms of considering continuing to do a PhD, that it would not be wise to enter into it for financial gains as if that was your soul motivation you will end up very disappointed, the idea being that you do the PhD because you enjoy your area of work not necessarily for monetary reasons.

As I think has beens aid already, I think a lot of people end up in uni simply because they do not know what they want to do in life, and no doubt whilst in college they have been brainwashed into thinking that if they dont go to uni they face a life of unemployment and shit minimum wage careers. This was pretty much the case for me, I only decided to go to uni in the last few months of college. I had wanted to be an electrician but was told by many a careers adviser and peers that I would end up regretting such a choice, and that uni really was the way forward and I would rake in the big bucks. Oh how I laugh now looking back. I guess I got lucky because I happened to get into something that I do enjoy and find interesting, and my company are now funding an MSc for me, but my point is that I bet theres a large majority of people who get to the end of their course and just dont know what to do, probably because they never really intended to be in that situation in the first place.

GhostRider
____________________
I have all the characteristics of a human being: blood, flesh, skin, hair; but not a single, clear, identifiable emotion, except for greed and disgust. Something horrible is happening inside of me and I don't know why. My nightly bloodlust has overflown into my days. I feel lethal, on the verge of frenzy. I think my mask of sanity is about to slip.

EuropeanNC30R... · Gay Hairdresser Joined: 20 Jun 2002 Karma :

Deckx · Nearly there... Joined: 09 Apr 2007 Karma :

do an apprenticeship. Instrumentation is a good one to get into.(process automated control)

Itchy · Super Spammer Joined: 07 Apr 2005 Karma :

Wafer_Thin_Ham · Super Spammer Joined: 18 Nov 2005 Karma :

stinkwheel · Bovine Proctologist Joined: 12 Jul 2004 Karma :

Mind you. For an "ordinary" arts degree, you do a sum total of fuck all work anyway.

If I were an employer, I would label someone applying for a job with a straight MA as a lazy bugger who just found a way of avoiding getting a job for a few more years.
____________________
“Rule one: Always stick around for one more drink. That's when things happen. That's when you find out everything you want to know.”
I did the 2010 Round Britain Rally on my 350 Bullet. 89 landmarks, 3 months, 9,500 miles.

Itchy · Super Spammer Joined: 07 Apr 2005 Karma :

chris-red · Have you considered a TDM? Joined: 21 Sep 2005 Karma :

I dropped out of uni in my 2nd year and walked into a 20+k a year job, my flat mate finsihed his 6 years at uni doing arcitecture and is still earning less than me.

Unless you wanna be a doctor or similar don't go to uni for a qualification go for the experiance. You meets loads of great people and have aparty for 3 years.

I would advise everyone to go if they can a afford to waste 3 years of your life. Thumbs Up

____________________
Well, you know what they say. If you want to save the world, you have to push a few old ladies down the stairs.
Skudd:- Perhaps she just thinks you are a window licker and is being nice just in case she becomes another Jill Dando.
WANTED:- Fujinon (Fuji) M42 (Screw on) lenses, let me know if you have anything.

D O G · World Chat Champion Joined: 18 Dec 2006 Karma :

Meh, degrees are way overrated. As everyone else has said, specialist degrees are the only useful ones.

I did start doing a specialist degree (kinda - Automotive Engineering), but smoked way to much shit, missed 75% of lectures, did zero study, failed and dropped out after 18 months. Was shit really.

Now I have a professional qualification (Chartered Accountant) it makes no difference whether I have a degree or not.

Good friend of mine has 2 degrees, a lot of brains and is desperate to be an accountant (why the fuck he wants to do this I'll never know), but doesn't have the sparkle to compete against the fresh young graduates, and hence is still working in a call centre now. He's 29 this year. It's sad really.

If you know what you want to do, find a way of getting there without a degree, save you time and money.

Itchy · Super Spammer Joined: 07 Apr 2005 Karma :

D O G · World Chat Champion Joined: 18 Dec 2006 Karma :

jayvfr · Scooby Slapper Joined: 15 Aug 2008 Karma :

Charlie · World Chat Champion Joined: 27 May 2007 Karma :

My Dad has a degree in Geography, and now does IT procurement for the DWP. But Geography has nothing to do with his current job.

I am going university in September to do Electronic and Computer Engineering, I really haven't got the foggiest what I will be doing after or for how long I shall be staying there. When I went to college and started doing electronics it was great! I loved it, thats why I am doing it uni.
____________________
Past: Honda x8rs, Honda City fly, Honda Hornet 250, Honda VFR750, Yamaha xt600e.
Current: Honda CBR929RR & Yamaha XT660Z Tenere

mistergixer · World Chat Champion Joined: 15 Jun 2005 Karma :

Mate of mine has a degree in marine biology.
He now runs a pub.
____________________
Space Monkey #7
Don Eladio is dead. His capos are dead. You have no one left to fight for. Fill your pockets and leave in peace. Or fight me and die!
Mistergixer's videos on YouTube

Benj · Spanner Monkey Joined: 18 May 2008 Karma :

just finished a degree in broadcasting - post production.....

....ill let you know when i get a job!
____________________
Theory Passed!: 18th July >>> CBT Passed!: 13th August >>

Marcg868 · World Chat Champion Joined: 20 Jan 2005 Karma :

Not a degree im doing but Dip HE in Adult Nursing, so hopefully i should be offered a job within East Lancashire NHS trust when i finish the 3 years.

Decided to do the diploma, and once ive completed that, take a degree in something else that relates to nursing.
____________________
JACK, MISS YOU LOADS YOU LEGEND.

Itchy · Super Spammer Joined: 07 Apr 2005 Karma :

Harold_Shand · World Chat Champion Joined: 07 Jun 2004 Karma :

GNVQ 2 - Art & Design
GNVQ 3 - Media Production
HND - TV & Video Production

Occupation: Gardener

Fuck 'em. I never really wanted to mix wth celebs, be a millionaire and have a head full of coke all day, anyway.

I did actually get a couple of 'in's'... I saw first hand how little work gets done and how much sucking cock occurs. My face didn't fit, I raised my eyebrows when they told me the starting salary was 10k. I don't think that went down too well, either.
____________________
BCF's 6th favourite poster 2009-2010

Harold_Shand's theory might be the best explanation.

instigator · Super Spammer Joined: 19 Oct 2004 Karma :

A degree is what you make of it essentially.

If you get a degree, I believe it shows at least, a level of commitment and a desire to better yourself (please note, I mean getting a degree, I don't mean those who start one and then drop out). However, you can get the best degree in the world, doesn't mean a job will fall on your lap, like many of my Uni chums expected to happen. Takes a lot more effort that just finishing it.

I got a shit(ish) degree in Mechanical Engineering and am a Mechanical Design Engineer. So slightly related. But only because I put a shit laod of work into where I am now. More so that I put into studying for the degree. Laughing

ms51ves3 · Super Spammer Joined: 07 Jun 2007 Karma :

My view has always been that degrees are a waste of money and my view I don't think will ever change.

Apprenticeships are the way forward Thumbs Up

Teaching degrees to me seem one of the most pointless all down to the fact that they don't get paid much, have to work really long hours, and once you start you are 24ish and in debt.

Seems a waste of time and money.