Questions for adults in the work force

[PrincessV]

Was your K-12 education enough for you to succeed in life?

Yes, but...

my k-12 was enough to succeed/survive-but not pursue the professions i was interested in.

I have to agree with barkley. Here's why -
I went to a private, college-prep school from 5th-12th grade. When I went on to college, it was a huge step backward academically; English 101 felt like a huge waste of time when I'd just had to complete a 30-page thesis, in addition to mid-terms/finals and a month-long research project, to graduate high school. I had no idea what I wanted to do anyway, so I quit after a semester.

With no college degree, I worked my way through the ranks of several professions and have made a good living in bank management, HR and marketing. But I recently found my passion... and it requires an advanced degree. So, while I'd say I've been successful in life, I've had to go back to college to be successful in my chosen career. FYI, the chosen career will net me significantly less income, so the definition of "success" is relevant here.

Did you do something extra (in addition to your standard education) to help you prepare to succeed (ie: Saturday extra curricular activities, learning summers, etc.)

Nope. School was hard; I needed those breaks badly!

If you attended college, did your K-12 prepare you adequately for college or did you struggle?

See above - I don't say this to sound haughty, but my K-12 (or at least the 8-12 part of it) was FAR more challenging than college ever has been. I just went to a tough school.

Would you say your post high school or college training helped you for your current job more than anything else? Or a combination of things you did growing up?

For me, in my current marketing career, the key factors were a combination of a solid liberal arts education (see below) and real-life experience in retail as a young adult.

What academic subjects *most* (Pick 2) offers people the most options for work force success?

I can only speak for my experience: English and History. I've learned the technical side of my career on the job, but research and writing skills can't be taught in a day.

Great questions, BTW; I'm enjoying the discussion!

 

[GaSleepingBeautyFan]

I did the high school graduate thing and 2 years at a vocational school graduating with a 2 year accounting degree.

I joined the work world and specialized in advertising accounting. I loved it. But the biggest issue I had was when I would want to change jobs. Alot of people wouldn't even talk to me since I didn't have a 4 year college degree even though I had years and years of experience and knew more than most college grads in that area.

I found most of my jobs thru contacts because of it.
I'm sure I'll have a harder time if I ever go back to work ( I quit 4 years ago and work part time out of the house for my husbands part time internet biz) and I know I won't make as much money.

Communication is huge. If you don't communicate well (speaking, writing, listening), you won't get far. You will also need a grasp of math and a good basis in technology (ie: word, excel, powerpoint)

 

[bumbershoot]

Was your K-12 education enough for you to succeed in life?

Did you do something extra (in addition to your standard education) to help you prepare to succeed (ie: Saturday extra curricular activities, learning summers, etc.)

If you attended college, did your K-12 prepare you adequately for college or did you struggle?

Would you say your post high school or college training helped you for your current job more than anything else? Or a combination of things you did growing up?

What academic subjects *most* (Pick 2) offers people the most options for work force success?

My husband did just under 2 years of college.

None of his schooling prepared him for any of his jobs.

He learned to fix cars pretty much on his own and with friends, and that helped him when he worked at Saturn (he booked the services, he didn't DO the services). He's really good at helping other people with their cars even now, especially since his Saturn shop even had a poster describing sounds cars make and what those sounds can mean.

He's mainly been in computer-related jobs, and for each one he has learned what he needed to learn, usually in under 2 weeks. He learned SQL 2 jobs ago, and that has gotten him the last 2 jobs.

When he wants or needs a new job, his resume of experience, all of which has built upon itself, has gotten him in the door, and gotten him hired over people with "pieces of paper" (college degrees), even when the job stated a 4 year degree was necessary.

It's actually amazing, charting his progress and jobs, and what he's learned in one place and what that got him in the next...

Unfortunately, having "dropped out" (b/c he felt the need to be at home more b/c of how his father treated his mother...a common problem with boys in those situations, when all boys do is make problems worse (hello oedipus) from what I've seen) caused some serious confidence problems. He feels he is missing something.

And it's definitely possible (absolutely in the two places when his co-workers would talk money with each other) that his starting salary is less b/c of the lack of "proof" that he's intelligent, which sucks. So finishing his basic degree is something that is always on his mind, for the money, but lack of college hasn't kept him from any jobs.

 

[Explodo]

I have BS degrees in Mathematics and SW Engineering and a Masters in statistics.

Hard engineering in the undergrad levels are absolutely nessassary in terms of learning the basic language of science...After college...you spend another 5 years just figuring out how things are put together...BUt you would never be able to do that without the skills you learn at the Collegiate level.

My adviCe is for a person to get a MAthematics minor with any degree. It helps tremndously. Engineers are in short supply right now...I'm telling anyone who will listen to get your engineering degree...in whatever discipline floats your boat. We've got to many lawyers...to many teachers...not enough Engineers.

 

[Disney Doll]

See bolded

Was your K-12 education enough for you to succeed in life? Not for me. I don't have much of an entrepreneurial spirit.

Did you do something extra (in addition to your standard education) to help you prepare to succeed (ie: Saturday extra curricular activities, learning summers, etc.). Candy striper

If you attended college, did your K-12 prepare you adequately for college or did you struggle? No, I was fine in college.

Would you say your post high school or college training helped you for your current job more than anything else? Or a combination of things you did growing up? I needed college. I am a nurse.

What academic subjects *most* (Pick 2) offers people the most options for work force success?

science and English

 

[MrsPete]

Was your K-12 education enough for you to succeed in life? No. In past generations, it may've been very possible for a person with a strong work ethic and a high school diploma to do well, that possibility is largely disappearing. With only a high school diploma today -- unless the person is extremely enterprising or has something else going for him -- that person will survive but won't really find openings to better jobs. I think this is particularly true for women; men have more opportunities for manual labor work, but women with only high school diplomas are often stuck in retail or food service jobs. Not fair, but true.

Sure, you can find examples of people who are doing very, very well with only a high school diploma -- but you can find more examples of people who are barely making it with that same education.

Did you do something extra (in addition to your standard education) to help you prepare to succeed (ie: Saturday extra curricular activities, learning summers, etc.) Yes, though most of it wasn't really academic in nature. It was more like extra-curriculars at school and in the community -- things that helped me decide what I wanted to do and helped me qualify myself for college/scholarships.

If you attended college, did your K-12 prepare you adequately for college or did you struggle? Yes, I was ready for college work. I found that I had to put in more effort than I had in high school, but high school gave me the tools I needed to do well in college.

Would you say your post high school or college training helped you for your current job more than anything else? Or a combination of things you did growing up I'm a teacher, so my college degree is absolutely essential for my job. Having a "teacher personality" helps as much as anything, but I absolutely use specific things that I learned in college -- particularly in student teaching.

What academi c subjects *most* (Pick 2) offers people the most options for work force success? Health care and business.

Each of these fields offers a wide variety of options. A person who needs to work NOW and doesn't have time or money for a 4-year degree can earn a CNA license (or something similar) very quickly, and that opens doors for him or her. In the busines world, a person who earns an associate's degree in bookkeeping can do quite a bit more than just a high school graduate. And, of course, a full four-year degree or a master's degree in either of these subjects will provide wonderful career opportunities.

 

[MrsPete]

My adviCe is for a person to get a MAthematics minor with any degree. It helps tremndously. Engineers are in short supply right now...I'm telling anyone who will listen to get your engineering degree...in whatever discipline floats your boat. We've got to many lawyers...to many teachers...not enough Engineers.

Here in the South, we finally have enough teachers. We've had a teacher-drought for years and years, and I wouldn't say we have an over-abundance now. We particularly need math teachers, and we always have trouble filling spots in foreign language and science. Special ed jobs, too, are hard to fill.

Engineers -- my husband is one -- will always be in demand, and their degree can be used in so many ways. But not everyone can make it through the engineering program.

The latest thing I see among my students: A huge number who want to "do what they do on CSI". Many of them don't have a good grasp of exactly what they do, but it looks cool. In a few years, I suspect we're going to have a glut of forensic science degrees.

 

[Pea-n-Me]

I do have a job that requires a degree (RN). All of my life experiences and my education prepared me for my work. When I was young my mother worked in a nursing home and I used to hang around and talk to the patients. That was probably one of the best preparations I could have had. It helped me not only choose my path, but enjoy it. My advice would be to not overlook ANY experiences you have, even if they don't seem particularly meaningful at the time. You never know where the paths of your life are going to lead you.

My DH's work does not require a degree, save for a few specialized positions, but he went back as an adult to get it anyway because he was looking into the future back then. It was a good move. There is not a job in his field that he could ever be told he does not have either the experience OR the education required. That's a good feeling when you're job seeking, especially in an economy like this one.

 

[eliza61]

Was your K-12 education enough for you to succeed in life?

Did you do something extra (in addition to your standard education) to help you prepare to succeed (ie: Saturday extra curricular activities, learning summers, etc.)

If you attended college, did your K-12 prepare you adequately for college or did you struggle?

Would you say your post high school or college training helped you for your current job more than anything else? Or a combination of things you did growing up?

What academic subjects *most* (Pick 2) offers people the most options for work force success?

I'm a Chemist so I definitely needed a college degree for that.
Not sure how well I was prepared for college. I went to elementary school and high school in a different era (60's & 70's). Schools concentrated on well rounded kids, some thing I don't see now. We had music and gym, classes were smaller, just a totally different time.

I will say there were areas I struggled with (and still do). I've always been lousy at English or Language Arts. I hate writing papers and my spelling is horrible. At 50, I still try to take a college course or two to improve my skills in this area. I think for me it will be a life long improvement type of situation.

2 areas that will help in the future job market.

Math (to compete globally we have to be technology driven)
Communications.