Well I'm going back to college but cant figure out what I want to go in to???
- Thread starter Duddin
- Start date
I looked at being a lineman long and hard
getting employed locally was the problem I had..gotta start out with the small PUD"s and such to get experience.
getting employed locally was the problem I had..gotta start out with the small PUD"s and such to get experience.
I had a wrongful termination case 15 years ago, which worked out really well for me. If you were in a union, get them involved, if not get a lawyer. My case took 18 months. Got my job back (which I didn't want), and got the satisfaction of telling management to F.O. Didn't go back to work with them, took a layoff, got back pay plus interest at a rate equal to my retirement account, plus a large settlement check. During that period I was working for cash (you know the benefits there). So it can work out really well if you play it right.
Unfortunatly no union and Utah isa right to work state so technically they didnt even have to have a reason to fire me. I already talked to a lawyer and there isnt much we can do. They filed an appeal to my unemployment pay and lost that and that is about the best I'm going to get.
IT is always good and it is not going anywhere but up. If you combine that with a gov. job it is very stable and pays decent. If you are mechanically minded then you would probably be pretty good at it.
Are you in IT?
wondering if a dude could get a decent IT degree online only??
wondering if a dude could get a decent IT degree online only??
Yes and actually, I have no degree at all. Mostly experience is what got me my job and good recommendations (and a little luck!). I have tons of college but have no degree. I am working on an associate degree at the moment. From what I have seen an assoc. degree will get you into most positions and still have decent pay. Not sure about an on-line degree but with a little experience and an on-line degree from a reputable source you should not have a problem getting a job.
Oops forgot to add... If you can get some kind of internship with a gov program you will pretty much be guaranteed a job when you graduate. I believe the programs are called STEP and SCEP and most federal agencies have them in place. I believe you would want to be in the SCEP program, that is the one that will hire you when you are done. The STEP program is not designed to hire you just give you a job for financial aid and the possibility of a position. Here is a link: http://www.opm.gov/employ/students/intro.asp
These apply for about any job position you are looking at not just IT. Remember though, most IT positions pay about 10% more than the posted Federal Pay Schedule. So a GS-9 position would pay about $40,000 plus 10% and this is a starting position.
Oops forgot to add... If you can get some kind of internship with a gov program you will pretty much be guaranteed a job when you graduate. I believe the programs are called STEP and SCEP and most federal agencies have them in place. I believe you would want to be in the SCEP program, that is the one that will hire you when you are done. The STEP program is not designed to hire you just give you a job for financial aid and the possibility of a position. Here is a link: http://www.opm.gov/employ/students/intro.asp
These apply for about any job position you are looking at not just IT. Remember though, most IT positions pay about 10% more than the posted Federal Pay Schedule. So a GS-9 position would pay about $40,000 plus 10% and this is a starting position.
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sledchick
Well-known member
I'm going for Graphic Design, seems like forever I've been in school...Web design and video development has been booming big time..so I feel pretty good about what I got into 4 years ago. As far as pay it varys on what you are going into..
According to the American Institute of Graphic Arts, median annual total cash compensation for entry-level designers was $35,000 in 2007. Staff-level graphic designers earned a median of $45,000. Senior designers, who may supervise junior staff or have some decision-making authority that reflects their knowledge of graphic design, earned a median of $62,000. Solo designers who freelanced or worked under contract to another company reported median earnings of $60,000. Design directors, the creative heads of design firms or in-house corporate design departments, earned $98,600. Graphic designers with ownership or partnership interests in a firm or who were principals of the firm in some other capacity earned $113,00
According to the American Institute of Graphic Arts, median annual total cash compensation for entry-level designers was $35,000 in 2007. Staff-level graphic designers earned a median of $45,000. Senior designers, who may supervise junior staff or have some decision-making authority that reflects their knowledge of graphic design, earned a median of $62,000. Solo designers who freelanced or worked under contract to another company reported median earnings of $60,000. Design directors, the creative heads of design firms or in-house corporate design departments, earned $98,600. Graphic designers with ownership or partnership interests in a firm or who were principals of the firm in some other capacity earned $113,00
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Ex-Member
ACCOUNT CLOSED
No doubt. I did a lot of R&D in the automation of ultrasonic NDT for pressure vessel, HP gas cylinders, and fire sprinkler systems for about 6 years. Lots of gov't jobs, and the oil business is huge into it.
Bartender, everyone on this site likes to drink.
I'm sort of in that business now, test/electrical engineering for a company that makes electronic alcohol monitoring bracelets. The company's growing and it doesn't look like we'll be slowing down anytime soon. IMO, you can't go wrong with an engineering degree of any sort if you can handle the math involved with it. Calculus, DifEq's, trig, transfer functions... get used to seeing that. It's a hard degree but well worth it. And once you have it, there's a ton of fields you can go into from design/maintenence, R&D, lab or field jobs....
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Raff_9001M
Well-known member
Step is student employment in which the student has to be registered for classes and go back to school in 6 months. SCEP is Student to Career Employment, in which was stated above, usually ends in permanent employment for the student. Sometimes the student get to choose the place of employment and sometimes the Gov't chooses for you. Understand contracts before entering into that one.
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Bubba700
ACCOUNT CLOSED
Have a few years in custom homes/ concrete, 2years doing remodels, and 2 years at a high end cabinet shop, have good work experience and with the degree around here there are good goverment jobs that it qualifies you for. I agree though see lots of pieps in the program that have zero clue about the work involved but they sure are good at crunching numbers.
Not a huge math buff, I'm good at math just dont want it to be my main job function.
Corpses are a big negative I hate that kind of stuff.
You need the math to get through any engineering degree. Once you're working in the field the computers do the real work. Petroleum engineers tend to be extremely well paid. If you get an MBA on top of your BS, you're on the CEO track (100's of millions)
All morticians are millionaires.
Lots of good advice. I appreciate all your opinions. I'm thinking that I'll lean towards IT or Mech. engineering. I figure with either one of those degrees I'll have lots of options and can still stay in an industry that involves the things I'm interested in. I'm really interested in the NDT so I guess mech. eng. would help there.
USU has a deal that if your planning on getting a masters in mech. eng. then you can get your B.S. and your Masters in 5 years by kind of streamlining things so thats looking really good.
I'm still kind of undecided so keep all the info coming. Thanks all!!!!
USU has a deal that if your planning on getting a masters in mech. eng. then you can get your B.S. and your Masters in 5 years by kind of streamlining things so thats looking really good.
I'm still kind of undecided so keep all the info coming. Thanks all!!!!
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Bubba700
ACCOUNT CLOSED
USU eng. programs are great, have a good buddy that got an electircal from their and is doing real well right now.
Sorry to bring back an old post but I thought sinceall of you helped so much I'd let ya'll know I have decided on Mech. Engineering. Probably do a masters. I was looking a little and there are a lot of jobs around here in that field with greatpay so giddy up here I go.
Thanks again for all the info and help guys!!!
Thanks again for all the info and help guys!!!
Not a huge math buff, I'm good at math just dont want it to be my main job function.
Corpses are a big negative I hate that kind of stuff.
Become a Banker. Bankers are not huge math buffs either. Obviously, the worse they are at math, the more $$$$ get thrown at them from the govmt. And, if you screw up, you just give yourself a nice huge tax-payed bonus.
Man, I sure screwed up in my career path! I was good at math, which automatically disqualified me to become a banker
I'm in the same boat as you are, stuck without much work so i'm going back to school, and btw, I am going for Mech. Engineering as well. Good luck man.
Radiologic Technologist or x-ray tech for short.
2 solid years of school.
I made just under 60 last year, plus insurance, dental and eye. Get 8 hours PTO every pay check
You can find gigs where it's 9-5 Mon-Friday.
Or you can be dumb like me and work a hospital and have 3 shifts, one weekend a month and holidays.
Course my wife gets to stay home with 2 kids. It's tight but we can do it.
I spent 10 years working on natural gas pipeline distribution and transmission lines. avg wage was about 55k a year without any ot and I only worked 4 10's from march thru december. if welding on a flowing gas pipeline does not get you riled, its a great way to earn your keep.....killer benes too.
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