[hysteriic]

Im graduating this december with a double major. i hope to do my masters soon, but i would first like to find a job to make some money to help out my family. how long did you guys take to find a job after university? a job that is related to your career path?...or did you guys do internships first? or continue on to grad school without stopping?

im 20 years old right now...and i graduate a month after my 21st bday...should i take some time off before grad school and gain some work experience first??

any input would be great.

thx!

X
edit>
i was an AP student from toronto.
i also took my full undergrad degree with no summer breaks enabling me to finish in 3.5 years (i could have finished in 3, but i had health issues)
my program at mcgill enables me to do a joint degree....bachelor of arts and science
for arts, im in poli sci and for science, im in psyc
im hoping to become a child clinical psychologist

i dont know if i want to spread my wings a bit after university before continuing on another 5ish years of school or go straight on...
also there is the issue of money...

thx for all your opinions guys!

[Prot]

Well depending on where you are getting your masters, you can do part/full time work at the same time. I plan on getting a masters but working at the same time.

[Pogichinoy]

I was in the middle of my masters when I was lured away by money with a job. Haven't looked back since.

In this climate, it would be best to work part time in your industry with a cadetship in mind, which hopefully will elevate you to a graduate position once you complete your studies.

[taiji.]

i had a part time job (paid internship) when i was in school and went full time right after i graduated. i'm not sure what field you are in, but i'd highly recommend getting an internship in your field if that's the field you plan to work in after graduation. with the current economy, nobody wants to hire recent college graduates and spend extra money on training. having experience gives you great advantage over others who graduated with no experience. some of my smartest friends who graduated with a very high gpa but without experience have been jobless since their graduation last spring.

some of my professors also recommended getting a masters since the job market is really bad right now. so if you really can't find any job, just go for masters.

btw, great job on being able to graduate with double major at such a young age.. i did a double major too but i was a few years older

[knickstorm]

whoa.......you skip grades or something?? though one time i was in canada, i remember hearing hs was just 3 years? maybe i'm wrong

i did internships during summer breaks from college.......got my first job 3-4 months after i graduated, though it was freelance.......in my industry/career path, grad school doesnt really help, so i never really considered it

took about a full year before i got a full time gig, but that was partly due to me being somewhat choosy as far as where i wanted to work....but for now, things have worked out pretty well..........i know plenty of people they went for jobs right after graduating with full intentions of going back to school after they put some money in the bank, so that's not unusual at all.

[[HyuNi]]

Congradulations on your upcoming graduation!

I technically found my job after my junior year in college and started working full-time 2 1/2 years later after completing my masters. It is a job related to my career path and I got it through an internship program.

I had one summer internship with a financial accounting firm my junior year, and 2 summer internships at my current employer. They also gave me the option to work part-time during the school year, as well.

I don't know exactly what your situation is, but if you plan to get your masters, I would do it right after college. It's EXTREMELY hard to go back to school after you've been working. Currently, I SHOULD be studying for my CPA, but it's difficult to get motivated enough to study an hour or two each night. The transition from student to professional is a bit of a shell shock. I can only image how much worse it is to go back into student-mode.
It may feel like you've been in school forever and you want to actually start making some money, but especially with today's economic atmosphere, I think it's best to get more qualifications first and make yourself stand out above everybody else, so they when you are ready to go out into the workforce, employers will treat you like a hot commodity.

[1336.5]

Congradulations on your upcoming graduation!

I technically found my job after my junior year in college and started working full-time 2 1/2 years later after completing my masters. It is a job related to my career path and I got it through an internship program.

I had one summer internship with a financial accounting firm my junior year, and 2 summer internships at my current employer. They also gave me the option to work part-time during the school year, as well.

I don't know exactly what your situation is, but if you plan to get your masters, I would do it right after college. It's EXTREMELY hard to go back to school after you've been working. Currently, I SHOULD be studying for my CPA, but it's difficult to get motivated enough to study an hour or two each night. The transition from student to professional is a bit of a shell shock. I can only image how much worse it is to go back into student-mode.
It may feel like you've been in school forever and you want to actually start making some money, but especially with today's economic atmosphere, I think it's best to get more qualifications first and make yourself stand out above everybody else, so they when you are ready to go out into the workforce, employers will treat you like a hot commodity.

I disagree. I think college grads now are a dime a dozen. If a company can find someone who's been in the industry and already knows the basic ropes then it's that much easier for the company both in terms of costs and time. Yeah, having an advanced degree looks good on paper, but unless you're doing something highly technical or cutting edge that requires the knowledge of the latest known experiments and whatnot...then 9 times out of 10, i'd pick a person with 2 years experience over a guy with no experience and a master's

[Hax]

I disagree. I think college grads now are a dime a dozen. If a company can find someone who's been in the industry and already knows the basic ropes then it's that much easier for the company both in terms of costs and time. Yeah, having an advanced degree looks good on paper, but unless you're doing something highly technical or cutting edge that requires the knowledge of the latest known experiments and whatnot...then 9 times out of 10, i'd pick a person with 2 years experience over a guy with no experience and a master's

With a lot of top tier companies, such as public accounting firms, they will hire the college student over the person with 2 years experience. They have plenty of people to promote from within the firm, so that person with 2 years experience will be shafted for the person with the paper qualifications. You may have the experience, but you will still need to be trained, so the 2 years experience will be equal to the qualified student. The only difference is that the 2 year person may know his way around a little bit more.

[[HyuNi]]

I disagree. I think college grads now are a dime a dozen. If a company can find someone who's been in the industry and already knows the basic ropes then it's that much easier for the company both in terms of costs and time. Yeah, having an advanced degree looks good on paper, but unless you're doing something highly technical or cutting edge that requires the knowledge of the latest known experiments and whatnot...then 9 times out of 10, i'd pick a person with 2 years experience over a guy with no experience and a master's

Yeah I agree with you. I think that's why internships are important. It doesn't really give you more technical skills, but it helps you understand corporate life & culture and how a company in the industry you want to work for generally runs. It's better to hire someone that can hit the ground running than hiring someone who has the *potential* to do well within the company.
btw, I get your name haha So close!

With a lot of top tier companies, such as public accounting firms, they will hire the college student over the person with 2 years experience. They have plenty of people to promote from within the firm, so that person with 2 years experience will be shafted for the person with the paper qualifications. You may have the experience, but you will still need to be trained, so the 2 years experience will be equal to the qualified student. The only difference is that the 2 year person may know his way around a little bit more.

I think public accounting firms are a different animal. They push the CPA like crazy, but don't allow you to put it on your business card until you become a supervisor They say they treat interns like first years and they do, but what they don't tell you is that they treat first years like bumbling idiots. haha One of the reasons public accounting firms would probably hire someone with the creds instead of 2 years experience is because that two years of experience is an awkward place in a very fast promotion track culture. It's just enough to know the basics, but not enough to get promoted to anything other than staff accountant. I had a chance to go to KPMG, but I went with my current employer and never looked back. A lot of my friend's are in public accounting and they don't get paid enough for all the work they do.

[Hax]

I think public accounting firms are a different animal. They push the CPA like crazy, but don't allow you to put it on your business card until you become a supervisor They say they treat interns like first years and they do, but what they don't tell you is that they treat first years like bumbling idiots. haha One of the reasons public accounting firms would probably hire someone with the creds instead of 2 years experience is because that two years of experience is an awkward place in a very fast promotion track culture. It's just enough to know the basics, but not enough to get promoted to anything other than staff accountant. I had a chance to go to KPMG, but I went with my current employer and never looked back. A lot of my friend's are in public accounting and they don't get paid enough for all the work they do.

I'm just glad I'm not in Audit. Hopefully Advisory hours are not so bad, haha. I've heard horror stories about audit hours and I probably can't handle them.

[Rockette]

I was resting up for three months. Must be induced lethargy catalyzed by my one month being shackled to my room and rigorously and insanely studying for the Pharmacy Licensure Board Examinations. I was stagnant for three months, watching TV, anime, reading, lazing about and fattening my ass by indulging in my gluttony. After my father's death, which was September, I found my first job within two weeks.

I got a job as a call center agent for an American-owned company based in the Philippines which sells memberships to websites that offer slim chances with government grants, Acai berry diet pills and cash rebate websites. It was an illegally operating establishment that only burgeoned me with guilt so I had to leave.

I'm currently working for a Korean-owned company which is also based here as an Online English Tutor for native Koreans. We teach basic conversational to technical English through a system called Phone English, research it, it's quite adamant and popular. I've been a probationary teacher for about three months bordering to four and within six months I'll be a regular. I'm a pharmacist but I'm only 20 so I lack one more year until I can receive my license.


-johdirockette

[longbong]

how the hell do u graduate at 21 with a double major?

[Pogichinoy]

how the hell do u graduate at 21 with a double major?

How does the college/university process work over there in the US?

Most courses in Australia are 3 years, and I graduated when I was 20 with two majors. It's not uncommon.

[longbong]

if OP is in canada

high school is 5 years. in Montreal, as it appears the OP is from, its 6 years i believe....

a undergrad, if one takes full course load, without any break during summer, its possible to finish in 3 years.

but OP said double major....which is like doing 1.5 course load. which should take at least 4~5 years...

possible explanation is OP is a child prodigy and began university at around age 16 lol.

I disagree. I think college grads now are a dime a dozen. If a company can find someone who's been in the industry and already knows the basic ropes then it's that much easier for the company both in terms of costs and time. Yeah, having an advanced degree looks good on paper, but unless you're doing something highly technical or cutting edge that requires the knowledge of the latest known experiments and whatnot...then 9 times out of 10, i'd pick a person with 2 years experience over a guy with no experience and a master's

you are correct.

advanced degrees have declining ROI for students.

an advanced degree would only be required for a job that is very technical. usually advanced degree is good to have for buy-side industry in finance....so i am considering this option as well.

Best thing is to gain experience somehow.

[Rockette]

how the hell do u graduate at 21 with a double major?

University systems vary from country to country. In the Philippines the average age of someone who enters a university is either 17-18 sometimes 16. I entered at 15. So I graduated earlier, at 19. In America, it takes longer, some may enter preparatory centers to prepare for college for up to two years before entering a university. It also depends on the length of time that course may take. Assistants or technicians take on lesser units and it would be possible to take two at the same time as long as it coerces with your schedule.

-johdirockette

[KraziexViet]

in canada, no matter which province you are in, it takes the same amount of years to get an undergraduate degree/bachelors degree assuming that it is for the same program,

in quebec, there is 1 year kindergaurden, 6 years of grade school. 5 years of highshcool, 2 years of cegep[university prep], 3 years for bachelors =17years
in other provinces, 2 years kindergaurden, 5 years of grade school, 2 years of junior high, 4 years of highschool[greatest time of our lives] and 4 years for a bachelors degree=17years.

its not crazily ridiculous to have a double major... it's just literally a combination of 2 majors where the mandatory courses, you only take once, its not like ur doing 1 major after another

like in my case, if i do a double major in science&education then ill have it by the time i am 21 also.... but i went to school a year early o.O

[SongBird]

If you are a "gifted" child, there is the IB program(International Baccalaureate), which moves extra fast, doubling the course load of a regular high school program making it possible for you to graduate HS in 3 years. In Ontario, we use to have 5 years of high school, but the geniuses from the Harris government thought that it would be better to push out the young possible income earners by taking away the OAC year and now it is only grade 9 to 12, 4 years. If you are in the IB program, which is available at several high schools, you are out in 3 years, and universities loves IB graduates and will throw money at you to come to their school if your GPA really stands out.

Like, everyone else has mentioned here. It really depends on your field that you choose to work in. What is your major? Working part time and going to school is no easy task so make sure that it makes sense for you to or going back to school after being in the working world for a while is pretty tough too.

[annakas]

This really does depend on what field your degree is from/what job career do you have/plan to have/ in what part of the world you are from/what are your own motivations ect. So it is hard to give good advice.

For example if you already have a well paying secure job that does not demand a Uni degree and the lack of it doesn't stop you from getting raises in pay/moving up in your career (for example some computer related work fields), then going for your masters is not neccessary. Then you should get it only if you are intrested yourself in the field/academia and studying gives you inner satisfaction. Having a degree usually never hurts in your CV, but if you have better things to do with your time private life/have a good career then just having a degree for nothing is kind of pointless.

If you have your degree in the field of Arts/Humanitarian/social studies ect and you also plan to have your carieer in those fields then more often than not it is quite neccesary to get minimally atleast a masters degree and beyond, since most of the well paying jobs in those fields usually demand masters & PhD's in their job descriptions. The humanitarian/arts/social fields are overpopulated with pakalaureus degrees and having just that in you CV is usually not enough to come on top in the very tense competition for jobs. I know from my own experience that when I get my pakalaureus the degree will be quite useless in my CV if I want to get a job. I will have to get a minimally atleast a masters if I want to get a job with a normal pay.

In fact having the pakalaureus degree in this economy will be an hindrance to me since I am not educated enough (no masters) to compete for the good jobs and I will be not hired because of it, but I am overeducated for the lowpaying no eduaction needed jobs since again I will not be hired because (first I have no experience because of the years I was in Uni) and more majorly why hire someone they would have to pay more to (by law since I have the degree) when they can hire someone else to do the same job with a less money, since they don't have a degree.

Same goes for where you are located. If you are from a country where University/College education is very expensive and not so common than having a degree (any degree) almost never hurts and you come on top in the jobfield competition. But if you are from a small country where the University/College education is not so expensive and is quite common, then a big part of the country will have atleast a pakalaureus and having anything belwo masters and up is quite pointless since everyone else will also have the pakalaureus and having that does not quarantiee you a job/sucess in competing for jobs.

Also if you have always imagined that you will have atleast a masters degree, it is in your plan for your life, then I suggest you to continue your studies NOW!

Becuause if you stopped now it will be so much harder to go back to school and continue your studies later. It is hard to get back in to the rythm of academia, exams, writing papers, going to lectures ect.

Usually if people stop their studies (have the pakalaureus) then they start their carieers/start families ect and later going back to school when your partner & children need you ise emotionally very though. Besides people get used to having money when they work and going back to being a poor student is quite hard. Kind of a cultur shock if you will. Or if you continue to work and go back to school it is very very hard to use the little free time you will have to focus on your studies besides your job obligations. Almost impossible.

So later in life potential future family/partner will demand some of their time/carieer will demand another part and school will demand it's own. More often than not school is the one people let to let go first.

annakas

EDIT: Lol I just now noticed that I posted my response in the wrong thread. There is another similar thread going on about grad school and I meant to post there *snicker* but I had opened this thread also at the same time and accidentatally posted a response in this one. Luckily I am not too out of topic with my response.

[ayahuasca]

Im graduating this december with a double major. i hope to do my masters soon, but i would first like to find a job to make some money to help out my family. how long did you guys take to find a job after university? a job that is related to your career path?...or did you guys do internships first? or continue on to grad school without stopping?

im 20 years old right now...and i graduate a month after my 21st bday...should i take some time off before grad school and gain some work experience first??

any input would be great.

thx!

X
edit>
i was an AP student from toronto.
i also took my full undergrad degree with no summer breaks enabling me to finish in 3.5 years (i could have finished in 3, but i had health issues)
my program at mcgill enables me to do a joint degree....bachelor of arts and science
for arts, im in poli sci and for science, im in psyc
im hoping to become a child clinical psychologist

i dont know if i want to spread my wings a bit after university before continuing on another 5ish years of school or go straight on...
also there is the issue of money...

thx for all your opinions guys!

After I finished my undergrad, I got a job as an electronics tutor for the department for the 2nd semester of that year, I worked at the 2000 Olympic games as a volunteer during the break that year and at the end of the year I started working full time for an engineering company. I went back to uni for my masters then came back out for another job. For an engineering or a sciences degree I would say that going out for some hard earned experience is best. Postgrad studies, a masters or phd, in engineering anyway, and working in a company are worlds apart. working gives you more drive as you're expected to produce results in a shorter time frame. Postgrad studies give you the illusion that you have lots of time so there is a tendency to be a bit more lazy.


In your field I might recommend getting experience first. If you get into a good firm, you might be able to get them to partly fund your further studies. In australia that is certainly the case. You can pursue further studies, which are partly funded by your firm and the remainder is tax deductible.

My parents used to tell me "its good to read about it, but it's even better to have done it". Having taken that to heart, i quit my job in australia and moved to the UK and got another job.

SPREAD YOUR WINGS!

[SongBird]

im hoping to become a child clinical psychologist

Based on this... I have to say I know it is tough right now to not have money especially when you are in school and young. And if your family isn't well to do, it is even tougher. I know this might sound really unappealing to you right now, but I say bite the bullet and finish off your schooling. Psychology isn't an easy field and if you feel like you really truly would like to become one then stay in school... full time. You have to focus to get the good grades to stand out. Work your butt off to get scholarships, apply for bursaries and grants, there are quite a few out there, to help you get some extra money. Short term pain, long term gain.

Engineering is a hands on kind of field, as well as other IT careers so getting a part time job to be in the field to make some money and learn makes sense. In fact, it is part of the curriculum at Waterloo.

For a child psychologist, if you really want to work, related job options... you are in Montreal right now? Or Toronto, try looking for part time work in social services sector, like youth shelters or drop in programs for street youths like SKETCH (in T dot). Remember, in interviews, it is how well you can market yourself to relate what you know either through education + work experience or just education alone. If you are really sociable then this shouldn't be hard. You can also do volunteer work to spread your wings too, but of course you won't get money out of it. You do however get a good sense of what you are capable of doing in "the real world." If you can volunteer for a child mental health center or something, it can help you get an idea of what you are getting into + build your social/career network. And because it is volunteer work, telling your supervisor that you have that final to study for would be easier than a part time job.

Take it from someone who had lived the adult life at 17 years old and had full time work for several years, and now at 21 trying my best to get back into the student mode. It is tough.