Not to go into too much detail I am a college grad (BA in Telecommunications) who can’t get a job. (I am working retail right now to make money btw). I graduated in 2008, so not THAT long ago, but nothing has come up, I can’t get interviews blah blah blah you know the story. I am at a point where I can potentially do a couple things and I want to get dopers’ opinions because I am torn myself, and want to hear other people’s thoughts.
Option 1: This may or may not happen. I have an older brother who might be able to get me a job at his company. It will probably be what I want to do, or something very close. If I go this route I would have to move (something I don’t really wanna do, but could be ok with) but the upside is I would have a REAL job getting experience and all that good stuff that comes with working.
Option 2: Going back to school and getting another degree. I could go back to my undergrad, become a grad student this time, and get another degree in something that sounds pretty cool, and it would put me back into the school mix of connections/networking and I could try to get a job that way. I know it sounds like a longer route to option 1, but I don’t REALLY want to work at the company my brother does, and I would love to go back and get my masters anyway.
I do wonder however, is it looked down upon if you get your bach and your masters from the same school? Would this REALLY help me in the end? Should I just forgo this for now, get the (maybe) job and just do this later? Any and all input is greatly appreciated!
I would recommend working for a while and not getting another degree until you target what you’d like to do and how that degree will get you there. Taking on more debt for something that seems cool may not be the most prudent idea.
Could you talk more about the move you’d have to make for option 1? Getting experience in something close to what you’d like sounds good on the surface.
The degree is pretty much targeted towards what I want to do, and I actually have no debt from college journey number 1 because my parents paid for it all (or as I like to think…wasted their money…but that’s because I’m bitter).
The move would be moving from my apt. in Indianapolis to an apt. in Bloomington IN. (Home of IU).
I’d consider the move, to get some real-world job experience and save up a bit of cash. Any chance you could live with your brother for a bit and split the rent? win-win situation all around (unless you don’t get along with your brother, obviously). Oh, and of course with the university right there, you’d have grad-degree options right at your fingertips if you wanted to go part-time while you work.
No-go with my brother, he’s already living with someone. He and I get along fine too by the way but he literally just moved with this person so it wouldn’t really make sense, plus I wouldn’t wanna do that to him.
It makes sense both ways for me, and I see the positives and negatives of both sides, the biggest in option 1 being an actual job with a university in driving distance. Option 2 being I guess closer to what I actually “want”.
You and I have talked a bit about jobs in Chicago. I think that unless you physically move here, you’ll have a hard time landing a job. I say you figure out where you’d like to end up, save up enough money and just move there. Find a job once you’re settled in a bit. That’s what I did when I moved to Chicago from Washington State.
I don’t think getting a Master’s would help you all that much, not to mention that schools are turning away many many grad school applicants because their Federal subsidy money has dried up in this economy.