Incentive to finish your degree...

[Basket Weaver]

A 5% unemployment rate doesn't mean much when considering the fact that many college grads are underemployed. I would argue that the $8/hr clerk with a HS diploma and no debt is better off than the $10/hr clerk with an engineering degree.

I agree, from my job search experience, many jobs require are requiring degrees which did not previously require them. Fact is, the job market is so glutted by degree holders that it is almost a prerequisite to have a degree to get hired. This does not mean that you will get paid more, in most cases, it is just a block that needs to be checked off. Having a professional degree would be the exception.

One can hardly peruse the internet anymore without seeing ads from online colleges spreading the stats about how much more one will make with a degree, especially a Masters degree. This was once true, but not as accurate in today's job market. Online/distance learning is enabling more people to reach their educational goals and is producing far many more graduates than in the past. What happens to the job market with the addition of all these degree holders? Do you think employers will continue to pay more for someone solely based on their education? I think that anyone without a college degree, not in a trade field, is going to have a difficult time finding a decent job. Those with a degree, especially general degrees like my "Liberal Studies" will be disappointed by the pay; I know I was/am.

The value of a degree is an evolution that is still in transition.

Do I think a degree is still worth going after? Absolutely; they fill a block and place you on the next rung of the proverbial career ladder, just don't expect the world because you have one.

I started this journey to fulfill a personal goal of having a degree...any degree. In retrospect, I wish that I would have gone after a professional degree, one that actually means something to someone else besides myself. Just my view, I think it's good to get both sides.



EDIT: Talk about timing...check this out

"Career-fair recruiting at MSU is down 25% this year. The same story is heard on college campuses from coast to coast: Companies have cut back hiring and when they do have jobs, they have plenty of experienced applicants to pick from. College graduates typically need further training and seasoning, so many employers are skipping college career fairs this year or tapping former interns if they need fresh talent."

college-grads-outlook-grim: Personal Finance News from Yahoo! Finance