The work I do today is so tangential to the degree that I have it's kind of sad. I have a total of maybe 1 class that's even vaguely related to what I'm doing today.

Calvin

Yes, I know, the thought ofmyself as a lawyer is not a good one, but right now its the best offer I have coming straight out of school. But Like I said I have 1.5 years left undergrad, hopefully something better will come up

I realize that basically one needs a Masters to make the big bucks,

I want you to print out this reply to your post, put it in a time capsule, and open it in 20 years. Don't even bother reading it now, because you will not believe me and no amount of persuasion on my part will convince you that I am right.

OK, here it is: Making the big bucks, as you put it, should be near the bottom of your priority list. The most important thing, really the only thing that matters is, do you enjoy your work?

By my standards, I am incredibly successful even though I don't earn much money, because I enjoy my job so much. I wouldn't trade my job for work that paid five times the salary if it was not something I enjoyed.

Don't fall into the trap of thinking a career is about money. A career is about what you do with your life and how you live it. Money is only a way of keeping score -- and after all, who are you competing against that keeping score is necessary?

The title on the top of your diploma means very little in the general job market. Mostly, employers want to know that you are/were smart enough and committed enough to see your way through a college education. That shows you have a good work ethic and will be an asset to your potential employer.

20 Years from now when you open your time capsule and read this, you will realize the wisdom of what I am saying. I imagine that most people under the age of 25 will disagree with me; and that most people over the age of 40 will agree. (Bonzi, Laura, Schofiel, Henno -- what say you? Yz -- don't even think about it!)

tanstaafl.

I agree with every word you said. You can't call yourself successful unless you look forward to going to work every morning. There's nothing worse than not liking the work you do, no matter how much you're being paid.

I agree. I have had jobs that I loathed and jobs that I have loved and jobs I liked. When you put it in prespective and think about working for the next 30-40 years of your life, why would someone want a job that they hated just because the money is very good. It makes a difference when you wake up in the morning and look forward to going off to work instead of dreading it. In the long run you will have less stress and probably a longer life. Do what you enjoy, life is too short as it is, don't spend it hating your job.

I don't make the "big bucks" but it is enough to live on, for me that is enough. Course to me being rich and keeping up with the neighbors has never been important to me.

Well said taanst. I agree completely.

20 Years from now when you open your time capsule and read this, you will realize the wisdom of what I am saying. I imagine that most people under the age of 25 will disagree with me; and that most people over the age of 40 will agree.

Well, I'm only 30 and I'm sure I've agreed with that sentiment for a lot more than five years ;-)

The only thing I'd say is, while Making the big bucks, as you put it, should be near the bottom of your priority list, it doesn't make me shudder as much as the "climbing the corporate ladder" that someone upthread quoted as the aim of a well-spent life.

Peter

Greetings!

Wise answer!!! Excellent!

In reply to:

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it doesn't make me shudder as much as the "climbing the corporate ladder" that someone upthread quoted as the aim of a well-spent life

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No kidding. Screw the ladder. I'll find an elevator.

Agreed. I've always thought that when you start looking for excuses to stay in bed or pull a sicky, then it's time to move jobs. On two occasions, I've even followed my own advice.

Fortunately, working for empeg rocks .

I agree with you as well. As simple as your advice is, there is always external pressures that keep you from doing the work you enjoy. There are social and cultural pressures that is like fighting a riptide -- the want of material posessions, the pressure of debt, the pressure of social status, parental (mis)guidance, and more. Sometimes having a good work ethic works against you, because when you really start to enjoy the work, it begins to feel like play, and you resent yourself for being a slacker in your subconscious.

If only things were as simple to allow everyone to do what pleased them.

Calvin

Yeah, here you stay in bed and don't bother to think up an excuse.

Just wait til I get my truant detecting robot online *evil laugh*

Rob

I think i've got to agree with that. I did college for a year and a half, and decided to put things on hold until I could do it on my own dime. I didn't enjoy the guilt that came with depending on my parents. So i fixed it. I originally was going to be CS, but I eventually came to the conclusion that I didn't want to be a coding slave pushing deadlines. My anxiety would go through the roof and I would end up killing myself or others. A few friends of mine at the time were MIS students, and that seemed like a great option. A business degree with computer backing? cool, i'll be a double threat. how many IT managers do you know with a -strong- geek background? I would think management more in touch with the actual technology would be one step ahead of the group.

Fast forward 2 years, and the 2 MIS girls I was friends with had graduated. Neither had any experience (formal, informal) with PCs or computers in general beforehand. I helped both of them with their VB classes (learning C and then VB afterwards is detremental to your health! the language is horrid.).. I got to watch them learn RDBMS. I helped them a lot, but it wasn't so bad. One of them was my girlfriend at one time, so I felt obligated to help her since I was the local alpha geek.. anyways. neither of them has found a job in the IT field yet! one of them is cocktail waitress. the other is a complete daddy's girl, so she has no job. i think the point i'm trying to make is that it's tough for these 2 cute young girls to get jobs in the field due to the fact that they didn't have any experience aside from textbooks. 100% of what i've learned dealing with computers is self taught.

I don't know what the solution would be for schools. Obviously they need better curriculum, maybe more hands on training. hell, force the each student into a room with a damn pc and a stack of oreilly books every night for a few years. that's what I did

So.. I eventually will return to college. And I still think I'm going to head for MIS. I want to be that double threat, plus a general business degree would allow me to jump between management and tech jobs. The two things I've been wanting to do my entire life.

Right now I've got a great job that pays me very well. It's quite possible I could never return to college and be able to live quite comfortably for the rest of my life. I have skills and experience on paper that have already gotten me into jobs where a 4 year degree was a base requirement. But I know if I didn't go for that retarded little piece of paper that I would one day find myself at the peak of my career and wonder why my salary comes up with 4 zeros at the end.

but then again, i'll never become a millionaire working for someone else.

that's where my army of robots comes in.

MIS == blech!!!

Current market you really need experience or an insane GPA to get a decent job.

One of my 494 professors made a comment that has stuck with me over the past year. "If you're not going to do anything cool, (aka research or TRULY fresh developement) if you're just going be a code monkey, there's no reason to get a BS or BSE in comp. sci. Just go to a vocational school and learn the basics. It's all you'll ever need for grunt work."

I got a CS because I liked the curriculum. I'm currently CTO of a school in Arizona. I code almost not at all, but the DIFFICULTY I went through getting the BS has toughened me for all the stone headed liberal arts majors out there.

About your friends. Tell them to get jobs @ Computer temp agencies. It's a good way to get your foot in the door.