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2009-04-12 BACK
So You're Thinking of Returning to College
So You're Thinking of Returning to College This article originally appeared in the Texarkana Gazette on April 12, 2009 Dr. Robert S. Owen, Professor of Markenting, Texas A&M-Texarkana, College of Business With concerns about the economy, a lot of people in their thirties, forties, and fifties have thoughts of going to college to gain entry into a new career field or to get an advanced degree. Because of the lousy economy, college recruiters are competing aggressively for students. That means that there are some good deals to be had. But there are also some deals that are not so good. My hope here is to get you to think about what you get in return for your investment of money, time, and energy. Bottom line questions: Will a particular certificate or degree from a particular school make you more employable or better able to get a promotion? Will it open opportunities in a new career field that is in greater demand, more stable, or higher paying? Note the factors that I am asking you to consider: the reputation of the school to whomever is doing the hiring, and demand for people with training in a particular field. Consider these questions with regard to local schools in our own back yard. Texas A&M University is a brand name that enjoys a good reputation throughout the country, and the good reputation of that brand name carries through to regional brand affiliates like the one in Texarkana. Texarkana College offers training in specialty fields that are in high demand. Sometimes a school is well known, but its reputation adds limited value to your resume. I keep seeing one online school advertised heavily on websites that I visit. It is well known, but I've seen comments by employment recruiters saying that job seekers with diplomas from that school are not given serious consideration. You can also often find a school's pass rate for fields in which there are licensing exams. I found that this same well-known online school had a 14 percent pass rate on one licensing exam compared with a national average of 86 percent. Do some research before committing to a school. Some states even prohibit or restrict the use of degrees from some schools (TX, NV, OR, WA, ND, SD, IL, KY, NJ, ME). Texas posts a long list of schools under the heading "Institutions Whose Degrees are Illegal to Use in Texas" (google this). You might be happy at being accepted into a medical program at, say, St. Matthew's University, St. Mary's School of Medicine, St. Lucia College of Medicine, or St. Christopher's College of Medicine. But since these schools are on the Texas list, you could not use your degree to get a job, promotion, or raise in Texas; choosing one of these schools limits opportunities after you graduate. Also weigh the cost of going to school against the kind of income that you might expect when you finish. I occasionally meet people who tell me that they want to go to doctor school on the belief that it will result in a high paying job. So you're fifty years old and are flattered to gain acceptance into a Caribbean Island school with tuition of perhaps $50,000 per year. You reason that you could graduate a few years later with $200,000 in student loans that you can pay back with the big bucks you will make as a doctor. But after graduation you must serve your first few years as a resident at a hospital at perhaps $50,000 salary per year. By the time you finish school and get through the requisite internship, you'll still be paying on your student loans when your friends are entering their retirement years. This high investment, slow career path might not be such a good idea if you are older. Other tracks of study can more quickly lead to earning power. According to payscale.com, a nurse who is licensed after a one year program (LPN or LVN) and less than one year of experience is expected to earn almost $31,000 – it would be a little less in Texarkana, but that still puts you right around the median household income in Texarkana. An RN licensed nurse (more schooling) and less than one year of experience would be expected to earn over $45,000 per year. Employability and higher pay are likely to be seen in occupations with the largest job growth. The Bureau of Labor Statistics forecasts higher job growth for nurses and medical assistants, management analysts, customer service representatives, and computer software engineers, systems analysts, and network analysts. Certificate and degree programs that are probably the better investments, then, are nursing and medical assistance, management, marketing, and technology/engineering. If you're college bound at an older age, study something that is in demand and attend a school that has a reasonably good reputation among potential employers.
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So You're Thinking of Returning to College
So You're Thinking of Returning to College This article originally appeared in the Texarkana Gazette on April 12, 2009 Dr. Robert S. Owen, Professor of Markenting, Texas A&M-Texarkana, College of Business With concerns about the economy, a lot of people in their thirties, forties, and fifties have thoughts of going to college to gain entry into a new career field or to get an advanced degree. Because of the lousy economy, college recruiters are competing aggressively for students. That means that there are some good deals to be had. But there are also some deals that are not so good. My hope here is to get you to think about what you get in return for your investment of money, time, and energy. Bottom line questions: Will a particular certificate or degree from a particular school make you more employable or better able to get a promotion? Will it open opportunities in a new career field that is in greater demand, more stable, or higher paying? Note the factors that I am asking you to consider: the reputation of the school to whomever is doing the hiring, and demand for people with training in a particular field. Consider these questions with regard to local schools in our own back yard. Texas A&M University is a brand name that enjoys a good reputation throughout the country, and the good reputation of that brand name carries through to regional brand affiliates like the one in Texarkana. Texarkana College offers training in specialty fields that are in high demand. Sometimes a school is well known, but its reputation adds limited value to your resume. I keep seeing one online school advertised heavily on websites that I visit. It is well known, but I've seen comments by employment recruiters saying that job seekers with diplomas from that school are not given serious consideration. You can also often find a school's pass rate for fields in which there are licensing exams. I found that this same well-known online school had a 14 percent pass rate on one licensing exam compared with a national average of 86 percent. Do some research before committing to a school. Some states even prohibit or restrict the use of degrees from some schools (TX, NV, OR, WA, ND, SD, IL, KY, NJ, ME). Texas posts a long list of schools under the heading "Institutions Whose Degrees are Illegal to Use in Texas" (google this). You might be happy at being accepted into a medical program at, say, St. Matthew's University, St. Mary's School of Medicine, St. Lucia College of Medicine, or St. Christopher's College of Medicine. But since these schools are on the Texas list, you could not use your degree to get a job, promotion, or raise in Texas; choosing one of these schools limits opportunities after you graduate. Also weigh the cost of going to school against the kind of income that you might expect when you finish. I occasionally meet people who tell me that they want to go to doctor school on the belief that it will result in a high paying job. So you're fifty years old and are flattered to gain acceptance into a Caribbean Island school with tuition of perhaps $50,000 per year. You reason that you could graduate a few years later with $200,000 in student loans that you can pay back with the big bucks you will make as a doctor. But after graduation you must serve your first few years as a resident at a hospital at perhaps $50,000 salary per year. By the time you finish school and get through the requisite internship, you'll still be paying on your student loans when your friends are entering their retirement years. This high investment, slow career path might not be such a good idea if you are older. Other tracks of study can more quickly lead to earning power. According to payscale.com, a nurse who is licensed after a one year program (LPN or LVN) and less than one year of experience is expected to earn almost $31,000 – it would be a little less in Texarkana, but that still puts you right around the median household income in Texarkana. An RN licensed nurse (more schooling) and less than one year of experience would be expected to earn over $45,000 per year. Employability and higher pay are likely to be seen in occupations with the largest job growth. The Bureau of Labor Statistics forecasts higher job growth for nurses and medical assistants, management analysts, customer service representatives, and computer software engineers, systems analysts, and network analysts. Certificate and degree programs that are probably the better investments, then, are nursing and medical assistance, management, marketing, and technology/engineering. If you're college bound at an older age, study something that is in demand and attend a school that has a reasonably good reputation among potential employers.
TOP