Right now I am working on getting my GED .I am not sure what I will do after that or where I will go .I have been having something of a debate with the US economy in the tank .I have family members telling me from opposite ends of the country that college degree holders are putting in applications in at fast food chains for cash jobs.Cause they can't find work anywhere else .My question is with the economy not seeming to get any better what would be better somebody with skills or with a degree.To my family's thinking  ,' so what that's just a piece of paper that doesn't give you any relist skills " Who's right ?

I personally think that those with degrees and in the higher income brackets tend to feel the effects of a recession less than the wage earners at factories, etc.  This can be especially true if the degree lead to a specialized skill set, licensure and/or diversified or multidisciplinary skills.  My employer is still hiring, the difference is now they can be a lot more picky which means skilled or not, you have to be competetive at a high level to get in the door.  But then there are certain skills that never go out of style, fixing cars, air conditioning, plumbing etc.  The trouble is many of those skills are labor intensive and at times can be feast or famine in nature, plus of course the wage ceiling.  Truthfully there are no safe bets out there but I think a college degree in a high demand discipline will be rewarding now and in the future.  Besides, recessions don't last forever.

Okay, maybe a different slant from me...

 I'm not so sure that the US economy is "in the tank".  While unemployment is the highest it has been in a long time, it's a little over 9%.  That means that 1 in 10 people are out of work - or put the other way, 9 out of 10 are employed.

Going off the government's April jobs release, here is how joblessness breaks down by education level:

Unemployment for those with less than a high school diploma:  14.8%

Unemployment for those with a high school diploma:  9.3%

Unemployment for those with a bachelor's degree (or higher):  4.4%

US Census Bureau data shows that a college graduate earns, on average, 80% more than those with only a high school diploma, yet only 29% of U.S. citizens over 25 years old have a bachelor's degree.

The only job security you have is in your skills and abilities. If your skills are generally the same as everyone else's, then what will make you stand out to get hired? 

A college degree is no guarantee that you'll get hired or get a great job - obviously since as your family tells you college graduates are putting in applications to work at fast food joints.   It is you - your skills, knowledge, experience, and abilities that get you the job.  However, in many cases the college diploma is required to get you the job interview or get you the promotion.  It's not just the education, but what you do with it.

My advice?  Go for the education - that can never be taken away from you.  A college education shows your ability and aptitude for growth and handling uncertain situations.  Can you be successful without one?  Certainly, but the numbers / stats above indicate that the odds will be more in your favor with one than without one.

Thanks I just wanted some other opinions .I want the college degree and it is something that I have wanted since I didn't graduate high school 10 plus years ago .It's now or never for me .A college degree is in my future .I will update when I get my GED .

I was in the same situation back when I graduated high school in 2005.  I was fed up with school and did not want to go to college, so I looked into learning a trade. But since I'm not very good with my hands and learned I would have to work very long hours as an apprentice for NO PAY, I figured that going to college was worth it. 

Put another way...  The world's best mechanic will never be unemployed for long.  Likewise the world's worst doctor will never have a job for long.  Like said before, it's not only about what you know but how well you know it and apply it.  Degrees are just evidence of skills, that's it.  Of themselves a degree is of little value, it's what you learn during the course of earning the degree that is so highly sought after by employers.  Now go forth and conquer.

I agree with Vince that things aren't necessarily as catastrophic economically as we're sometimes told.  And there's also the matter that it doesn't make sense to talk about "the U.S." when different regions and cities are having very different experiences with their economies.  The Washington, D.C. area is doing fine, for example, but Michigan, well, not so much.

-=Steve=-

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B.S., Info Sys, Charter Oak State College
M.A., Educational Tech Leadership, George Washington University
Doctor of Health Education, A.T. Still University, in progress

SteveFoerster:

I agree with Vince that things aren't necessarily as catastrophic economically as we're sometimes told.  And there's also the matter that it doesn't make sense to talk about "the U.S." when different regions and cities are having very different experiences with their economies.  The Washington, D.C. area is doing fine, for example, but Michigan, well, not so much.

-=Steve=-

It's also important to note that Washington DC is really more of a competency region, very little industrialized activity, mostly knowledge based or competency based work.  Same with North Texas, the recession has done little to damage the local econ. but there have been layoffs and we have been impacted, well, we have a bit of industry here too.  But fortunately North Texas also has a ton of knowledge based work as well, making it a competency region.  I'm not the origionator of this information actually,(as if there was a doubt) I heard a news story covered on an AM talk radio station and I found it particularly interesting.

As the seat of government, there are those who would call Washington, D.C. an incompetency region!

But we sure do well during recessions around here....

-=Steve=-

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B.S., Info Sys, Charter Oak State College
M.A., Educational Tech Leadership, George Washington University
Doctor of Health Education, A.T. Still University, in progress

Will a degree itself get you a job?  Maybe.

Will job skills alone get you a decent-paying job?  Maybe.

 I have always said that it is better to have the degree and not need it than to need the degree and not have it.  I have always been in the latter category.  I was always able to get jobs based upon my experience, but I know for a fact that my lack of a degree kept me from getting many jobs.  I probably could have gone a lot further in my previous career if I had a degree.  

 I changed careers a few years ago, partially based upon the fact that I am working on a degree program.

 

 

tcord1964:

Will a degree itself get you a job?  Maybe.

Will job skills alone get you a decent-paying job?  Maybe.

 I have always said that it is better to have the degree and not need it than to need the degree and not have it.  I have always been in the latter category.  I was always able to get jobs based upon my experience, but I know for a fact that my lack of a degree kept me from getting many jobs.  I probably could have gone a lot further in my previous career if I had a degree.  

 I changed careers a few years ago, partially based upon the fact that I am working on a degree program.

I have been reading your blog for a while,it is quite inspiring When and if I get another job I will be going back for college .I am about to take my GEd which  I am confident I will pass so that will not be a problem.Getting money to pay for college with no job will. 

I think college degree and skills both are necessary. For me i think degree is very important. You can't do anything without education.

I think both are essential elements, but i would think a degree is more important when you are trying to get your foot in someone's door and when you are job hopping after you've gained job experiences, then job skills probably take over a little bit and the degree doesn't look as important.

Recession aside, honing one's skills has gained leverage in the employment simply because a college graduate does not necessary means that he is fit for the job. Clients have become more focused on hiring people with the tried and tested skill sets for the job, and a college degree does not guarantee that.

interiordesignr:

Recession aside, honing one's skills has gained leverage in the employment simply because a college graduate does not necessary means that he is fit for the job. Clients have become more focused on hiring people with the tried and tested skill sets for the job, and a college degree does not guarantee that.

I agree, although in many industries it's a "check the box" sort of thing.  When an employer has a position to fill and gets many, many responses, often they'll simply discard those from applicants without a degree as a lazy way to make it easy to go through the pile.  (I realize that design oriented industries like yours this is less the case.)

-=Steve=-

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B.S., Info Sys, Charter Oak State College
M.A., Educational Tech Leadership, George Washington University
Doctor of Health Education, A.T. Still University, in progress