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About 12 years ago when I was making a transition from being a burned out mortgage loan officer to the hot career field of IT, I started calling around to the local ( I lived in Virginia Beach at the time ) IT training schools. I new nothing about IT, so my opening question was very general, something like....What do you recommend, what's the best field to get into. They ALL recommended pursuing a Microsoft certification known as MCSE ( Microsoft Certified Systems Engineer ). Of course the courses required would set me back about $12,000. I enrolled in the first weeklong crash course which only cost a cool $2000. Almost from the get go, I started having a STRONG feeling that I was getting ripped off, but I hung-in-there and completed it anyway and passed the Microsoft exam a few weeks later. Nonetheless, the feeling of being ripped off persisted. My feeling was confirmed when I started browsing thru the IT section of the local Barnes and Noble. On the shelf were all of the books, containing all of the information, practice exercises, practice exams etc, for about $50 a book. The little bit of extra help provided in the classroom was not worth the extra $1950 ...to me, so I decided that I'd teach myself from the books. After passing the second Microsoft exam in the series, I admitted to myself that Systems Engineerding was not my cup of tea, but I was hooked on doing something in IT. I eventually discovered programming and taught myself with a combination of books, online courses, cds etc, spending less than $1000 in the process. In less than a year after leaving the mortgage industry I had my first fulltime IT job, with no degree, and no real world experience on my resume. Fortunately I'm a great communicator and I'm able to create a favorable impression during interviews, convincing the interviewer that I could do the job. From my studies and hands on practice, I also had the ability to pass a job related test.
Too many people ignore this part of the hiring process. They seem to think their credentials and experience should put them at the head of the line. The years I spent in recruiting taught me the value of "selling yourself." Good for you.
Too many people ignore this part of the hiring process. They seem to think their credentials and experience should put them at the head of the line. The years I spent in recruiting taught me the value of "selling yourself." Good for you.
The difficult part is actually getting the interview......
The difficult part is actually getting the interview......
If that is true for you, then getting the interview is where to emphasize selling yourself. For better or worse, getting the interview is a sales game.
The comments on GPAs are ignorant. I know a Public Ivy where the average GPA of business majors is 3.6 and for engineering majors, 3.0. GPAs vary significantly college to college and also over time.
2.7 may be poor today but even 20 years ago was above average at many universities.
Why I think the judge will throw the case out, shouldnt some of these colleges be held more accountable in selling degrees there are no jobs for. Sometimes I want to laugh when I see these colleges on TV advertise for all these IT jobs {I know are nonexsistent right now} and career programs centered on something like video game design--as if the world needs thousands and thousands of them....Young people are being taken for a ride and ntohing is done about it. What gets me is I had this young cousin even go to state college, and he got a degree in aviation management, didnt someone take the time to inform him the airlines are broke? Yes young people need to check things out for themselves, but they are being lied to in high school and college about what is really out there, and then when reality hits they are unprepared. Take it from an ex-art education major--ME...{yeah I did get a degree related job, pre disability days, but I WOULD NOT DO IT AGAIN, no matter how much I loved the field}
I am more of the opinion teach yourself something and then go get a job in it. This can be done in fields that do not require licensure. A lot of college is a racket, they are there to make money and sooner some figure that out the better.
I am more of the opinion teach yourself something and then go get a job in it. This can be done in fields that do not require licensure. A lot of college is a racket, they are there to make money and sooner some figure that out the better.
You cannot get a job with self learned skills outside of construction or possibly computer technology. Licensure is not a requirement in my field, but my job specifically had a bachelors degree as a minimum requirement.
Why I think the judge will throw the case out, shouldnt some of these colleges be held more accountable in selling degrees there are no jobs for. Sometimes I want to laugh when I see these colleges on TV advertise for all these IT jobs {I know are nonexsistent right now} and career programs centered on something like video game design--as if the world needs thousands and thousands of them....Young people are being taken for a ride and ntohing is done about it. What gets me is I had this young cousin even go to state college, and he got a degree in aviation management, didnt someone take the time to inform him the airlines are broke? Yes young people need to check things out for themselves, but they are being lied to in high school and college about what is really out there, and then when reality hits they are unprepared. Take it from an ex-art education major--ME...{yeah I did get a degree related job, pre disability days, but I WOULD NOT DO IT AGAIN, no matter how much I loved the field}
Private colleges should be illegal, and state colleges should be free, merit based, and carefully correlated with the needs of the country. That would COMPLETELY fix this problem.
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