Newbie here...Would like some career advice

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Southern_Falcon

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Hello:tiphat:
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            I would like some career advice. For starters I am 21. I have been planning to start college to get a 4 year degree. I have been thinking about graphic design or something in business.
But recently I started working at Lowe’s and LOVE the job. And really can see myself making a career there. There’s lots of job growth with in the company. And I really have been thinking about working my way up to management. And to do that I would only need to take a two year degree in management and supervising at the Tech school here. That degree is not required but will help me climb the ladder faster.

The issue I am having is some people I know act like if I don’t go to a big university and get a 4 year degree that I am doomed for life. And truthfully I really don’t want to go to school that long. I would much rather work my way up the ladder where I am and only take the schooling that I need to take.

Do you all think that I would be making a good or bad choice if I choose to work my way up where I am working and just get that two year degree and not go to get a 4 year degree?
 
I would say, follow your own instincts since you seem sure of them. Others will always have well-intentioned opinions.

Go ahead with what you’re planning and enjoying, and do the two year degree…and if you want you can always take degree courses later. I say this because the doubts appear to be others’, not your own.
 
Trishie said:
I would say, follow your own instincts since you seem sure of them. Others will always have well-intentioned opinions.

Go ahead with what you’re planning and enjoying, and do the two year degree…and if you want you can always take degree courses later. I say this because the doubts appear to be others’, not your own.
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Yeah I agree with you. I like the job so much that I wish tomorrow was not my day off. lol
 
There is no greater gift than to love the work that you get paid to do.

I would say, keep the job, take whatever training you need to advance there, and don’t worry about what other people think.

There is no age limit on college - keep a college fund tucked away in a savings account, anyway (if you never use it, you can always add it to your retirement fund later), and if you change your mind later, you can always go to college as a mature student. 🙂
 
Is there any way you can get that 2 yr degree and use those credits towards a Bachelor’s degree (night school or some other part time school) while working? I definitely think you should stick with the job that you love, but things can change later on (anything from problems at work to economy problems and Lowe’s having to downsize etc) and it would help you to have a 4 yr degree if you needed to find another job.
 
Do what you love. The rest will follow.

Other people can live their lives as they see fit, and you should do the same. Don’t let their opinion of what you “should” do influence what you want to do.
 
Thanks for all the helpful advice! I know what I am going to do now!
 
The only thing I would add, is once you complete the company’s basic mgt programand working, try to attend night school or something similar online and get a bachelors. This will help in the years to come when you want to move into staff or regional positions outside of the store.

It might even be possible for Lowe’s to reimburse you for tuition.

Take a look at accounting, or marketing degrees, which would help in retail. Careers are about competition, if you want to move up the ladder, you have to know folks you’ll be competing against will have degrees.
 
Southern_Falcon said:
Hello:tiphat:

I The issue I am having is some people I know act like if I don’t go to a big university and get a 4 year degree that I am doomed for life. And truthfully I really don’t want to go to school that long. I ?
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you do not have an issue at all. they have an issue. you make your decisions based first of all on sound spirituality and discernment of your vocation, and from that you make career and educational decisions.
 
I’m guessing that Lowe’s has some kind of tuition reimbursement benefit. They probably don’t throw it around to all their employees, but to those who demonstrate certain valuable traits, they possibly offer the opportunity to earn the college degree and MBA.

If the job doesn’t pan out, you can always go back to college. If you go to school for a business degree, you will be so far ahead of the other students due to your real-life business experience! And don’t worry about being older in college–it’s the norm nowadays. Lots of people sitting in college classrooms are not in that 18-22 year-old demographic.
 
I would still go for a 4 year degree. There are many many jobs that you can only get if you have a bachelor’s degree. Like some of the others said, can your two year diploma or whatever in mgmt be used towards the 4 year degree? At 21, it is hard to know what is out there and what there is to experience. It’s hard making career choices at 21.

When I was 21 and in the thick of making choices, the best advice I got was “you are lucky you even have choices!”
🙂
 
Go for the A.A. degree and then do the B.A. part-time, especially if Lowe’s has a tuition reimbursement plan. We live in a credential conscious society and you will hit a career ceiling eventually. That is why I teach a good number of what higher ed calls “non-traditional students.” By the way, you will have five careers (not jobs) according to some studies. You need to have an educational background that will open up opportunities in a rapidly changing world.
 
I still am going to get the two year management degree at the tech school here. And they have other classes I may take with that. My problem with college is I DONT want to go to a big university because they cost a lot and most of the people are only there to party. Is it bad to choose a small Tech school over a big university cos of that?
 
Southern_Falcon said:
I still am going to get the two year management degree at the tech school here. And they have other classes I may take with that. My problem with college is I DONT want to go to a big university because they cost a lot and most of the people are only there to party. Is it bad to choose a small Tech school over a big university cos of that?
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As long as it’s a good school with a strong reputation in the community, it doesn’t matter how big it is. You want to be able to say, “I graduated from Soandso Tech,” without having to explain what it is, and without feeling embarrassed. 🙂
 
I recommend you do the 2 year thing. After all you can always go back to school again later if you decide you want a 4 year degree.
 
The age-old question…

I wouldn’t presume to be able to give you, a stranger, career advice, but maybe a snippet from my own experience could provide fodder for reflection. I seriously doubt whether it’s possible for anyone to make a “life plan” that goes beyond a couple of years unless you really feel called to become a doctor, lawyer, etc. And even then, after all that school and a little real world experience, there are a lot of doctors and lawyers out there doing things that have nothing to do with what they studied.

I’ve always known I’d be a writer–a novelist. Unfortunately, I’m also a slacker who can happily waste days playing video games. (That’s pre-marriage and children, of course). So, I sort of coasted through several schools, finally majoring in something called “Liberal Studies” just to get out quicker, and even then, it took me forever because it seemed like such a huge waste of my time.

I eventually wound up in Washington, D.C. as an editor for a big, although obscure, paper. Other stints included PR work for the government, proposal writing for a non-profit, and then another job doing the same.

I’ve been bored to tears for eight years.

However, I recently started a small moving assistance business. I just help people in the area move heavier/bulkier items that they themselves are unable to transport. I charge a really good fee (for them, most of the time), and with minimal effort, I’ve almost doubled my income. (Which isn’t saying much, considering I work for a non-profit.)

I was shocked to discover that I love, actually LOVE, running my own business. Yes, I even love dealing with the constant headaches of self-employment–there are books to keep, supplies to order, equipment to maintain, and fussy customers to placate. But I love it. Granted, when I’m on the downstairs end of an upstairs-bound sleeper sofa, it ain’t paradise, but I know that when the job is done, I’ll get paid and maybe even make a repeat customer, or referrer.

I enjoy developing marketing systems, writing flyers, hiring crews…everything.

I never saw this coming. Ten years ago I couldn’t have conceived that I would one day be on the other side of the country running a moving business. In fact, ten years ago I was an insufferable snob. The idea of doing something so manual and low-tech would have depressed me.

So, take that for what it’s worth. To borrow an insurance company slogan, “Life comes at you fast.” Or, “life is like a box of chocolates…”

By the way, I used to work at a hardware supply store. I believe it’s out of business now (Builder’s Square), but I worked in the paint department. Back then I thought it was pretty low-tech, grunt work, but secretly, I felt a hell of a lot more comfortable there than in college.

Oh yeah, and all my family is degree-less and they’re all fairly successful in all the trades. Now, at 34-years-old, I seriously question the worth of college unless you’re going to study medicine, law, etc. What you need to do is determine some ideal goal and figure out how to get there. If college is the best route, consider that. But if your goal is something like “be able to provide for my family (well),” college is most definitely optional.
 
Southern_Falcon said:
Hello:tiphat:
Code: 
            I would like some career advice. For starters I am 21. I have been planning to start college to get a 4 year degree. I have been thinking about graphic design or something in business.
But recently I started working at Lowe’s and LOVE the job. And really can see myself making a career there. There’s lots of job growth with in the company. And I really have been thinking about working my way up to management. And to do that I would only need to take a two year degree in management and supervising at the Tech school here. That degree is not required but will help me climb the ladder faster.

The issue I am having is some people I know act like if I don’t go to a big university and get a 4 year degree that I am doomed for life. And truthfully I really don’t want to go to school that long. I would much rather work my way up the ladder where I am and only take the schooling that I need to take.

Do you all think that I would be making a good or bad choice if I choose to work my way up where I am working and just get that two year degree and not go to get a 4 year degree?
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Whilst I don’t necessarily think that this *should *be the case, you will find that you will hit a kind of ceiling in your career without any formal education.

There are always exceptions of course, but generally, if you want have a flexible and diverse career (and have something to fall back on if things go badly) a good degree is well worth having.

Have you thought about working part time, or studying on the side? That can be a good combination.
 
Southern_Falcon said:
I still am going to get the two year management degree at the tech school here. And they have other classes I may take with that. My problem with college is I DONT want to go to a big university because they cost a lot and most of the people are only there to party. Is it bad to choose a small Tech school over a big university cos of that?
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Yes - A degree from a big university has prestige. As stupid as this may sound, this means something when it comes to applying for jobs in the future.

Where you studied (i.e. at which University) is just one of those things that follows you around your entire life. I’m not saying that this is a good thing. But this is the way the world works. There is nothing wrong with parties either. Nobody is forcing you to go to them.
 
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