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Are there any of you on here that simply cannot afford college nor afford to take out a loan? I have a strong desire to complete college and have been accepted to a school that took 75 of my previous credits and offers me the option to complete my BA somewhat cheaply. Bargain price will be somewhere in the range of 4-9k and take me anywhere from 6-12 months depending on whether or not I choose an "easy" degree.
I feel pressured to finish my degree because all of the Executive Assistant/Executive Administrative Assistant positions that I am interested in generally require a degree. They almost literally don't care if your degree is in Music or Math, they just want to see a Bachelors slapped on your resume to even consider interviewing you.
However, I see SO many people with degrees that simply cannot land a job. I cannot afford to risk 4-8k right now and not even know if I'll have a way of paying it off or even be able to land a job. I guess I'm just frustrated and venting. You need a degree to get work, but need to work in order to pay for a degree and so forth. Rant done. Screw our country's education system.
Pinky, I know you have your heart set on being an administrative assistant or executive assistant, which was my career for many years. I loved it, but I don't think that if I was not working I would have gone back to college to do it. I had dropped out and that's what led me down a different career path in the first place. By the time I left the field (less than a year ago), things had changed but there are still a number of jobs available for people without a degree.
If you really want to finish a degree, I would do advise you to do something that interests you. That way, it will always be of use to you. One of the reasons I fell out of love with the admin profession was that too much was dependent upon my boss. I don't want to live my life revolving around a boss and then I end up working for someone else (or follow that boss to a new firm where everything is different) and I am stuck with the changes I made to my life based on that job and that boss. Does this make sense?
Before you embark on a degree that can cost you money and time, I suggest you evaluate your motives. If it is to get an admin job, then what kind of admin job do you want? Is your ultimate goal to work for a C-level executive? Do you want an 8-5 where you mostly do travel and expenses? Are you interested in a particular niche like in-house legal or finance or higher ed? Basic admin jobs where you do travel and expenses hardly ever require a degree.
Once you do that and get your transcripts evaluated by a few schools, I think you will figure out if going back to school makes sense.
Pinky, I know you have your heart set on being an administrative assistant or executive assistant, which was my career for many years. I loved it, but I don't think that if I was not working I would have gone back to college to do it. I had dropped out and that's what led me down a different career path in the first place. By the time I left the field (less than a year ago), things had changed but there are still a number of jobs available for people without a degree.
If you really want to finish a degree, I would do advise you to do something that interests you. That way, it will always be of use to you. One of the reasons I fell out of love with the admin profession was that too much was dependent upon my boss. I don't want to live my life revolving around a boss and then I end up working for someone else (or follow that boss to a new firm where everything is different) and I am stuck with the changes I made to my life based on that job and that boss. Does this make sense?
Before you embark on a degree that can cost you money and time, I suggest you evaluate your motives. If it is to get an admin job, then what kind of admin job do you want? Is your ultimate goal to work for a C-level executive? Do you want an 8-5 where you mostly do travel and expenses? Are you interested in a particular niche like in-house legal or finance or higher ed? Basic admin jobs where you do travel and expenses hardly ever require a degree.
Once you do that and get your transcripts evaluated by a few schools, I think you will figure out if going back to school makes sense.
Yes, that's what I want/like. I'm ok with the mundane work However, almost EVERY position, out there these days, seems to require SOME sort of degree. Where are you located?
You have a GREAT point. I may complete a BSBA, Human Resources.
Interesting thread. Kudos to the OP for asking the question BEFORE taking on debt. In this case, it sounds like it will not be a big deal either way. I would suspect a degree will open doors to apply for more positions, but it may not result in a huge pay increase if the OP want to work in administrative support position. They typically require reliability, a strong work ethic, good interpersonal skills, and a strong detail orientation. A degree provides none of these. However, it provides a general degree of credibility, and it can open doors to interesting areas of knowledge. I would do it. But perhaps the part-time option/ working your way through would be a good compromise.
Here's an idea. Since you seem to have strong admin. skills, how about trying to find a job at the college where you are considering studying, and see if you can get support for completing a degree from the employer! Just a thought.
Interesting thread. Kudos to the OP for asking the question BEFORE taking on debt. In this case, it sounds like it will not be a big deal either way. I would suspect a degree will open doors to apply for more positions, but it may not result in a huge pay increase if the OP want to work in administrative support position. They typically require reliability, a strong work ethic, good interpersonal skills, and a strong detail orientation. A degree provides none of these. However, it provides a general degree of credibility, and it can open doors to interesting areas of knowledge. I would do it. But perhaps the part-time option/ working your way through would be a good compromise.
Here's an idea. Since you seem to have strong admin. skills, how about trying to find a job at the college where you are considering studying, and see if you can get support for completing a degree from the employer! Just a thought.
Great idea..but colleges generally pay the worst :/ Not that I'm against it though . I'm doing the temp thing because work is very consistent and I LOVE it. If it weren't for needing health insurance and a 401k (mainly the 401k) I would temp for a lifetime. I know, I'm strange. I just love the constant moving around.
Pinky: no wonder you are complaining on the NYC board that your job offers have been low paying !!!!! well DUH! I didn't know you lacked a college degree!
Seriously, this question does not need to be asked. College degree holders earn higher salaries over time than plain old HS grads, on average , that's a fact!
So yes it's worth it! Try to finish your degree so you can be more competitive in this job market.
Pinky: no wonder you are complaining on the NYC board that your job offers have been low paying !!!!! well DUH! I didn't know you lacked a college degree!
Seriously, this question does not need to be asked. College degree holders earn higher salaries over time than plain old HS grads, on average , that's a fact!
So yes it's worth it! Try to finish your degree so you can be more competitive in this job market.
LegalDiva, where did you read that? My job pays in the 45k range. I know people with their Masters making 30k right now. I'm complaining more about how cheap NYC employers are trying to be vs. my own personal pay/offers.
I'm actually studying for my Math class right now. I'm about 6 months away from having a Bachelors, so I have decided to just go for it and I'm plugging along and saving so that I can pay it all off quickly. I'm not terribly excited about the B.A. that I'm getting, but as someone else said...any Bachelors is better than none at all.
I'm getting my B.A. in Natural Sciences and Mathematics because that was just what I had the most credits for and it was easiest for me. I think someone else mentioned that I can go on to get HR Certificates and Microsoft Office certs as well, since I'm really only interested in administrative positions.
LegalDiva, where did you read that? My job pays in the 45k range. I know people with their Masters making 30k right now. I'm complaining more about how cheap NYC employers are trying to be vs. my own personal pay/offers.
I'm actually studying for my Math class right now. I'm about 6 months away from having a Bachelors, so I have decided to just go for it and I'm plugging along and saving so that I can pay it all off quickly. I'm not terribly excited about the B.A. that I'm getting, but as someone else said...any Bachelors is better than none at all.
I'm getting my B.A. in Natural Sciences and Mathematics because that was just what I had the most credits for and it was easiest for me. I think someone else mentioned that I can go on to get HR Certificates and Microsoft Office certs as well, since I'm really only interested in administrative positions.
I strongly suggest you follow your interests. While you are temping, it is an opportunity to explore different fields and you can zero in on whatever you like. A degree in math and science is fine if that is easiest for you to get. You can and should get more than 45k. Yes, there are people with degrees who are making very little, but if you are working in a fniancial company where the bulk of your work consists of phones, travel, and expenses - 45k is way under budget.
HR is a field that has taken quite a hit, but it is interesting work. An HR assistant role can be very diverse - from mundane work to getting involved in recruiting. If you like HR, the certification will help a bit. I don't think you want to get a college degree to file and smile all day . If you're going back to school to try to get a job, you want something substantive and that will pay you more than 45k. My admin job paid 45k in 2001 and I had no degree. How much work experience do you have?
Yes, that's what I want/like. I'm ok with the mundane work However, almost EVERY position, out there these days, seems to require SOME sort of degree. Where are you located?
You have a GREAT point. I may complete a BSBA, Human Resources.
BTW, I live in NYC - worked as an admin up until a few months ago in midtown.
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However, almost EVERY position, out there these days, seems to require SOME sort of degree. Where are you located? 
