I'll try to keep this short. My Name is Brian, 43, married/kids all that stuff. This is a bit of sob story and plea for help. I was born and raised into the world of commercial refrigeration. I was a natural at many things like fixing stuff, and installing things. I worked in my father's company until I was in my 20's. I left the field and the union and struck out on my own determined to never be in service trucks again. I had a few short hops through maintenance jobs, then landed a "career" job at a local university as an HVAC mechanic, which ended up being little more than a slave labor camp. I grew tired of the inhumane treatment, working side by side with murderers and the like and moved on the world of property management. This was big step up, I would consider it my first real move toward a better future. In this time I had snubbed college because frankly I didn't see where college grads were making too much more than me and I had no tuition bills to pay. Now, I have a different opinion. I am in with a good company as a building engineer, they treat me as close to the word human as I have found so far. I have a desk, and many responsibilities that determine the fate of peoples lives. But still, I am turning wrenches, burning torches, and sometimes come home with papers from the emergency room. I've had it! I need to stop working before it kills me. So now I am giving strong consideration to a degree, but I haven't a clue where I should go with my life. All I know is that I see people in those cubes sipping free coffee and talking about nothing, and I want that. I have been prompted by a manager at an airline manufacturer to pursue Facilities Management. But I feel I can do better or at least something else. I've been searching the web for answers, but this distance learning is a big world with no live help. So at this point I have no idea what degree to pursue, or what would be my best route at my age. Based on my brief background what might you say or suggest?
HI AC - Welcome to degreeinfo. Your story is not as unusual as you might think. Many of our members are trying to branch out into something new, something better, after spending years in the working world. You should be congratulated for your courage because it's not an easy thing you're doing. I know that you've got the idea that sitting in a cube is a good thing. In some ways that's true but it depends a lot on your personality. It drives some people crazy. But if we want to assume that cube-sitting will work for you there is still an enormous diversity of jobs/industries that you could enter. Insurance? Healthcare? Banking? Manufacturing? Retail? The list goes on and on. I have some advice to offer. First, think about what you like. What is fun for you? What would really make you WAKE UP in the morning? Think about what you're good at. Math? Sports? People? What sorts of things do you like to read? These are all clues to help you to choose a direction. Overall, I'd say that the single most useful degree would be a Bachelors degree in Business. It applies to virtually every industry in our culture. So I'd suggest that you look into those programs (there are a bunch). Also, I would want to strongly suggest that you become aware of the basics of academic accreditation. Don't just buy a degree from a degree mill because it's fast and easy. Finally, we have a whole pile of information here at degreeinfo and so you might want to spend some time reading through the threads. You'll learn a lot. Then, you might want to visit the website of our old friend Lawrie Miller because he can help you to get through that degree faster/cheaper. Here's the link: http://www.bain4weeks.com/ Do some reading and ask LOTS of questions. That's why we're here. Good luck.
Thats exactly what I am looking to hear. And I have already educated myself in degree mills. I want something legit that is respected. I had thought a 4 year in business might be what I want, and you sort of confirmed it for me. Unfortunately no one pays you to go fishn' and thats about all that gets me up in the morning. Seriously, the cubes look pretty good from where I'm sitting. None the less I have been perplexed on which route to go in a business degree, it appears theres a dozen of them to pick from. If you go to one of those websites to get info, they just break it down even further and thats where I get lost.
I agree with what Kizmet said. My wife proved that it is never too late in life to start over - she found good paying jobs in the commercial insurance industry - your background could prove useful in commercial insurance. You do not need a degree (at least in California) but is great to have - being a broker requires you to pass exams acceptable to the state (again that is in California). Her job included lots of communications with clients and insurance companies.
OK then. There's really just a couple of other factors. Assuming that we'retalking about RA bachelors degrees in business you will see that there is not a big difference between one school and the next. I'm talking about curriculum. The courses you take are not going to be tremendously different from one school to the next. So...look at cost and look at geography. How much money can you spend? Is it worth the extra money to go for a "name brand" school? My personal opinion is "no" but that's something you'll have to decide for yourself. It's a personal values thing. Do you want a school that's close to home. There such a thing as "name recognition value." Does it matter to you? Maybe a school that's far away interests you. I love LSU because one of my b-ball heros is Pete Maravich. Silly? You bet but if you're trying to make a tough decision every factor means something. It's time to do some homework and some soul searching. Good luck.
