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Career vs Education: How Applicable?

Discussion in 'Tilted Life and Sexuality' started by genuinemommy, Mar 10, 2015.

  1. genuinemommy

    genuinemommy Moderator Staff Member

    I'm curious here.

    How applicable is your education to your chosen career path?
    Do you find that your academic or vocational school preparation adequately prepared you for the demands of your job?
    Or do you feel it was not at all applicable?

    It seems like more and more my friends are choosing careers that have nothing to do with their educational background. Friends who studied physics for their PhD choosing to become an IT manager, or someone who was part of a prestigious graphic design program for their undergrad who, when all was said and done, chose instead to be a professional shepherd. I have friends who went to school to be hairdressers, who are now child care providers. Another friend was a fireman but now leads the music ministry at a big Catholic church.

    Where did your education take you? And where did your career land you?
    Are you at all shocked by the turn? Or are you content with the change?
     
    genuinemommy, Mar 10, 2015
    #1
  2. snowy

    snowy so kawaii Staff Member

    My post-bacc coursework in human development and family science is the most relevant to my profession, followed by my Master's in secondary ed, but I would not have done as well in either if it weren't for my degree in English. My English degree helped me polish my reading and writing skills to an expert level. The content covered in my English degree is 75% irrelevant, despite the fact that I am an English teacher.

    Did I feel adequately prepared? Sort of. My profession requires practice to be good at it. For all the studying, actually teaching someone something is a skill that can't be learned in a book. It has to be learned through doing. Sure, reading Vygotsky added a great deal to my praxis, but actually using scaffolding effectively in practice is something else, and it's a skill I'm still working on mastering.
     
    snowy, Mar 10, 2015
    #2
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  3. Street Pattern

    Street Pattern Very Tilted

    Location:
    The American Midwest
    I have a law degree and a license to practice law, but the US has something like five times as many law graduates as jobs for them.

    As a new graduate, you can get a decent lawyer job through some combination of outstanding grades and a prestige law school, but I had neither. Plus, I graduated into bad economic times. And I don't have the kind of driven hustler personality which would be required to even minimally support myself doing law work.

    I spent an enormous amount of money I didn't have on two years of Ivy League grad school, but I didn't end up finishing the degree, and it didn't make me any more employable.

    So I had to do other things, using my muscles (e.g., unloading trucks for a department store loading dock) and my IT skills (e.g., managing a small academic computer lab). I did some adjunct teaching (which paid so little it was like volunteer work).

    Eventually, I found my current position, which is unique and perfect for me.

    I get to redefine my whole previous life as preparation for this job -- but none of that was technically required. My predecessor didn't even have a college degree.
     
    Last edited: Mar 10, 2015
    Street Pattern, Mar 10, 2015
    #3
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  4. Baraka_Guru

    Baraka_Guru Möderätor Staff Member

    Location:
    Toronto
    I have a specialized undergraduate degree in English. It's completely useless or applicable to everything, depending on your view.
     
    Baraka_Guru, Mar 10, 2015
    #4
    • Like Like x 3
  5. snowy

    snowy so kawaii Staff Member

    Pretty much.
     
    snowy, Mar 10, 2015
    #5
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  6. Stan

    Stan Resident Dumbass

    Location:
    Colorado
    I have a degree in Mechanical Engineering. At this point in time, I wouldn't drive over a bridge that I designed.

    I work as a Network Engineer. There is a great deal of my degree that is not applicable and a lot that is.

    Many of my peers have no degree. The fact that I can express myself clearly (and actually use punctuation) sets me out a bit, as does the fact that I can do the math behind some of the theory. I wouldn't be where I am today, without the degree.
     
    Stan, Mar 10, 2015
    #6
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  7. redux

    redux Very Tilted

    Location:
    Foggy Bottom
    I have a Masters in Political Management. If I were to do it again, I would change the area of concentration from legislative affairs (lobbying/advocacy) to non-profit management and strategic communications.

    Continuing education has been of greater value with occasional courses in association management although I am not that high on the need for a CAE (certified association executive) after my name.
     
    redux, Mar 10, 2015
    #7
    • Like Like x 1
  8. martian

    martian Server Monkey Staff Member

    Location:
    Mars
    I didn't get an education, so I can't comment on my own history. But when I think about my family and friends, remarkably few of them are doing something related to their degree. My mother is the most prominent example in my mind of someone whose education is directly relevant to her work, but she didn't go to college until her thirties.

    I have some pretty strong beliefs about this. I think it's a bit backward to expect kids to know what career path they should be pursuing when they're 18 years old and have virtually no life experience. I think it would be enormously useful if we systematized the idea of a gap period of maybe 1-3 years before expecting kids to pursue post secondary, and encouraged them to use that time to go out into the world and learn more about who they are. I don't think a young person can realistically decide what they should be studying without knowing what sorts of things are out there and/or what really ignites their passion. But I also think that the western education system is partially in the business of monetizing uncertainty so such a practice would be counter to their business model.
     
    Last edited: Mar 11, 2015
    martian, Mar 10, 2015
    #8
    • Like Like x 1
  9. Charlatan

    Charlatan sous les pavés, la plage

    Location:
    Temasek
    A humanities degree from a Univeristy isn't about training for anything in particular. It's about exposure to ideas and learning the ability to:
    Create a Thesis
    Research
    Compile that research
    Create a report (an essay)

    While on its face this may seem useless, it is the foundation of white collar endeavours.

    I work in media (mostly film and TV). I have known since I was in grade 7 that this was an area I would pursue. I took media courses in high school and majored in film studies atUniversity(it's like English Lit, but with films). My parents, both successful, but high school education only, did not understand my desire to go to Univeristy for this type of education. I was lucky to have an advisor who told me not to worry about the career. Follow a passion if you can, but just getdegree. The rest will follow.

    Follow it did.

    Most of what I do today comes from around 20 years of industry experience, but the doors were opened and informed by my education.

    Interestingly, one of my colleagues, the CEO of the Content Group in which I work, has an engineering degree.

    It's about the journey, not the destination.
     
    Charlatan, Mar 10, 2015
    #9
    • Like Like x 3
  10. omega

    omega Very Tilted

    My b.s. is in physical education. My m.s. is in management, focusing on marketing. I am a state trooper. One young guy in my class upholstered auto interiors before this. I did come into this career somewhat late though (37). One guy in my troop went through at 55. He was previously a grocery store manager.
     
    omega, Mar 11, 2015
    #10
    • Like Like x 2
  11. ralphie250

    ralphie250 Fully Erect

    Location:
    At work..
    i went to technical college to learn to work on big rig diesel engines, cat, cummins, detroit. I graduated and started building transmissions. kinda feel like i wasted a year and alot of money.
     
    ralphie250, Mar 11, 2015
    #11
    • Like Like x 1
  12. ASU2003

    ASU2003 Very Tilted

    Location:
    Where ever I roam
    I did get an engineering job somewhat related to my engineering degree. Now, were there some classes that I needed, but weren't offered...and classes I took, but didn't need, yes. But, overall, I can't complain. I got lucky.

    If I had it all to do over again, would I choose the same degree...that is the tough question.

    I've been as successful as I can hope to be with this career path however, so if I had to find another job, it would most likely not be in this field.
     
    ASU2003, Mar 12, 2015
    #12
    • Like Like x 1
  13. Scottish Viking

    Scottish Viking New Member

    Location:
    Vancouver, WA
    I agree that at 18 you likely don't know what your final career goals are but I do think that getting a degree is important . People may change their career path many times in this day and age but to continue an upward trajectory and not end up in a dead end job, you need to have some basic education. And today, a bachelor degree is what a high school diploma was 30 years ago...the very least amount of formal schooling you should have. My BS (pun not intended but appropriate) is in management . I've been in and out of that field for years. None of it was really relevant and 20 years later I barely remember most of it. But, it got me the jobs that led to the additional training and experience that did matter.
     
    Last edited: Mar 12, 2015
    Scottish Viking, Mar 12, 2015
    #13
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  14. Derwood

    Derwood Slightly Tilted

    Location:
    Columbus, OH
    I have a BFA in Lighting Design and an MFA in Scenic and Lighting Design. Very, very few people can earn a living doing those things, so they are my "secondary" income source, to go with a day job that has nothing to do with art whatsoever
     
    Derwood, Mar 14, 2015
    #14
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