I think I will never have a career after an online Bachelors from Wales

Discussion in 'General Distance Learning Discussions' started by rainowae, Jul 29, 2017.

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  1. rainowae

    rainowae New Member

    Hello guys,

    I was a bright kid but I dropped out of high school twice due to depression. I then did a BTEC and Bachelors degree from Wales through distance learning (very naive) and got second upper class honours. I went to Thailand to teach English for like 4-5 years and now in my early 30s, I returned to a global top 30 Brick and Motar University to do a masters in Political Science and completed it with like GPA 3.8/4.

    I am trying to look for jobs in reputable companies but I feel ashamed of my Bahelors degree from Wales (which is currently ranked as one of the lowest universities in the UK, and has in fact wound up due to being associated with several questionable colleges etc). Mainly it was done completely online and employers can tell as well.

    I have huge gaps in my resume from dropping out (wasted 5 years) and done nothing in my 20s (teach English).

    I don't see how I can remedy this and find a serious job and serious career in this lifetime ever. I thought of trasnferring credits to do another bachelor's degree but I don't see it helping as employers will definintely ask where is my first bachelors.
     
  2. Lerner

    Lerner Well-Known Member


    I personally don't think that this degree is a problem.
    Employers hire persons without a degree. People do OU degrees on line and have good careers.
    I know people who felt like you but the real reason they had some delay in finding a good career was due to economic times when employers hesitated to hire employees.
    If you are in the UK then Brexit and current economic situation create this uncertainty for the employers.
    I don't think that university degree earned in the past has that much weight.
    Universities here increasingly offer online degrees. And your Master's degree is from more reputable University is definitely an achievement that balances your education.
    Yes in the US we also have lower tier degrees, people with degrees from private for profit schools degrees may have a harder time but the experience is usually what matters in many situations. Depending on the job type and industry.

    Career Options.
    Government and Advocacy Jobs.
    Law Careers.
    Lobbyist Professions.
    Business Fields.
    Journalism Occupations.
    Teaching Positions.


    Don't despair you have a good education just keep on searching and developing.
    Pick up a skill in demand - Project management and join professional institution and do networking with other members.
    A number of government occupations, which can range from city planning to the legislature to MI5 or intelligence, are available to those with a political science degree.
    The government can have a rewarding career for Political Scientist.

    Your Master's degree program can help political scientists stand out in a crowded job market.

    Those with backgrounds in political science can find jobs lobbying the government on behalf of interest groups and other non-government organizations. These individuals work closely with various stages of government, negotiating with elected officials and influencing policy to advance the goals of their employers or clients. This career does not necessarily require the completion of a graduate degree, though it could help in getting a job.

    A political science degree can often lead to a career in business, with banking, advertising, personnel and public relations as possible employment goals.
     
  3. Bruce

    Bruce Moderator

    I certainly wouldn't classify teaching English as "nothing", but my guess is that the other gaps in your resume are going to be more of an issue than your degree from Wales. Once you earn a graduate degree, the source of your undergrad is almost irrelevant, provided it's legal and legitimate.

    In my opinion, a second Bachelor's degree at this point would be a complete waste of time, effort, and money.
     
  4. FTFaculty

    FTFaculty Well-Known Member

    What in the world is wrong with the U of Wales? Sure it's not Oxbridge or LSE, but it's a legit university (assuming we're talking about the university that went through the merger a few years back and not some namesake mill). If you matriculated at any uni that shows up on the UK tables, you did legitimate work and earned a legitimate degree. Your masters is obviously from an outstanding university and you did brilliant work there, and the fact that you were accepted at all at a global top 30 is validation of your UG work. Your shame over your UG uni might be a much greater factor than the uni itself. Stop it, you've earned a great education (by contrast, my grad schools were in the world top 300 to 400 range), so move on with it.
     
  5. newsongs

    newsongs Active Member

    What Bruce Said!
     
  6. ebbwvale

    ebbwvale Member

    In Australia, there is no distinction between distance learning and on campus degrees. Possibly because of the isolation created a need for distance learning. We actually have a "school of the Air" for grade school children in remote communities and have had for about 80years.

    A career here is built on experience. The degree ticks a box but not much more than that. Workplace experience and presentation are important.
    A very important part of career development and networking through professional associations is very important.
    Another interesting development has been companies beginning to offer internships for people without degrees. This is very retro. The company trains the person in the skills the company needs i. e. An accountant intern would do inhouse training plus Utube packages while working in the finance dept for example.

    There is a move away from university education. Small but significant. Why? I don't know, but perhaps your degrees dont matter in any real sense in terms of career development. It might be more a case of what you have done and who with and for how long. It might also be a case of the networking you have done.

    A lot more work in getting a career than just a degree. Dont despair.
     
  7. RFValve

    RFValve Well-Known Member

    Hi,
    A second Bachelors might help if this is in a more marketable field. UoW might be low ranked but few people would bother to check the rankings. A BS in Engineering, Accounting or Finance from the UoW would be more marketable than a BS in English from Cornell.
    I have a second Bachelor in IT after my Masters in Electrical engineering and it did help for engineering jobs that required programming. It also helped me to land teaching jobs in IT that would have been hard just with an electrical engineering degree.
    There is no need to transfer credit, some schools have a year BS program after first degree. Reputation is important but more important is the field of graduation. Political science is not so marketable so perhaps a second BS in Finance, Accounting or Statistics might help you to land a good job.
     
  8. SteveFoerster

    SteveFoerster Resident Gadfly Staff Member

    To be frank, it doesn't sound like UWales is the problem, it sounds like you have continuing mental health issues that are clouding your judgement about what's really standing between you and your goals. I don't say that as a criticism, but only to encourage you -- one student to another -- to renew seeking professional help.
     
  9. Neuhaus

    Neuhaus Well-Known Member

    Hiring isn't as binary as most people make it out to be.

    I've seen people take employment gaps and turn them into excellent conversation starters. While some employers focus on school, the vast majority of them have a job that requires a set of skills and they are willing to hire anyone with those skills.

    You aren't proud of your bachelors. Fine. But it sounds like you have a Masters from a "better" school. You're an alumnus/ae of that other school as well, wear it with pride and move forward.

    I don't think Steve is wrong with his assessment and advice. But I'll add, in a somewhat tough love manner, that if you do as piss poor a job selling some of your past experiences as you do here then it's no reason you aren't having any luck.

    Teaching English overseas can be, at a minimum, a conversation starter or a way of building rapport. If you focus on companies that have a presence, or even are headquartered, in Thailand where you taught then that is a massive opportunity to have an edge over other candidates. Bonus points if you picked up any of the language.

    Characterizing those years of work spent as "doing nothing" is, frankly, some horrific marketing of a pretty good product.

    Meanwhile, some dude with a diploma mill degree strolls past you, delivers himself with confidence, and gets the job. The lesson isn't that diploma mills are fine. It's that confidence can go a long way in the hiring process.

    My advice would be to rework your resume/CV. Get it professionally redone if you must. And sit down and have a good think about all of the good things you've done and how they apply to the business world. Think about how you'll answer those questions about the gaps. Visualize yourself delivering confident and enthusiastic answers. Don't shy away from that stuff. Embrace it. Sell it. And, if need be, get your foot in the door some place and use that to rapidly ascend either within that company or bounce somewhere else. I've seen plenty of people completely restart their careers with only a one year stint in a crappy call center.

    Good luck.
     
  10. SteveFoerster

    SteveFoerster Resident Gadfly Staff Member

    Interestingly, that's an apt description of me in 1997.
     
  11. Abner

    Abner Well-Known Member

    What Steve said! I say that as someone who suffers from chemical depression. You have a good degree, make use of it. Don't let your mind screw with you!
     
    Last edited by a moderator: Aug 14, 2017
  12. Neuhaus

    Neuhaus Well-Known Member

    Call centers depress me. I only ever worked in one once for about a month doing employee benefit enrollment and changes.

    It sucked. But it was relevant industry experience and it looked better on my resume than a month of unemployment.

    I'm a firm believer in a job only being "dead end" if you will it to be such.
     
  13. SteveFoerster

    SteveFoerster Resident Gadfly Staff Member

    Enh, it wasn't so bad. Tech support, where people call you and you help them solve their problems, is a lot different from something like inside sales or whatever.
     

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