Advice/comments about my education and work options

[tomber]

Hey all,

Right now I am attending a community college after switching to a part time job so that I could get a degree. Until recently I was going to psych. but after taking a good hard look at the career options decided I wanted something that made more money and did it faster (I still can and do pursue psych as a personal hobby). Anyway now I am going for a manager degree which will give me an associates in managing by the end of next summer.

Basically I want to know does being a supervisor pay well? Does it pay okay right after getting an associates? Is it worth it to get a bachelors (right away or later)? And finally what generally can I expect to make a year starting out?

I looked online and found the average was around 30 to 50k plus whatever benefit but wanted a second or third opinion. So whats the deal here and did I make the right decision (money wise) in switching to management. Thanks.

 

[Nibblez]

Many places will not hire you as a manager right off the bat based on a degree. Most managerial positions are filled through in-house promotions rather than external hires - partially because the person promoted has a better understanding of how that specific employer's business operates, partially because they've probably proven themselves to work well with others in the workplace and partially because their track record is already proven.

A degree is a piece of paper saying that you were smart enough to survive a given curriculum at a given school. It is useful because it tells employers that you are at least of a certain competence, but other than that it really doesn't do much.

Consider what an employer's interests are when they are looking to hire. It's not about how "qualified" you are, it's about how well you fit the profile of their ideal candidate.

 

[L2R]

^that's right.

you really do need experience. without it, the degree is worthless. i've known countless managers and supervisors with no paper, but on the frontline experience.

 

[KamMoye]

isnt psych a great career? considering how sick our society is ur always gonna have work. i thought it was one of the most popular majors out there? makes it really competitive but if you love it, why are you putting money over your love?

 

[tomber]

isnt psych a great career? considering how sick our society is ur always gonna have work. i thought it was one of the most popular majors out there? makes it really competitive but if you love it, why are you putting money over your love?

Thanks for the replies everyone. Psych sounds like a great career except for one thing... the money. I talked to a few counselors, therapists, ect about it and they said I would have to have at least a masters or phd in psych to even consider having a job because of it. And on top of that the pay would be between 40 to 60k after maybe 5+ years.

I looked at some options and being a manager/supervisor pay average 35 to 50k after an associates degree. It bumps up to between 40 and 60k after a bachelors within the first year (average).

I'm not choosing the career just because of the money, but in reality that is a huge part of it. Business is not at all something I hate so it's something that would academically work for me. I was just wondering if after a degree I could expect to land a job in management.

The only person I've talked to about landing a management position fresh out of a 2 year degree was my dad, a manager of 15+ years. He said it was very likely but the important thing was to keep working during school so I have something on my resume. I was looking to see if people with experience here agreed or disagreed with that or have any other advice.

Money does matter to me a lot! I know it seems (or is) superficial but as long as I have room to expand and continue making more cash with hard and smart work then I definitely am following my passion.

EDIT: also I will keep studying psych because I still love it, I just wouldn't be getting a degree in it

 

[Nibblez]

4 year undergraduates with Bachelor's Degrees in Business, Marketing, etc. from top ranked universities are at each others' throats competing for 25-35k/yr Jr. Account Executive positions and you think you can land a 35-50k/yr Management position right out of community college with an associate's degree?

I'm not trying to say that you don't have the capabilities - it's just that the reality of the situation right now makes it sound highly unlikely.

 

[tomber]

4 year undergraduates with Bachelor's Degrees in Business, Marketing, etc. from top ranked universities are at each others' throats competing for 25-35k/yr Jr. Account Executive positions and you think you can land a 35-50k/yr Management position right out of community college with an associate's degree?

I'm not trying to say that you don't have the capabilities - it's just that the reality of the situation right now makes it sound highly unlikely.

No I don't mind at all. If my expectations are more like fantasy than anything else a reality check is exactly what I need. That's why I'm asking. But let me explain where I'm getting this sort of idea.

1) searching online at various websites I found that associate degree supervisors can expect a 30 to 50k salary in my area (I will of course take the community college into consideration, good point"

2) I have been keeping track of local position advertised and that does seem to be the ball park pay. For example just the other day a family video was hiring a manager for 30k starting plus benefits. Many other companies seem to be in that area if not a little more.

3) It is very true that I have NOT spoken to many managers. I only have talked to my dad who happens to be a manager for several plants. He said what I mentioned above was very realistic. I wanted feedback from a broader audience like you guys so I really appreciate feedback of any kind. To be fair I do have a family member who is a supervisor but he worked his way up after many years in the company (without a degree). Someone mentioned this above as a good way to go about it but I wanted to hear from a broad perspective of poeple.

But that's about it so if you really feel that this isn't enough I'm glad to hear it because this is about real life not making me feel good or bad about what I'm doing. So just to get a better perspective on this, if you don't mind, where are you coming on this? Are you a supervisor, a employee, or what? (oh and I'm at min wage right now so nothing is going to be less than that )

I used to work for about 10/hr at a factory but didn't like it. Now I'm at min wage (7.30/hr) but work in retail and love it. I'm planning on keeping that up until I finish school. Thanks for all the advice!