For those retired - do you see college as important as when you were college age?

[texasjohn]

Steve has the best description of...well, it depends...that I have ever seen!!

 

[Ridgewalker]

I have about 20 hours of college credits, mostly in writing and communications. I am 52 and for
the first time in my life not having a degree limits my opportunities moving up the ladder
at the company that just bought the company I work for. Since I am well into 6 figures as a sales
rep for this company and I don't want to go into management I am not sure this is really
a limitation. I've been debating this with myself for a while now.

I was a offset press operator, trained at a technical school for a couple of years and then
I went to work. I have been in the same industry for over 30 years and to me the knowledge I
picked up along the way is worth as much as many degrees but it does limit my access to the Ivory tower.

My kids both have degrees, one has a masters and I think for today's kids getting the right degree can make
a huge difference. Some degrees seem to be worthless when it comes to getting hired.

 

[aczlan]

Agreed. I have have a BS in Information Technology and with the exception of my Java programming and Cisco classes, it was just a matter of learning how that particular teacher or test wanted the information I already knew (from my life/work experiences) regurgitated.

One other comment, I graduated debt free and moved to a new job last month which pays significantly more than my old one. Would I have gotten it without my degree? Maybe, but it helped I am sure.

Aaron Z

 

[jeff9366]

I think BA degrees from most state colleges have been dumbed down so they are only equivalent to good high school degrees of forty years ago. That is why a Masters degree is important today.

Black studies, Gender studies, Native American studies, Women's studies, and other ME, ME, ME! studies, all fine but have added less than zero to GDP.

Above one reason Engineering and Science degrees, half obtained by women, increasingly by people of color and sometimes trans-genders, retain value in the marketplace of life.

 

[nybirdman]

College is not for every-one and a college degree is no guarantee of a high paying job in your selected field.
I was fortunate in getting into a trade and severing an apprenticeship(5 years) that was fully paid by my union.
I like to use a high school friend as an example.I was a regents student and did ok with grades and did go to college for a while.My friend went to "trade school" in high school taking auto mechanics.
After high school he got a job in a body shop,used his money to purchase his own tools;borrowed $5,000 from his father and opened his own body shop.
Today he is a millionaire and has 20 people working for him.Smart businessman and extremely hard worker.He sure didn't need a college degree!
New York state today requires "all"students get a regents diploma,HUGE mistake,all kids are just not capable.

 

[mjarrels]

I have a niece who graduated from two privte colleges with a masters degree. Lives in San Franciso as a socal worker. About $90,000 in college debt and will probably never be able to pay it off. She is in her mid twenties now. Saw a news artical the other day where social securty is deducting from folks still paying student loans. I was lucky, 21 years active duty Navy paid for my education and GI bill for the rest.

mark

 

[Red Horse]

I have about 20 hours of college credits, mostly in writing and communications. I am 52 and for
the first time in my life not having a degree limits my opportunities moving up the ladder
at the company that just bought the company I work for. Since I am well into 6 figures as a sales
rep for this company and I don't want to go into management I am not sure this is really
a limitation. I've been debating this with myself for a while now.

I was a offset press operator, trained at a technical school for a couple of years and then
I went to work. I have been in the same industry for over 30 years and to me the knowledge I
picked up along the way is worth as much as many degrees but it does limit my access to the Ivory tower.

My kids both have degrees, one has a masters and I think for today's kids getting the right degree can make
a huge difference. Some degrees seem to be worthless when it comes to getting hired.

I can relate to your comment as I gather you are in the print industry.. one of my sons has a BS from Rochester Inst. of Tech. which I am told is the school for imaging sciences, printing etc in the country. Although he has a technical degree after about 5 years he ended up in sales as that is where the money is in the industry. But like you, he knows the nuts and bolts and can go into anyone of his company plants and work with the guys on the floor to get a problem solved-with no finger pointing. At this point in your career I would say your lack of a degree is a non issue. You know the nuts and bolts and more importantly have probbly worked to build up a solid customer base. Most important? do you like your job? If so that IMO is what matters most.

My oldest son has an associate degree in business and a BS in recreation management. He does very well in a sales function that I'm sure makes very uyse of either one of his degrees.
Sad to say though, he never would have got his foot in the door without the piece of paper.

 

[California]

The most important thing emphasized in my MBA program was to recognize, understand, and take advantage of change as it occurs around you.

The world around us is no longer static. You need to adapt and take advantage of new circumstances as they occur - or else get left behind. I think everyone should recognize you may need to re-train for another career several times through your working years. Hopefully each change will be an improvement.

After a first career of buying and improving rentals, I went back to school at age 32 for an MBA specializing in financial analysis and investment management. Case studies examined in the MBA program convinced me that the real estate boom of the 70's was unsustainable, and that selling my rentals and carrying the financing would be more profitable than operating them. This hadn't been obvious before my finance classes. Then the MBA qualified me for a civil service career, with a steady income for the first time in my life. I still was able to be outdoors much of the time. (in state highway construction field offices and the construction contractors' offices, all over this large state). I liked this a lot better than a 100% desk job. A good paycheck (and retirement plan), investment income from re-investing the rental sales proceeds during the financial boom of the 90's, and our dedication to living reasonably and saving the excess made it possible to retire at 54.

15 years later, this has worked out better than the projections I calculated before retiring. Savings balance is same as the day I retired and meanwhile we've put two kids through UC-Berkeley (see chart above), have lifetime health care assured through pension plan, and now our spendable income is increased by reaching SS age.

Conclusion - get educated in the skill of anticipating change. Recognize where trends are going and prepare to take advantage of them. It may require re-training into several new careers during a lifetime to 'ride the wave' of progress as it unfolds.

Getting back to the specific question in the thread title - formal education is required for nearly any good job opening advertised today. You can't ignore this and expect to keep up with those who qualify.

 

[brin]

I have about 20 hours of college credits, mostly in writing and communications. I am 52 and for
the first time in my life not having a degree limits my opportunities moving up the ladder
at the company that just bought the company I work for. Since I am well into 6 figures as a sales
rep for this company and I don't want to go into management I am not sure this is really
a limitation. I've been debating this with myself for a while now.

I was a offset press operator, trained at a technical school for a couple of years and then
I went to work. I have been in the same industry for over 30 years and to me the knowledge I
picked up along the way is worth as much as many degrees but it does limit my access to the Ivory tower.

My kids both have degrees, one has a masters and I think for today's kids getting the right degree can make
a huge difference. Some degrees seem to be worthless when it comes to getting hired.

Since I am well into 6 figures as a sales
rep for this company

Well if you are well into the 6 figures in earnings that means you are making $500 to $700,000 .00 + per year...so I would say you are not doing bad for only 20 hrs. of college credit....Does the IRS know you make that much ?

 

[jeff9366]

When I hired, I advertised for new employees in industry trade journals.

Industry experience essential, no education requirement specified.

Usually received about 300 resumes per opening.

Secretary would open envelopes, then send regrets to all without college degrees. I would read the rest.