If you didn't go to Ivy league, you have no shot in NYC? (New York: transplants, student loans)
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Is that how it works here in NYC? To get a good job, you either have to be carrying an advance degree from an Ivy League or have some connections at one of these prestigious companies? I've applied to so many jobs and constant rejections.
As I get around and do my more research, it seems like unless you went to a top school, you don't have a fighting chance of getting a good opportunity in this city. I've noticed that everyone employed at most of these top employers or in good positions all went to a prestigious school. I've talked to some of them but as soon as they find out i didn't get to an ivy league, they brush me off and give me the cold shoulder.
What dissapoints me more is that half of the people i've met don't even have half the real world experience i do. I've talked to them about some basic business and sales principles and some of them couldn't even recognize what i was talking about...and they're holding advanced positions. un-f'n believable.
What's the secret to getting into these companies? tired of working for bull**** companies making pennies trying to survive here. haha.
I'm going to say this one more time. NYC is an elite city. This city shares the elite space with Washington DC known for its government sector jobs, NGO and lobbying firms all which hire from Ivy Leagues, and top private colleges like Georgetown. On the west coast you have San Francisco which is known for Silicon Valley, Apple, Facebook, Google, Adobe, HP except for Microsoft and Amazon which are Seattle based. San Francisco labor market also pulls the best and brightest from Northeast Ivies and top private, but also on the west coast like Stanford. NYC, DC and San Francisco in my book are known as the triple threat, also these cities are very influential and can have sway of the world through its industries. LA is also another elite city, but not as elite as NYC, DC and SF. Firms of Wall street, Firms of silicon Valley, the lobbying firms of DC all hire the best and brightest for their businesses straight out of college. Mainly from Ivy leagues and top private like MIT. Such businesses are not going to hire someone straight out of SUNY New Paltz college, unless if he or she is lucky. Than again, Wall Street does have a lot of CUNY Baruch grads. NYC DC and SF have higher degree holders than the national average, so competition in these cities are tough.
One thing to do is to always check the price of cities. The more expensive the city is, the more likely it has high rate of college grads, case in point DC, Boston, SF and NYC. Sometimes a 4 year degree from a generic no name college like Occidental, or a public college like John Jay, will not resonate with top employers who are looking to hire out of college. I remember a Real Estate broker who was doing a convention on moving to NYC for Ohio college grads, companies and real estate agents were out helping newly grads obtain jobs and housing for future NYC wannabes was held in a facility that is next to a derelict neighbor that was once a bastion of blur collar white picket fenced America.
But with all that rant. You can obtain a decent job in NYC without the advanced degrees, without ivy league status or the status of top universities like NYU or Georgetown. Its going to take time, skill, patience and keep on trying. If not that, than join the thouosands of folks who apply for government jobs and live comfortable. I actually know of a guy who works on Wall Street, and he graduated from Bronx Community college, sadly his position now requires an education from an Ivy league.
I went to state university. Started my career as a temp making $12/hr right after college. Most people I work with today went to elitist white progressive university. They don't necessarily seem any smarter. They definitely do seem lazier.
Agree with what you said. Do you sell life insurance?
I work in the insurance industry, light sales, but mostly management level operations. I make 6 figures.
I think in this day and age you need you be flexible and have a unique combination of different real life skills. Stuff that employers care about like a good problem solving ability.
Schools can also be a hinderance to success for some people. It makes them feel like they are entitled to make a certain amount of money and life doesn’t work like that. Your nothing, your not special, you need to perform just like the next man.
I think that not going to school made me humble. I’m grateful just for being there and it drives me to work harder than everyone else, keep my nose clean, and kick ass.
Not necessarily, I have seen people with prestigious degrees in not so great high up positions while I have seen CUNY grads like myself in decent positions and even in higher up positions. It really is how you present yourself and networking, networking, networking is the key above all.
My uncle went to Pace and New York Law School and is earning nearly $200,000 a year. My aunt went to NYU (no masters degree) and is earning six figures, too. And my father graduated from a non-Ivy League university (no graduate degree) and has long earned six figures.
I attended an Ivy League school for undergraduate and a Tier 1 law school and am earning 6 figures. But, then again, I am not currently living/working in NYC, although NYC remains my official/legal residence.
the company i retired from had sales people earning multiple 6 figures with no degree . they just know how to sell and can learn technical stuff .
i spent decades as a sales engineer all learned in trade school and on the job over 40 years with no actual degree.
today i am retired but i work one day a week teaching motor controls and variable frequency drives because i really like doing it . .
if you can't make it in nyc where are you going to make it ?
In St. Louis, Houston, Dallas, Baton Rouge, Oklahoma City, Phoenix, Orlando, Pittsburgh, Philadelphia, Minneapolis, Chicago, and hundreds of smaller cities and towns in which the cost of living is nowhere near as high as it is in NYC, SF, Seattle, Boston, and Wash DC.
Best thing about Ivy League colleges/universities are the connections made, that is if you weren't part of the whole prep school network and thus developed them earlier.
That being said while there is still an old WASP network of families/persons who all go to the same schools, know and marry each other (straight and now gay), and otherwise move in same social/economic circles, that is becoming less and less important.
Obama and his wife are "Ivy League" graduates and they run with a set that often comes from that background (which may explain why so many government appointments in that administration came from Harvard, Yale, Columbia and Princeton...), but when you look at things on the ground the make up of Ivy League is changing.
Yes, you still have WASPs, but many sectors formally controlled by that group (banking, advertising, finance, etc....) are run by the Jews if anything else. That and or other groups besides. Yes, they may have gone to an Ivy League college/university, but they do not necessarily have the same ideals/background.
While connections do matter, for many things it is performance on the ground that counts more when it comes to finding and keeping employment. A guy who is a BSD, proven closer, Rainmaker, or whatever you want to call him will find work/be in demand even if he went to Baruch.
As for earning potential, again Ivy League means less and less. There are doctors from Harvard barely scrapping by, while someone from a lower tier school and or even from overseas is raking in money. Ditto for law and other areas as well.
I work in the insurance industry, light sales, but mostly management level operations. I make 6 figures.
I think in this day and age you need you be flexible and have a unique combination of different real life skills. Stuff that employers care about like a good problem solving ability.
Schools can also be a hinderance to success for some people. It makes them feel like they are entitled to make a certain amount of money and life doesn’t work like that. Your nothing, your not special, you need to perform just like the next man.
I think that not going to school made me humble. I’m grateful just for being there and it drives me to work harder than everyone else, keep my nose clean, and kick ass.
Yes, some people feel entitled but I think more people and firms are realizing that most jobs don't require an Ivy league education. It does help tho.
My firm emphasizes experience, work rate, flexibility, people and problem solving skills.
Quote:
Originally Posted by BugsyPal
Best thing about Ivy League colleges/universities are the connections made, that is if you weren't part of the whole prep school network and thus developed them earlier.
That being said while there is still an old WASP network of families/persons who all go to the same schools, know and marry each other (straight and now gay), and otherwise move in same social/economic circles, that is becoming less and less important.
Obama and his wife are "Ivy League" graduates and they run with a set that often comes from that background (which may explain why so many government appointments in that administration came from Harvard, Yale, Columbia and Princeton...), but when you look at things on the ground the make up of Ivy League is changing.
Yes, you still have WASPs, but many sectors formally controlled by that group (banking, advertising, finance, etc....) are run by the Jews if anything else. That and or other groups besides. Yes, they may have gone to an Ivy League college/university, but they do not necessarily have the same ideals/background.
While connections do matter, for many things it is performance on the ground that counts more when it comes to finding and keeping employment. A guy who is a BSD, proven closer, Rainmaker, or whatever you want to call him will find work/be in demand even if he went to Baruch.
As for earning potential, again Ivy League means less and less. There are doctors from Harvard barely scrapping by, while someone from a lower tier school and or even from overseas is raking in money. Ditto for law and other areas as well.
If you are an Harvard doctor (or ANY doctor in America) and barely scraping by, that person needs a financial adviser and better money management skills.
Yes, some people feel entitled but I think more people and firms are realizing that most jobs don't require an Ivy league education. It does help tho.
My firm emphasizes experience, work rate, flexibility, people and problem solving skills.
If you are an Harvard doctor (or ANY doctor in America) and barely scraping by, that person needs a financial adviser and better money management skills.
It all depends. I know many doctors who choose working at community health clinics who are not paid well. But they work where they do because they feel like they are making a difference and are not in it for the money.
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Great to have people who can actually provide valuable insight/knowledge/experiences! 
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