Is a university degree still key to finding a good job?

I know people only with a Tech School Welding course who retired a millionaire at 40. All it takes is 15 years of damn hard work. I also know people with 3 University degrees who are still at an entry level (5 year, $45k/year range) job with the Government, and are in their 40s.

I would tell a young person today to go into what you like. A UNi degree can lead to a great good paying job if you are willing to go where the work is and you want to work hard. A trade will give you a good living if you are willing to go where the jobs are and work hard. What I would advise against is sitting on your ass and partying and working at Walmart.

Did you miss this post,



I do agree with almost everything else in your post, especially about working hard and willing to relocate!

It really depends on what sort of job you want and how motivated you are to get there. Some jobs just can't be had without that university education, others benefit far more from a short structured series of courses followed by on the job work experience.

I didn't want to spend 4+ more years in school after high school so I just did tech school. I've been gainfully employed in my field ever since so I don't regret it at all.

Like fifeboy said, I told my boys to find a job you love that supports you, versus a job you hate that pays well!

Did you miss this post,



I do agree with almost everything else in your post, especially about working hard and willing to relocate!

That's also a sort of unique case to Alberta. He got his welders cert, incorporated himself, then did some bidding on pipleine contracts. He got a couple contracts, got a bank loan for a 100k. Then bought a portable welding rig and truck big enough to both carry it, and sleep in. The first contracts paid off the rig the first year.

He still lived lean, and worked hard. But now he mostly golfs. I've seen it though with clearing companies, pipefitters - any trade that is needed in the oilpatch.

It just requires good timing and hard work. But if you don't like that kind of life, it will eat you up.

Exactly.

The pastor at my church has three daughters and a son. The three girls all have their degrees and are struggling to make ends meet what with families, mortgages, student loans, and the incomes their educations afford them.

The son, Tim, was a 'disappoinment' because he went from high school to learning how to drive heavy equipment. He's 28 now and paid off his house when he bought it, his wife is a stay-at-home mom, he owns his own construction company now and is making way too much money working the oilfields in North Dakota.

He was back for the holidays and told me he's on track to have his first million by the end of this year.

With a high school diploma.

And a LOT of hard work and sacrifice, of course.

Exactly.

The pastor at my church has three daughters and a son. The three girls all have their degrees and are struggling to make ends meet what with families, mortgages, student loans, and the incomes their educations afford them.

The son, Tim, was a 'disappoinment' because he went from high school to learning how to drive heavy equipment. He's 28 now and paid off his house when he bought it, his wife is a stay-at-home mom, he owns his own construction company now and is making way too much money working the oilfields in North Dakota.

He was back for the holidays and told me he's on track to have his first million by the end of this year.

With a high school diploma.

And a LOT of hard work and sacrifice, of course.A nd your last line sums it up. Play now, pay later.

My father has a university degree and was (before he retired) CEO of a subsidiary of BP. They supplied gas stations.

My brother has a high school diploma (was denied the same University degree, he applied, but did not get a spot) and is the highest non-Japanese Exec at Pioneer Europe.

Kind weird that this topic would come up, but, just after Xmas my brother and I were standing in line at grocery store and a guy behind us ran into a couple of his friends.

They started talking about work and the guy in line behind us was actually bragging how many other people in StarBucks where he worked had University degrees.

I nearly pissed myself laughing. Who would brag about having a StarBucks job with a University Degree. If it was me I'd be out every second pounding the pavement to see if I couldn'd find a better job, degree or not.

I guess having a University degree doesn't always equate to ambition.

The word "key" in the thread title isn't the best word choice, but yes, having a university degree gives one the greatest statistical probability of getting a good job. The "signalling theory" aspect, however, seems the most important aspect of having a degree. In other words, it doesn't matter so much whether you learned much at university; you just need to have graduated. It turns out ability (intelligence and motivation) are the keys to higher earning, but having that degree is a "signal" to potential employers to give you a chance to demonstrate intelligence and motivation. Without the degree, you haven't signaled the employer to give you a chance to do so. The degree gets you the job interview. Intelligence and motivation take over from there on.

True. I think, given the current state of our education system, the degree is becomming less of a factor in the hiring of a person and more emphisis is being plance on experience, references and percieved ability.

A degree still plays a significant roll in the hiring process but alot of companies aren't seeing that Degree as the be all end all in hiring anymore, since it doesn't necessarily equate to a well motivated and intelligent employee, hence the guy in the Grocery line from Starbucks.

For some people getting that University degree is pretty much akin to teaching a toad to tap dance. It looks good, but really isn't very practical.

Did you miss this post,



I do agree with almost everything else in your post, especially about working hard and willing to relocate!

That's also a sort of unique case to Alberta. He got his welders cert, incorporated himself, then did some bidding on pipleine contracts. He got a couple contracts, got a bank loan for a 100k. Then bought a portable welding rig and truck big enough to both carry it, and sleep in. The first contracts paid off the rig the first year.

He still lived lean, and worked hard. But now he mostly golfs. I've seen it though with clearing companies, pipefitters - any trade that is needed in the oilpatch.

It just requires good timing and hard work. But if you don't like that kind of life, it will eat you up.

I don't think it's about the money anymore, it�s about the quality of life.

If you want to make the bucks then take up a trade. That welder you mentioned put in a lot of time away from home and his family, he was all ways on call for the last 15 year, was subject to the feast or famine industry we live in, put in 10 to 12 hour days on average and probably has (or will have) problems with health be it his knees,lungs or eyes. It all comes at a cost.

Where as buddy who has a degree may not make anywhere near as much but he gets every weekend off, has some semblance of job security, works 9 to 5, sees his wife and kids every night, has a hobby, etc etc.

To me that would be the biggest difference. You don�t make as much with a degree as a trades person but you have a life and a manageable one at that. So I'd have to agree with your " But if you don't like that kind of life, it will eat you up" comment but I think theres more to it than just hard work.

Yes. I'm convinced that the signaling value of a degree is declining, but is still strongly significant. It's falling for three reasons:
1. The cost of post-secondary education, both in real terms and opportunity cost, has increased significantly over the past two decades. More and more smart people are excluded by cost. This effect is even larger when you consider that the loss of unionized workplaces over the past 20 years has meant that there is much more competition for good jobs among those without degrees. It's a bigger gamble to enter the job market without a degree now than ever.
2. Kids are lazier and more entitled than ever. It's an absolute fact. The degree is less valued because it is less valuable. A degree is only as valuable as the average increase in value added to its earners' productivity.
3. Human resource professionals are better at interviewing. Interviews are more probing, looking for indications of intelligence and motivation. The interviewer knows that most kids drink and screw their way through college, rarely cracking a book anymore.