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Show HN: Careers for people not going to college, built with Meteor

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Re: Show HN: Careers for people not going to college, built with Meteor

#51

Post by ErikRogneby »

My quick 2 minute clicking around critique:

1. No search? A plumber is one one the best paid impossible-to-outsource-overseas jobs you can get without a college degree. Coming to the site I immediately wanted to search for it and have that be my point of entry to discovering how the site works. A known reference point. I had no desire to fiddle with those sliders.

2. Union jobs, a.k.a. "the trades". Not college but they have a clear progression and pay is fairly well documented. (a filter for union?)

3. pay is regional. Union jobs for example pay different depending on location. (see #2)

4. on the career path view make the breadcrumb dots clickable. https://raiseyourflag.com/career-path/virtual-assistant/virt... - text is clickable, so should be the dots on the line above.

Re: Show HN: Careers for people not going to college, built with Meteor

#53

Post by dtparr »

antidamage wrote: post #29
zig wrote: post #3

For people nearing the end of high-school, please go to college. I don't have a degree and have been extremely lucky; I managed to get into middle-management and have been successful. The problem is that I'm not as "portable" as I would be with a degree - in other words, a layoff or termination could put my lifestyle in jeopardy. As such, I am going back to school at 29. Get it over with :)

I'm 37. At my age a degree is completely irrelevant if you have the skill set. In fact, ten years ago I was approached by a university to start my Master's degree, with the missing Bachelor's degree being credited through time spent working in my industry at the time. The reality of education in America is that it's an expensive tickbox. It verges on being a racket. While you don't want to be the lone rebel being cru…

> At my age a degree is completely irrelevant if you have the skill set.

This is a dangerous thing to say without any qualifiers. It depends on the industry, economic conditions in your area, type/size of company you want to work for, etc.

I've known a couple individuals who had the skills and 20+ years of experience who lost jobs at floundering companies and weren't able to find anything relevant due to a lack of a degree. In both cases, they had a few interviews that were basically "Wow, you're a great fit experience-wise and it like you've worked with the same technologies/processes we use here and some we're hoping to go to. Oh, except we can't hire you for an engineering role unless you have at least a BS. Would you be interested in an hourly maintenance job?"

Re: Show HN: Careers for people not going to college, built with Meteor

#54

Post by volaski »

xiaoma wrote: post #49
untog wrote: post #20

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Also, as someone who has dealt with visa issues before, it's far, far easier to move around the world if you have a university education. Maybe right now you don't think you'll want to, but it's a tremendous opportunity to have.

Money opens those doors even wider. Once you hit a certain level of financial independence, not only is it easy to visit wherever you choose, but permanent residency and even citizenship often become much more straightforward as well.

No one is saying go to college and forget about money. I don't know if you're saying this based on what you heard over the shoulder but I actually do know a thing or two about buying citizenship and green card with money. It is FAAAAAAAR easier to just go to college than become rich enough not to care about these things. Most college grads will never accumulate enough money in their youth to buy green card from countries they aspire to move to. Also buying green card is also not as easy as it sounds.

Re: Show HN: Careers for people not going to college, built with Meteor

#55

Post by redblacktree »

eropple wrote: post #43
antidamage wrote: post #29

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I'm 37. At my age a degree is completely irrelevant if you have the skill set. In fact, ten years ago I was approached by a university to start my Master's degree, with the missing Bachelor's degree being credited through time spent working in my industry at the time. The reality of education in America is that it's an expensive tickbox. It verges on being a racket. While you don't want to be the lone rebel being cru…

> indentured to the government with a student loan I graduated with under $30K in debt from a state school (with a number of merit scholarships and some but not extensive parental help) and paid it off my second year out of college. One need not take on heavy debt (don't you love the rhetorical phrasing, though? Indentured! ) to go to college, and I tend to think that self-styled autodidacts discount the social round…

> self-styled autodidacts discount the social rounding and educational breadth available at any good university.

Yes, you learn to use words like "autodidact" instead of "self-taught."

Re: Show HN: Careers for people not going to college, built with Meteor

#56

Post by chrisseaton »

Alupis wrote: post #48
seansmccullough wrote: post #45

Earlier quoted context omitted.

* But pick a major that will pay for itself, and try not to rack up $50k in student loans.

> * But pick a major that will pay for itself, and try not to rack up $50k in student loans I think this is a societal issue rather than an education issue. We're so quick to encourage people to achieve a degree in whatever makes them happy, even say Art History or Medieval European History, knowing full well that the prospects of gaining a decent paying job after school is practically zero. How does that Art History…

This is such nonsense! You can do almost anything you want with an Art History or Medieval European History degree. Do you think there's some kind of requirement that you can only take a job in the field you studied? I have friends who did degrees in Theology who went into banking and insurance and make several times what I do with my Computer Science degree.

Re: Show HN: Careers for people not going to college, built with Meteor

#57

Post by marincounty »

bdg wrote: post #37
zig wrote: post #3

For people nearing the end of high-school, please go to college. I don't have a degree and have been extremely lucky; I managed to get into middle-management and have been successful. The problem is that I'm not as "portable" as I would be with a degree - in other words, a layoff or termination could put my lifestyle in jeopardy. As such, I am going back to school at 29. Get it over with :)

All the companies I've ever been interested in never had a problem with my education. One actually asked me to verify I'm a drop-out for their background check =/

I couldn't imagine a tech start-up caring about college--unless it's a big stupid company? Plus--the guys I know without a degree, seem to try a little bit harder? I've always thought if I had the right idea, and funding--would I even bother to hire a college graduate, unless they had a lot of projects/accomplishments under their belt? I would prefer people who worked hard, and didn't have that Little bit of self-entitlement a degree brings.(It's there--it seems to just sneak in somewhere along the line? I have found it gets in the way--sometimes?)

Unless your degree is in the hard sciences, we all know what college entailed; for most of us it was a four years of fun, and the worst day in college was better than working? Hell--I never wanted to leave!(That was before it got so expensive though.)

I sometimes over hear recent graduates in gossip groups(usually after a few cocktails) go on and on about their degree, and college accomplishments; If my upchuck reflex is not irritated--I listen a bit, and ask myself, "I couldn't imagine paying them to do anything?".

That said, if you can swing it; go to college, and I guarantee when you look back, it will be the best years of your life--for the majority of you. While I'm on it--don't let upper division classes scare you. I found them no harder than lower division courses. If for some reason you find yourself wanting to drop out, get a four year degree in anything! Anything! Go to a notoriously easy college like Santa Cruz, or Chico State and get your degree in Spacing Out?

Why, because too many of the idiots out there still think a bachelor's degree is important? Oh, and they love to quote that worn out statistic, that I can't even write anymore. I guess it's still true--so finish and get the diploma? I have a weird feeling federal bankruptcy laws might change in the future, and student loans might become dischargable?

One other thing, that person in college you kinda take for granted--that guy, or girl who you sometimes wonder, "Why do they put up with my antics?"; are not hanging out in bars waiting for you to graduate with open arms!

Re: Show HN: Careers for people not going to college, built with Meteor

#58

Post by stephen-mw »

From time to time I think about university apart from academics. I went to a state school and left w/ around $15k in student loan debt, but made some of the best memories of my life.

Those are the kinds of experiences money can never buy you again. No sports car later in life will ever bring you that kind of fulfillment.

Re: Show HN: Careers for people not going to college, built with Meteor

#59

Post by FLUX-YOU »

chrisseaton wrote: post #56
Alupis wrote: post #48

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> * But pick a major that will pay for itself, and try not to rack up $50k in student loans I think this is a societal issue rather than an education issue. We're so quick to encourage people to achieve a degree in whatever makes them happy, even say Art History or Medieval European History, knowing full well that the prospects of gaining a decent paying job after school is practically zero. How does that Art History…

This is such nonsense! You can do almost anything you want with an Art History or Medieval European History degree. Do you think there's some kind of requirement that you can only take a job in the field you studied? I have friends who did degrees in Theology who went into banking and insurance and make several times what I do with my Computer Science degree.

With today's college prices, it's a bit silly to play chicken with your financial life vs. the job market

It'd stand to reason that you could make that much, if not more, than your friends because you have a technical degree. I know this is more about having a job than not, but the technical degree would also improve your chances vs. your friends

Re: Show HN: Careers for people not going to college, built with Meteor

#60

Post by ErikRogneby »

dopamean wrote: post #40
antidamage wrote: post #29

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I'm 37. At my age a degree is completely irrelevant if you have the skill set. In fact, ten years ago I was approached by a university to start my Master's degree, with the missing Bachelor's degree being credited through time spent working in my industry at the time. The reality of education in America is that it's an expensive tickbox. It verges on being a racket. While you don't want to be the lone rebel being cru…

I'm 29 and do not have an undergrad degree. I was recently accepted to a well respected masters in computer science program. I declined to go because I'm pretty happy with my career trajectory at the moment and I think taking the time off work to do that would actually be detrimental.

Usually to be accepted you need to apply. Why apply if you were going to turn it down? (genuine curiosity)
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