Your job or career

[hogcowboy]

I've only worked for two businesses in my life. Worked for the US government 4 years and for the rest of my life at another business until I retired. I got to thinking the other day about what if I had to do it all over again, could I? And I think the answer in this day and age would be no maybe not. At least not exactly like I did it. The reason I say that is because it appears to me businesses are only hiring those that have a lot of 'book learning'. Those that know how to take a test but don't know how to apply it. To me that's sad but sure does explain the mess this country is in. You see I only have a high school education and when I was growing up that was bare minimum for a job but businesses would do it. In my case I retired as a Systems Engineer but took what ever education I needed to do the job. I'm just not sure it can be done like that anymore. How about all of you. Could you get to where you are or were if you had to do it again?

[davidj]

I left Yankee Station in April, 1968. I had Navy training on Electronics. When I got home I had no formal college. I was able to hire in as a maintenance electrician apprenticeship. I worked for five years and applied for an Assoc. Electrical Eng. but I had to go to a six month grueling company school that after graduation the company looked upon as an Associate Degree.
From there I worked within the power grid for 25 yrs. and became the companies first non degreed Engineering Unit Supervisor. Could I do that again? Not in a million years! Now, I would have to have the Associates Degree just to get an interview and a four year degree to even be considered for supervisor's job.

[hogcowboy]

And that's what I'm seeing. The very thing that made this nation great is being thrown away now. At least that's what I think.

[virtigo]

I'm with you. I have a Government executive position based on a PhD from the School of Hard Knocks. That school closed years ago.

[gunnerbob]

The credintialized America we live in has made us even dumber. We go to school longer, become adults later, and know less. A college degree doesn't equal being educated anymore(if it ever did)... it means(in a lot of cases) that a person wasted 2,4,6, or 8yrs of someone else's money so they could party longer and contribute to society later, and with less to actually contribute.

But, I rant...

[bswartz15]

I don't have a college degree, but I manage to keep moving up. Luckily, I have had several managers see my potential. I work in the computer industry, and almost every job I have worked required a degree. The problem is that most of the people that have degrees really stink at their job. I am 31 and would probably run my own business if there were not so many government rules and regulations.

[araczynski]

you guys forget, with all the equal opportunity employment requirements and limitations as to what an employer can ask and of whom (legally), having a college degree is the bare minimum that an employer can use as a gauge for whether you have any gray matter between your ears. a college degree THESE DAYS, typically implies that you're at least intelligent enough to persevere through 4+ years of additional education, beyond the minimum 'no child left behind' crap that is the current schooling system. so to an employer, the individual is at least capable of learning what they need to actually know to do the job.

the fact that what you really need to know about work you learn on the job, hasn't changed.

[PestControl02]

And that's what I'm seeing. The very thing that made this nation great is being thrown away now. At least that's what I think.

For sure. Used to be anyone with ambition and a decent product or service could start a company and the potential was unlimited.

Remember too when Made In America meant high quality, built to last products...whatever happened to that?

Very hard to get started these days..with multiple levels of bureaucrats..federal,state,county,city...all needing to be paid first..then there's liability insurance, workers comp insurance, unemployment insurance, building insurance, vehicle insurance...it's crazy amounts of money before you even sell one service or product

[araczynski]

Remember too when Made In America meant high quality, built to last products...whatever happened to that?

i think unions happened to that, the "no employee left behind" mentality.

[gunnerbob]

you guys forget, with all the equal opportunity employment requirements and limitations as to what an employer can ask and of whom (legally), having a college degree is the bare minimum that an employer can use as a gauge for whether you have any gray matter between your ears. a college degree THESE DAYS, typically implies that you're at least intelligent enough to persevere through 4+ years of additional education, beyond the minimum 'no child left behind' crap that is the current schooling system. so to an employer, the individual is at least capable of learning what they need to actually know to do the job.

the fact that what you really need to know about work you learn on the job, hasn't changed.

It is the way it is.... that's for sure. Although, with the schooling system the way it is, y'know... "no child left behind" crap... it's easier to fail and be "advanced" than it is to actually try in school.

Now, to be cheesy... I'll steal a line from Clint Eastwood in Heartbreak Ridge(great movie)...

LT- "What college did you go to Gunny?"

Gunny Highway- "Heartbreak Ridge."

I hope that when my next employer looks at my resume they see that my education through "Operation Enduring Freedom" means I have enough grey matter to learn a new job.

But I dream....