You're selling yourself short if you think a biochem degree isnt an asset
I feel it is since I get turned down a lot since I have no experience using it or in a job that uses it
I really was told this by a pharmaceutical manufacturer here. The interviewer said it was very disappointing that I have no experience even though I have the degree.
They said it would be ideal if I had at least 2 years of working in a field that used it
So I went off looking for a job and failed since a lot of those companies and the university were either closing down programs or packing up and moving since then.
Is it incredibly useful for biochem jobs? Probably not, as most are looking for masters/PhD's. Is it useful for other jobs? Absolutely. Having a degree is important to getting your foot in the door of most corporate environments in a professional capacity. What the degree in matters a lot less unless you're going after a developer, engineering or accounting job (as there are certs and skills unique to each that require specific degrees). For white-collar work, we just see that you have a degree, and what it's in only matters a tiny bit, as most training will be job-specific. I recommend looking for entry-level business analyst jobs, as it's a job family that encompasses a lot of things and has a lot of options to it.
To expand upon what schuss is saying. In this day and age when you have a degree it says this, "I am an adult and am capable of finishing what I set out to do."
Use this. Start looking for any office job. Have you considered getting an internship at these pharmaceutical manufacturers?
What about a drug rep? They make good money, and you've got a degree to do it.
You might have to move.
not a doctor, not a lawyer, examples I use may not be fully researched so don't take out of context plz, don't @ me
What is the standard wage for someone with a Bachelor's and a few years of experience, anyhow
My entry level in 2004 was 39k in Southern NH, which gets partly Boston-metro wages. This is for an insurance company, so adjust downward by probably 5-8k for more "fun" industries or non-financial firms.
You're selling yourself short if you think a biochem degree isnt an asset
I feel it is since I get turned down a lot since I have no experience using it or in a job that uses it
I really was told this by a pharmaceutical manufacturer here. The interviewer said it was very disappointing that I have no experience even though I have the degree.
They said it would be ideal if I had at least 2 years of working in a field that used it
So I went off looking for a job and failed since a lot of those companies and the university were either closing down programs or packing up and moving since then.
Is it incredibly useful for biochem jobs? Probably not, as most are looking for masters/PhD's. Is it useful for other jobs? Absolutely. Having a degree is important to getting your foot in the door of most corporate environments in a professional capacity. What the degree in matters a lot less unless you're going after a developer, engineering or accounting job (as there are certs and skills unique to each that require specific degrees). For white-collar work, we just see that you have a degree, and what it's in only matters a tiny bit, as most training will be job-specific. I recommend looking for entry-level business analyst jobs, as it's a job family that encompasses a lot of things and has a lot of options to it.
To expand upon what schuss is saying. In this day and age when you have a degree it says this, "I am an adult and am capable of finishing what I set out to do."
Use this. Start looking for any office job. Have you considered getting an internship at these pharmaceutical manufacturers?
What about a drug rep? They make good money, and you've got a degree to do it.
You might have to move.
Yeah, basically anything pharma or medical related you'd be able to bring some of your experience to bear on.
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NocrenLt Futz, Back in ActionNorth CarolinaRegistered Userregular
What is the standard wage for someone with a Bachelor's and a few years of experience, anyhow
This program I'm in is specifically targeted for recent assoc/bachelor grads and I'm making 54k a year. That's also roughly mid range in my class as others are making a few cents more or less then me.
Edit: I also moved across the country from California to North Carolina and paid for that out of pocket via family loans for this job.
So I've mentioned it before, but my girlfriend is an assistant store manager of a designer clothing outlet. A big name, not too fancy or expensive, but extremely well known. It's a nice, clean store that attracts upper-middle class shoppers and weekenders from Chicagoland.
Which is why it is so shocking to me when she texts me this morning to let me know that someone urinated in one of their fitting rooms.
And even more shocking when she admitted to being someone
What is the standard wage for someone with a Bachelor's and a few years of experience, anyhow
My entry level in 2004 was 39k in Southern NH, which gets partly Boston-metro wages. This is for an insurance company, so adjust downward by probably 5-8k for more "fun" industries or non-financial firms.
God I need to get out of Maine.
Yep. Recently had a friend go Portland -> Philly. Portland suffers from being a super-awesome place to live with few underpinning industries, so the good jobs are few and far between. My wife got something like a 20k pay raise going from Portland to Boston metro, as well as much saner management, as Portland companies mostly fall into the "small business" category and there's a lot of variability in management ability.
You're selling yourself short if you think a biochem degree isnt an asset
I feel it is since I get turned down a lot since I have no experience using it or in a job that uses it
I really was told this by a pharmaceutical manufacturer here. The interviewer said it was very disappointing that I have no experience even though I have the degree.
They said it would be ideal if I had at least 2 years of working in a field that used it
So I went off looking for a job and failed since a lot of those companies and the university were either closing down programs or packing up and moving since then.
Is it incredibly useful for biochem jobs? Probably not, as most are looking for masters/PhD's. Is it useful for other jobs? Absolutely. Having a degree is important to getting your foot in the door of most corporate environments in a professional capacity. What the degree in matters a lot less unless you're going after a developer, engineering or accounting job (as there are certs and skills unique to each that require specific degrees). For white-collar work, we just see that you have a degree, and what it's in only matters a tiny bit, as most training will be job-specific. I recommend looking for entry-level business analyst jobs, as it's a job family that encompasses a lot of things and has a lot of options to it.
To expand upon what schuss is saying. In this day and age when you have a degree it says this, "I am an adult and am capable of finishing what I set out to do."
Use this. Start looking for any office job. Have you considered getting an internship at these pharmaceutical manufacturers?
What about a drug rep? They make good money, and you've got a degree to do it.
You might have to move.
Yeah, basically anything pharma or medical related you'd be able to bring some of your experience to bear on.
You could look into Forest Laboratories I know a few people that work at it in the Cincinnati area and they really enjoy it. You probably couldn't get a job being an R&D Chemist, but can probably find something there to get your foot into the door.
PSN id - kickyoass1
PaD id - 346,240,298
Marvel FF - Lil bill12
What is the standard wage for someone with a Bachelor's and a few years of experience, anyhow
I am very fortunate to have the job that I do, I believe, but I was hired in at $45k + full benefits two years ago. I had no practical experience and my degree is in English. I also work for a Fortune 500 company that is centered in a place with a relatively moderate cost of living.
I feel like everyone should be making more than I do.
I started at $60k 4 years ago, which was above average for my degree and area (EE in Atlanta, if anyone cares). But I fell behind my peers pretty quickly because I didn't get a raise until right before I quit. Working for the state government has its perks (namely a free MS degree and generous 401k), but the salary increases are basically non-existent.
New job got me closer to the curve other people seem to be on (on the "tech jobs outside of the West Coast" curve, anyway), and I at least have a chance of getting a raise here.
I'd say if you have a 4 year degree, take around 25 an hour. That's the median wage in the US, and, that's $52,000 a year.
Anything less is, honestly, an insult to yourself. I understand life sucks and cost of living and the field factors greatly into that. But if you don't live in rural Kentucky and didn't major in art history, 50k is just about entry level for someone with 4 years of experience.
To put it in perspective here's what hourly wages are a year (I'm rounding):
For each $5 more an hour you make, add 10k basically.
Imagine trying to live off minimum wage. If you take anything less than 20/hr, you're basically there already after taxes. $5000 a year seems like a huge quality of live improvement but it's not. And there are people with PhDs that are doing this to themselves out of necessity. You'd be better off selling everything you own and moving to a place where you can utilize your degree. A few hundred dollars will at least get you there and set up for a few weeks.
If you're living in a major metropolitan area like NYC, SFBay, or Seattle, I'd say $80k is the least you should take with a 4 year degree. You're still going to live with 3 people probably.
If it turns out your degree is worthless, consider finding a new line of work. Go back for certification for a CNA or something, they make at least $10 an hour, so if you're working Walmart, you're in a better position immediately for a few weeks of training and a few hundred bucks out of pocket.
Check out local community colleges or vocational schools for adult continuing education. No one should have to work minimum wage past 20, ever.
bowen on
not a doctor, not a lawyer, examples I use may not be fully researched so don't take out of context plz, don't @ me
Let's say you apply for a lateral move after being informed that your prior department is being laid off.
While you get into the new department, gaining the new job title and manager, you are prevented from going into training as they insist on you working in your old position indefinitely. In addition, you barely interact with the new manager.
Given that really the only part of the new position you have is the title, would you bother listing it in your job history on your resume or on applications to other companies?
What is the standard wage for someone with a Bachelor's and a few years of experience, anyhow
I am very fortunate to have the job that I do, I believe, but I was hired in at $45k + full benefits two years ago. I had no practical experience and my degree is in English. I also work for a Fortune 500 company that is centered in a place with a relatively moderate cost of living.
I feel like everyone should be making more than I do.
Honestly it's more about the person than the degree. I know people with biz-focused degrees I wouldn't trust to watch my dog, and english/journalism majors I'd trust with major projects. I'm in a Fortune 100, and most of your training is specific to the area you'll be working in, as when you get into a large org with a lot of spread things become very focused, so beyond things like the software life cycle etc., everything has to be taught.
Let's say you apply for a lateral move after being informed that your prior department is being laid off.
While you get into the new department, gaining the new job title and manager, you are prevented from going into training as they insist on you working in your old position indefinitely. In addition, you barely interact with the new manager.
Given that really the only part of the new position you have is the title, would you bother listing it in your job history on your resume or on applications to other companies?
I would just change my entire old job to use the new job's title on the resume. It's apparently what you were originally hired for, especially if the new title is way more powerful.
not a doctor, not a lawyer, examples I use may not be fully researched so don't take out of context plz, don't @ me
What is the standard wage for someone with a Bachelor's and a few years of experience, anyhow
I am very fortunate to have the job that I do, I believe, but I was hired in at $45k + full benefits two years ago. I had no practical experience and my degree is in English. I also work for a Fortune 500 company that is centered in a place with a relatively moderate cost of living.
I feel like everyone should be making more than I do.
Honestly it's more about the person than the degree. I know people with biz-focused degrees I wouldn't trust to watch my dog, and english/journalism majors I'd trust with major projects. I'm in a Fortune 100, and most of your training is specific to the area you'll be working in, as when you get into a large org with a lot of spread things become very focused, so beyond things like the software life cycle etc., everything has to be taught.
Yes, I would agree with this. The company I work for is actually within the Fortune 200 and my job is very compartmentalized. I have very specific tasks and duties and was trained for all of them.
My degree was definitely a consideration in my case (they were wanting some diversity), but I was not the only person interviewed for this job. I like to think that I made a good impression and considering that I did in fact get the job, and from comments after the fact, I believe that I really did a lot to sell myself.
I am kind of hoping that since I now have my degree in hand (it was still in process when I was hired) I will be up for a more-than-CoL raise come yearly review time.
My last intern was a History major and hadn't ever touched a PR role before.
The degree is sometimes nice, but often I'm just looking to see if they can think logically and critically, form a sentence that doesn't make my eyes bleed, and accomplish the tasks given in the needed timeline.
I recognize that I'm a bit of a rarity in that I have a degree in PR and am actually doing exactly that. Most people take a degree in the thing that they like and then sort of play a weird game of chutes and ladders to get into the thing that they'll actually enjoy doing for the rest of their life.
SixCaches Tweets in the mainframe cyberhexRegistered Userregular
edited September 2014
When I hire I look for a degree because it usually indicates basic communication and organizational skills and the ability to finish something that takes a fair amount of commitment.
There are plenty of people with degrees who are useless and plenty without who can be stars, but it's a good indicator of basic competency. Since I'm in tech, a CS degree is nice, but I've hired people with degrees all over the map. It's highly unlikely that specific skills and knowledge they learned in coursework will be related to what they're doing, but that doesn't mean the degree isn't valuable.
4 Year degree = commitment, organization, communication, follow through.
4 years working major maintenance on aircraft in the military = "So, you have no previous job experience?"
"Let me tell you about the time I did a waterline 200 repair on every aircraft on the base" makes for one hell of a compelling job interview, let me say. [/sarcasm]
Hey, @Brainleech
A good way to get experience as a chemist is to in a pharmacy lab or to find a job with the title lab tech (laboratory technician). It's entry level, and the pay is low for the field. I have seen lot of listings lately (I have the opposite problem of too much experience for those jobs)
I do not endorse these companies since I don't work there or know anyone who has but: labcorp, idexx, Test America are some big names.
Don't know if there are any in your area, but it may be a title to look for.
MulysaSempronius on
If that's all there is my friends, then let's keep dancing
Hey, @Brainleech
A good way to get experience as a chemist is to in a pharmacy lab or to find a job with the title lab tech (laboratory technician). It's entry level, and the pay is low for the field. I have seen lot of listings lately (I have the opposite problem of too much experience for those jobs)
I do not endorse these companies since I don't work there or know anyone who has but: labcorp, idexx, Test America are some big names.
Don't know if there are any in your area, but it may be a title to look for.
So true...
This is my issue currently in my life. I was super lazy about school so went for a 2 year program, dropped out with 3 classes left because started a family and what not. Now after 7 years at a job I am barely over $15/hr and get told I am to uneducated for a pay raise or promotion... my current company also did away with helping getting 2yr degrees.
PSN id - kickyoass1
PaD id - 346,240,298
Marvel FF - Lil bill12
Hey, @Brainleech
A good way to get experience as a chemist is to in a pharmacy lab or to find a job with the title lab tech (laboratory technician). It's entry level, and the pay is low for the field. I have seen lot of listings lately (I have the opposite problem of too much experience for those jobs)
I do not endorse these companies since I don't work there or know anyone who has but: labcorp, idexx, Test America are some big names.
Don't know if there are any in your area, but it may be a title to look for.
So true...
This is my issue currently in my life. I was super lazy about school so went for a 2 year program, dropped out with 3 classes left because started a family and what not. Now after 7 years at a job I am barely over $15/hr and get told I am to uneducated for a pay raise or promotion... my current company also did away with helping getting 2yr degrees.
Can you find out if they'd let you continue where you left off? Most schools let you do that. You keep the credit hours you had and you can just finish off and get your degree based on how much is left. It might be more than 3 classes now, but, better than another 2 years.
not a doctor, not a lawyer, examples I use may not be fully researched so don't take out of context plz, don't @ me
Anyone who has a BA and is looking for work, state is often a really good one to look into. Decent pay, good benefits, and a scaling wage system that is abundantly clear.
Currently I'm an Office Assistant for California, in the prison system, which is the most basic of entry level jobs in state and only requires a HSD/GED. Here's my salary range as an OA - Typing.
Office Assistant (General)
Range A: $2,115 - $2,647
Range B: $2,326 - $2,910
Office Assistant (Typing)
Range A: $2,186 - $2,738
Range B: $2,370 - $2,969
My current salary is Range B because I have an Associates degree, but low end because this is my first state job. The ranges have various qualifiers that you can even meet without a degree sometimes, if you've got the experience.
That's small change though, since this is entry level. Here's Associate Information Systems Analyst (AISA) which translates into IT here.
AISA Specialist
Range A: $4711 - $6195
Quite a jump. Don't need a degree either if you've got 18 months experience in the IT field, though in my case I'm getting a Bachelors in Systems Security so I'll fulfill one of the other reqs.
It's easy to get into a state job too. Find the state website, apply for an open exam (or wait for one to be open) and then wait. You'll be told where the exam will be, you go and take it, and then you get put on a list if you pass, ranked according to how well you did. Other institutions in the state can then see the list and call you for interviews.
4 Year degree = commitment, organization, communication, follow through.
4 years working major maintenance on aircraft in the military = "So, you have no previous job experience?"
"Let me tell you about the time I did a waterline 200 repair on every aircraft on the base" makes for one hell of a compelling job interview, let me say. [/sarcasm]
Here's the thing - for most positions, employers get hundreds of resumes. While it would be wonderful if they could go through each in detail, there's no time for that when you're already busy and working shorthanded, so you shortcut. College degrees are a great first cut, as it shows commitment to education as well as follow through. Many military disciplines are as well, but it's hard to know if someone was a potato peeler or serving as a mission-critical piece of the operation if you don't have military experience (note that the military could do a better job of stratifying it's force and experience). Next comes the dreaded keyword bingo, which is more in systems than other places, but is the result of people in HR doing what they think makes sense (note that it doesn't always make sense). From there, you have enough for actually reading through to get to a phone screen list.
The lesson in this is that if your resume doesn't have a degree and can't hit the keyword bingo, network through local community groups, as all it takes for an informational interview is "Hey, I know a guy who's looking for a position" and you're already to the phone screen (at a minimum).
Though something to remember about CA is that in most places you get 77 cents on the dollar due to cost of living (and the fact that over 70k you're hit with 10% income tax).
@bowen - Sysadmins in our company start from 75-100k.
4 Year degree = commitment, organization, communication, follow through.
4 years working major maintenance on aircraft in the military = "So, you have no previous job experience?"
"Let me tell you about the time I did a waterline 200 repair on every aircraft on the base" makes for one hell of a compelling job interview, let me say. [/sarcasm]
Here's the thing - for most positions, employers get hundreds of resumes. While it would be wonderful if they could go through each in detail, there's no time for that when you're already busy and working shorthanded, so you shortcut. College degrees are a great first cut, as it shows commitment to education as well as follow through. Many military disciplines are as well, but it's hard to know if someone was a potato peeler or serving as a mission-critical piece of the operation if you don't have military experience (note that the military could do a better job of stratifying it's force and experience). Next comes the dreaded keyword bingo, which is more in systems than other places, but is the result of people in HR doing what they think makes sense (note that it doesn't always make sense). From there, you have enough for actually reading through to get to a phone screen list.
The lesson in this is that if your resume doesn't have a degree and can't hit the keyword bingo, network through local community groups, as all it takes for an informational interview is "Hey, I know a guy who's looking for a position" and you're already to the phone screen (at a minimum).
Which is why I don't put my AFSC or job title under job experience. I put "Military Experience", two job descriptors ("Led # personnel", "Facilitated communication with customers, workers, and management"), and two achievements ("saved the Air Force $2.5 mil", "Managed repairs on 27 aircraft, averaging over 100 repairs a month").
Even when I get to the interview and can sit down to explain my qualifications in full, I get the, "We'd love you but you don't have a degree, and we don't consider service to be job experience."
If there is a better way to sum it up, I really would like to know.
Also the "potato peeler" comment is the kind of thing I was told to expect from the civilian world. They called it the "Gomer Pyle" effect. Basically that there's this opinion that the people in the military are uneducated and probably did unimportant jobs. Let's just get this out of the way: there's no such thing as a military job that is not mission critical. Military leaders go to leadership training that civilian companies pay millions to only imitate.
Though something to remember about CA is that in most places you get 77 cents on the dollar due to cost of living (and the fact that over 70k you're hit with 10% income tax).
@bowen - Sysadmins in our company start from 75-100k.
Where are you?
Also I'm not sure I can handle being a system admin full time, I hate it now.
not a doctor, not a lawyer, examples I use may not be fully researched so don't take out of context plz, don't @ me
Though something to remember about CA is that in most places you get 77 cents on the dollar due to cost of living (and the fact that over 70k you're hit with 10% income tax).
@bowen - Sysadmins in our company start from 75-100k.
Where are you?
Also I'm not sure I can handle being a system admin full time, I hate it now.
Our major systems ops are in NH, Indiana and Seattle. Note that sysadmins in a large company are more specific to platform groups, such as middleware supporting market portals etc.
Developer roles pay somewhat similar, and we have our technologists as well. While there's a certain level of corporate politics/bureaucracy that goes with everything, it's not bad at all.
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Magus`The fun has been DOUBLED!Registered Userregular
I have a degree in Criminal Justice but I work in the mental health field. I also live in Missouri, take that as you will.
Sorry for the late reply, was at, heh, work. Taking a break ATM.
Though something to remember about CA is that in most places you get 77 cents on the dollar due to cost of living (and the fact that over 70k you're hit with 10% income tax).
@bowen - Sysadmins in our company start from 75-100k.
True, but I also look at the other benefits. The longer you're in the system the more you get paid until you cap out at your job's range. This may sound standard, but the beauty of state work is that one you're past your six month probation, you are almost impossible to fire short of committing a crime. My dad is a Business Manager II in another prison and he's told me the process to get rid of someone. You need to document everything they're doing wrong/badly for a couple years before the case can be moved forward. He's done it once and the person retired shortly before the two year mark so it was for naught.
However this does not apply to layoffs or the position being deleted out from underneath you. Layoffs happen in order of seniority, as in first in first out, but state tends to try and find people affected another position in the system.
Oh yeah, and vacation days are awesome. I'm on the annual leave plan, so instead of getting 8 hours of vacation and 8 hours of sick leave a month I get 12 hours I can use for anything per month. And there's no cap on vacation if I recall, though there's a cap on the payout if you retire with it accrued. This of course leads to silly things like someone taking a year-long "vacation" right before they retire to use up the excess.
Though something to remember about CA is that in most places you get 77 cents on the dollar due to cost of living (and the fact that over 70k you're hit with 10% income tax).
@bowen - Sysadmins in our company start from 75-100k.
Where are you?
Also I'm not sure I can handle being a system admin full time, I hate it now.
Our major systems ops are in NH, Indiana and Seattle. Note that sysadmins in a large company are more specific to platform groups, such as middleware supporting market portals etc.
Developer roles pay somewhat similar, and we have our technologists as well. While there's a certain level of corporate politics/bureaucracy that goes with everything, it's not bad at all.
NH would be cool, so would Seattle (fuck Indiana).
Got a job posting I could look at by any chance? (PM is fine)
not a doctor, not a lawyer, examples I use may not be fully researched so don't take out of context plz, don't @ me
Anyone have any experience with Arabic naming conventions? This gentleman put 'Sultan' in the spot for his first name. It would be pretty neat if he were royalty, but if his parents named him 'king' ....
I think that might be a little grandiose, possibly even insulting to an actual sultan.
Who knows, though, they could have just been giving the kid something to shoot for.
Anyone have any experience with Arabic naming conventions? This gentleman put 'Sultan' in the spot for his first name. It would be pretty neat if he were royalty, but if his parents named him 'king' ....
I think that might be a little grandiose, possibly even insulting to an actual sultan.
Who knows, though, they could have just been giving the kid something to shoot for.
It would appear that using Sultan as a given name is common enough. For instance, the current tallest person in the world (at 8 foot fucking 3 jesus) is named Sultan Kösen. There is also precedent for women having the name, as in Sultan Haydar who is a Turkish long distance runner.
Hey, @Brainleech
A good way to get experience as a chemist is to in a pharmacy lab or to find a job with the title lab tech (laboratory technician). It's entry level, and the pay is low for the field. I have seen lot of listings lately (I have the opposite problem of too much experience for those jobs)
I do not endorse these companies since I don't work there or know anyone who has but: labcorp, idexx, Test America are some big names.
Don't know if there are any in your area, but it may be a title to look for.
So true...
This is my issue currently in my life. I was super lazy about school so went for a 2 year program, dropped out with 3 classes left because started a family and what not. Now after 7 years at a job I am barely over $15/hr and get told I am to uneducated for a pay raise or promotion... my current company also did away with helping getting 2yr degrees.
Can you find out if they'd let you continue where you left off? Most schools let you do that. You keep the credit hours you had and you can just finish off and get your degree based on how much is left. It might be more than 3 classes now, but, better than another 2 years.
Yeah I can & is more then 3 classes... my issue is I am living pay check to pay check. This month I am already negative money for bills.
Posts
http://www.naceweb.org/about-us/press/bachelor-degree-starting-salary-rises.aspx
To expand upon what schuss is saying. In this day and age when you have a degree it says this, "I am an adult and am capable of finishing what I set out to do."
Use this. Start looking for any office job. Have you considered getting an internship at these pharmaceutical manufacturers?
What about a drug rep? They make good money, and you've got a degree to do it.
You might have to move.
Yeah, basically anything pharma or medical related you'd be able to bring some of your experience to bear on.
This program I'm in is specifically targeted for recent assoc/bachelor grads and I'm making 54k a year. That's also roughly mid range in my class as others are making a few cents more or less then me.
Edit: I also moved across the country from California to North Carolina and paid for that out of pocket via family loans for this job.
And even more shocking when she admitted to being someone
Yep. Recently had a friend go Portland -> Philly. Portland suffers from being a super-awesome place to live with few underpinning industries, so the good jobs are few and far between. My wife got something like a 20k pay raise going from Portland to Boston metro, as well as much saner management, as Portland companies mostly fall into the "small business" category and there's a lot of variability in management ability.
You could look into Forest Laboratories I know a few people that work at it in the Cincinnati area and they really enjoy it. You probably couldn't get a job being an R&D Chemist, but can probably find something there to get your foot into the door.
PaD id - 346,240,298
Marvel FF - Lil bill12
I am very fortunate to have the job that I do, I believe, but I was hired in at $45k + full benefits two years ago. I had no practical experience and my degree is in English. I also work for a Fortune 500 company that is centered in a place with a relatively moderate cost of living.
I feel like everyone should be making more than I do.
New job got me closer to the curve other people seem to be on (on the "tech jobs outside of the West Coast" curve, anyway), and I at least have a chance of getting a raise here.
Anything less is, honestly, an insult to yourself. I understand life sucks and cost of living and the field factors greatly into that. But if you don't live in rural Kentucky and didn't major in art history, 50k is just about entry level for someone with 4 years of experience.
To put it in perspective here's what hourly wages are a year (I'm rounding):
$7/hr - $15,000
$10/hr - $20,000
$15/hr - $31,000
$20/hr - $41,000
$25/hr - $52,000
$30/hr - $62,000
For each $5 more an hour you make, add 10k basically.
Imagine trying to live off minimum wage. If you take anything less than 20/hr, you're basically there already after taxes. $5000 a year seems like a huge quality of live improvement but it's not. And there are people with PhDs that are doing this to themselves out of necessity. You'd be better off selling everything you own and moving to a place where you can utilize your degree. A few hundred dollars will at least get you there and set up for a few weeks.
If you're living in a major metropolitan area like NYC, SFBay, or Seattle, I'd say $80k is the least you should take with a 4 year degree. You're still going to live with 3 people probably.
If it turns out your degree is worthless, consider finding a new line of work. Go back for certification for a CNA or something, they make at least $10 an hour, so if you're working Walmart, you're in a better position immediately for a few weeks of training and a few hundred bucks out of pocket.
Check out local community colleges or vocational schools for adult continuing education. No one should have to work minimum wage past 20, ever.
Let's say you apply for a lateral move after being informed that your prior department is being laid off.
While you get into the new department, gaining the new job title and manager, you are prevented from going into training as they insist on you working in your old position indefinitely. In addition, you barely interact with the new manager.
Given that really the only part of the new position you have is the title, would you bother listing it in your job history on your resume or on applications to other companies?
Honestly it's more about the person than the degree. I know people with biz-focused degrees I wouldn't trust to watch my dog, and english/journalism majors I'd trust with major projects. I'm in a Fortune 100, and most of your training is specific to the area you'll be working in, as when you get into a large org with a lot of spread things become very focused, so beyond things like the software life cycle etc., everything has to be taught.
I would just change my entire old job to use the new job's title on the resume. It's apparently what you were originally hired for, especially if the new title is way more powerful.
Yes, I would agree with this. The company I work for is actually within the Fortune 200 and my job is very compartmentalized. I have very specific tasks and duties and was trained for all of them.
My degree was definitely a consideration in my case (they were wanting some diversity), but I was not the only person interviewed for this job. I like to think that I made a good impression and considering that I did in fact get the job, and from comments after the fact, I believe that I really did a lot to sell myself.
I am kind of hoping that since I now have my degree in hand (it was still in process when I was hired) I will be up for a more-than-CoL raise come yearly review time.
The degree is sometimes nice, but often I'm just looking to see if they can think logically and critically, form a sentence that doesn't make my eyes bleed, and accomplish the tasks given in the needed timeline.
I recognize that I'm a bit of a rarity in that I have a degree in PR and am actually doing exactly that. Most people take a degree in the thing that they like and then sort of play a weird game of chutes and ladders to get into the thing that they'll actually enjoy doing for the rest of their life.
There are plenty of people with degrees who are useless and plenty without who can be stars, but it's a good indicator of basic competency. Since I'm in tech, a CS degree is nice, but I've hired people with degrees all over the map. It's highly unlikely that specific skills and knowledge they learned in coursework will be related to what they're doing, but that doesn't mean the degree isn't valuable.
This job is making me lose my mind and I'm not sure what to do anymore.
4 years working major maintenance on aircraft in the military = "So, you have no previous job experience?"
"Let me tell you about the time I did a waterline 200 repair on every aircraft on the base" makes for one hell of a compelling job interview, let me say. [/sarcasm]
A good way to get experience as a chemist is to in a pharmacy lab or to find a job with the title lab tech (laboratory technician). It's entry level, and the pay is low for the field. I have seen lot of listings lately (I have the opposite problem of too much experience for those jobs)
I do not endorse these companies since I don't work there or know anyone who has but: labcorp, idexx, Test America are some big names.
Don't know if there are any in your area, but it may be a title to look for.
So true...
This is my issue currently in my life. I was super lazy about school so went for a 2 year program, dropped out with 3 classes left because started a family and what not. Now after 7 years at a job I am barely over $15/hr and get told I am to uneducated for a pay raise or promotion... my current company also did away with helping getting 2yr degrees.
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Can you find out if they'd let you continue where you left off? Most schools let you do that. You keep the credit hours you had and you can just finish off and get your degree based on how much is left. It might be more than 3 classes now, but, better than another 2 years.
Currently I'm an Office Assistant for California, in the prison system, which is the most basic of entry level jobs in state and only requires a HSD/GED. Here's my salary range as an OA - Typing.
My current salary is Range B because I have an Associates degree, but low end because this is my first state job. The ranges have various qualifiers that you can even meet without a degree sometimes, if you've got the experience.
That's small change though, since this is entry level. Here's Associate Information Systems Analyst (AISA) which translates into IT here.
Quite a jump. Don't need a degree either if you've got 18 months experience in the IT field, though in my case I'm getting a Bachelors in Systems Security so I'll fulfill one of the other reqs.
It's easy to get into a state job too. Find the state website, apply for an open exam (or wait for one to be open) and then wait. You'll be told where the exam will be, you go and take it, and then you get put on a list if you pass, ranked according to how well you did. Other institutions in the state can then see the list and call you for interviews.
Here's the thing - for most positions, employers get hundreds of resumes. While it would be wonderful if they could go through each in detail, there's no time for that when you're already busy and working shorthanded, so you shortcut. College degrees are a great first cut, as it shows commitment to education as well as follow through. Many military disciplines are as well, but it's hard to know if someone was a potato peeler or serving as a mission-critical piece of the operation if you don't have military experience (note that the military could do a better job of stratifying it's force and experience). Next comes the dreaded keyword bingo, which is more in systems than other places, but is the result of people in HR doing what they think makes sense (note that it doesn't always make sense). From there, you have enough for actually reading through to get to a phone screen list.
The lesson in this is that if your resume doesn't have a degree and can't hit the keyword bingo, network through local community groups, as all it takes for an informational interview is "Hey, I know a guy who's looking for a position" and you're already to the phone screen (at a minimum).
Damn I wonder how much I could get with 10 years of experience and a 2 year degree.
@bowen - Sysadmins in our company start from 75-100k.
Which is why I don't put my AFSC or job title under job experience. I put "Military Experience", two job descriptors ("Led # personnel", "Facilitated communication with customers, workers, and management"), and two achievements ("saved the Air Force $2.5 mil", "Managed repairs on 27 aircraft, averaging over 100 repairs a month").
Even when I get to the interview and can sit down to explain my qualifications in full, I get the, "We'd love you but you don't have a degree, and we don't consider service to be job experience."
If there is a better way to sum it up, I really would like to know.
Also the "potato peeler" comment is the kind of thing I was told to expect from the civilian world. They called it the "Gomer Pyle" effect. Basically that there's this opinion that the people in the military are uneducated and probably did unimportant jobs. Let's just get this out of the way: there's no such thing as a military job that is not mission critical. Military leaders go to leadership training that civilian companies pay millions to only imitate.
Where are you?
Also I'm not sure I can handle being a system admin full time, I hate it now.
Our major systems ops are in NH, Indiana and Seattle. Note that sysadmins in a large company are more specific to platform groups, such as middleware supporting market portals etc.
Developer roles pay somewhat similar, and we have our technologists as well. While there's a certain level of corporate politics/bureaucracy that goes with everything, it's not bad at all.
Sorry for the late reply, was at, heh, work. Taking a break ATM.
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True, but I also look at the other benefits. The longer you're in the system the more you get paid until you cap out at your job's range. This may sound standard, but the beauty of state work is that one you're past your six month probation, you are almost impossible to fire short of committing a crime. My dad is a Business Manager II in another prison and he's told me the process to get rid of someone. You need to document everything they're doing wrong/badly for a couple years before the case can be moved forward. He's done it once and the person retired shortly before the two year mark so it was for naught.
However this does not apply to layoffs or the position being deleted out from underneath you. Layoffs happen in order of seniority, as in first in first out, but state tends to try and find people affected another position in the system.
Oh yeah, and vacation days are awesome. I'm on the annual leave plan, so instead of getting 8 hours of vacation and 8 hours of sick leave a month I get 12 hours I can use for anything per month. And there's no cap on vacation if I recall, though there's a cap on the payout if you retire with it accrued. This of course leads to silly things like someone taking a year-long "vacation" right before they retire to use up the excess.
NH would be cool, so would Seattle (fuck Indiana).
Got a job posting I could look at by any chance? (PM is fine)
I think that might be a little grandiose, possibly even insulting to an actual sultan.
Who knows, though, they could have just been giving the kid something to shoot for.
Maybe not "John" level common but, maybe, something more like Chris or Richard.
I don't know him from Adam, but I'm quite comfortable in guessing he got into a few fights here and there.
Who am I kidding? The dude probably had concrete knuckles by 6th grade, I know I would.
It would appear that using Sultan as a given name is common enough. For instance, the current tallest person in the world (at 8 foot fucking 3 jesus) is named Sultan Kösen. There is also precedent for women having the name, as in Sultan Haydar who is a Turkish long distance runner.
Yeah I can & is more then 3 classes... my issue is I am living pay check to pay check. This month I am already negative money for bills.
According to this I am in the bottom 20% in my area
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