Need some man advice

Hello i needed some advice and as i dont have a father and as far as man life advice goes im void of this and for the most part most of yall are level headed people ( minus the alcohol ) haha.

So im in a predicament I have a good paying job nice bennies and keeps my wife and i living comfortable. Im only 26 and got out of the Marines 1 1/2 years ago so have been wanting to go back to school to utilize my GI bill. The job i have just kind of fell into my lap and has been a blessing, but the CEO is looking to sell the company and there is a real uncertainty with what will come next. Also im not really sure i fit in with how this company conducts itself professionally and have been thinking its not right for me.

Now im looking to go back to school for what i am really unsure, im trying to setup school now to roll the IT route through an online college but am unsure if this is the right career path for me to pursue. I like the industrial work that i do now and would like to get into the engineering side of it, but this would require me to quit my job to attend school full time. The part im worried about is the financial aspect of moving on. In my current situation we live a comfortable life but if i was to lose this job it would place a serious hardship on our situation.

what should i do, im not happy with the status quo but im afraid to change it up.

Im not looking for the be all end all advice just need some guidance of what it is anyone would do thats been in this situation or similar. Thanks guys i appreciate it.

My overly-simple advice is to increase savings dramatically now, in case the job goes away or becomes impossible to continue. Pursue school part-time for now, get the core classes down, etc. Then consider what kind of lifestyle changes you'll need to make if you are required to attend full-time in order to finish the degree and decide if you can make them. If you have any experience in your current field, losing this job likely means you can get another, but perhaps not as good pay and it may take some time...hence the savings.

Ultimately I'd attempt to work and go to school part-time unless you're confident you can alter your lifestyle (ie. small apartment, reduce number of car payments, cancel cable TV, don't eat out, etc.) to work part-time. The benefits are also key to consider.

Essentially you need to gather ALL of the facts that you can about the various scenarios and make a decision matrix. You rate each scenario by the factors that matter to you then tally up the points. Those that matter most are weighted higher. You don't have to go with the winner, but it will provide some insight into what's important to you and which scenario seems to fit that.

Thanks, the biggest problem with this job was when i first started it was great good vision and a general want to succeed. Now that seems to have been scrapped to keep the plant running at all costs and including selling the company becuase the current investors arent giving money to the CEO like he wants to pursue other fields.

Sorry forgot to say we bought a house earlier in the year. My VA disability covers the mortgage payment so i have no fret over losing the house.

Great advice there!!

I would add, Define what you would like to do, realistically. I mean the 100 million lottery win should be the last thing on a very long list. Then, determine what is within reach now and establish a career plan to eventually work and school youself toward your ultimate job. I pretty much fell into the job I worked for 35 years. I wasn't a matter of whether I liked the job, it paid the bills and put the kids through school. I didn't plan my retirement well and never realized that dream job.

Planning is everything!!

I'm a big fan of part-time school, depending on the school and degree.

Full Time School, No Work: Finish faster, incur loads of debt, don't gain years of experience
Part Time School, Full-Time Work: Takes longer, incur less debt, gain years of experience

At 26 an extra year or two of experience makes a big difference, so try to stay in the workforce if you can. But not all part-time programs are created equal. Many are equivalent FT/PT (i.e., same profs, same degree). But many schools that are exclusively part time offer a different degree or are just lest prestigious. Some offer very little value from an employers perspective unfortunately. So do your research. It's no fun, but you have to estimate the value of a degree before spending thousands of dollars on it.

It's not guaranteed that spending money on education = better job, better pay. On average true perhaps, but certainly not guaranteed.

TyTanium said:

I'm a big fan of part-time school, depending on the school and degree.

Full Time School, No Work: Finish faster, incur loads of debt, don't gain years of experience
Part Time School, Full-Time Work: Takes longer, incur less debt, gain years of experience

At 26 an extra year or two of experience makes a big difference, so try to stay in the workforce if you can. But not all part-time programs are created equal. Many are equivalent FT/PT (i.e., same profs, same degree). But many schools that are exclusively part time offer a different degree or are just lest prestigious. Some offer very little value from an employers perspective unfortunately. So do your research. It's no fun, but you have to estimate the value of a degree before spending thousands of dollars on it.

It's not guaranteed that spending money on education = better job, better pay. On average true perhaps, but certainly not guaranteed.

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This is true. My former boss always chided me for not going to college. I told him once that I was considering Univ. of Phoenix and he looked at me funny, said people won't respect that. Said part of prestige of finishing school is to put in the hard work for 4 years, the dedication, discipline, etc.

Of course, who am I to talk? I support my family of 4 and all, but I never did go back to school. Guess it's never too late. I'm *only* 34....

tre9er said:

This is true. My former boss always chided me for not going to college. I told him once that I was considering Univ. of Phoenix and he looked at me funny, said people won't respect that. Said part of prestige of finishing school is to put in the hard work for 4 years, the dedication, discipline, etc.

Of course, who am I to talk? I support my family of 4 and all, but I never did go back to school. Guess it's never too late. I'm *only* 34....

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Thats my problem with going the online route. ive tried it before with UoP didnt work and now im on to the next. Im worried that if i go through with this route and use my Gi bill on this degree it will turn out to be a waste of money.

Few online programs carry the same prestige as a brick and mortar school, so I would encourage you not to go to University of Phoenix or some other for-profit online dump. Most public schools have online classes, at least for some of your basics, that are designed to work around a normal 8-5 job.

Don't waste your GI Bill on a program you aren't sure you want to follow. Figure out what you want and what academic program best meets your goals first.

I would strongly encourage you to look at attending a program on a part time basis and keeping your job. The job market isn't great so the fact you have any job that pays the bills should not be easily dismissed. You should be saving diligently in case things go south with your job. The other reason to consider going to school part time is that you have very little job experience and giving up 3-4 years at your age would be highly detrimental to your long term earning potential. Unless something you did in the marines relates to your current or future career, you really only have 1.5 years of experience. If you duck out of work for four years to get a bachelor's you'll be 30 with almost no experience. You'll be easily overlooked for jobs. However, if you can finish a part time program in 4-5 years you'll be 30 with over five years of experience, which makes you very competitive in the job market. Part time programs can be finished almost as fast or as fast as full time if you are willing to push how busy you can be so you are taking as many hours as possible during the long semesters and then cramming in the summer. Many schools also have short classes you can earn a credit or two in over a week or two in December or May. The big caveat is if you see yourself getting an advanced degree you need to consider your ability to get good grades and adjust your work load to allow that to happen.

I work right now running a DCS system which runs the plant operations through computer control valves and such. I have an AA now that knocks out most core classes, got that before i entered the Marines, so now its kind of like pick and choose i think, i just dont see a whole lot of engineering programs that i can do in my spare time, its at least and hour drive to get to any major city around where i live.

Sorry i feel like ive backed myself into a corner right now, i was going to go to school after i got out but was rejected by the first school i applied to and then this job came along i needed money and here we are year and a half later.

If you already have your gen Ed classes done, then start saving money and/or paying down debt like its going out of style. If you get real serious about this for a year, you will be surprised where you end up. If you don't have all the gen Ed classes done, then start taking them in the evening while you still work. In the meantime, start thinking about what you want to do. Any engineering degree will get you into a lot of doors, but it seems to me that electrical engineers are nearly universal. Just about everybody seems to need one, if I'm wrong about this, then somebody please tell me.

And after you get to that point, make the transition to full time school. Unless times have changed, the GI bill money gets sent to you, not the school. So if you really need the money to live on, then it's there. If not, then keep paying for the school as you go. Live as cheaply as you can and get it done.

Punity said:

Sorry forgot to say we bought a house earlier in the year. My VA disability covers the mortgage payment so i have no fret over losing the house.

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Well, I have to say this here is a HUGE plus many people do not have. Not having a mortgage payment to make is again a HUGE relief.

Sorry, don't have advise on a career path as every one I chose dried up except for my current one, probably also to dry up one day. The thing is things for most of us are always changing so you can only try.

biggest warning: you said you want to enter i.t. i've been in i.t. for over 20 years, and i've seen it go downhill in people numbers. those commercials about 80-90% placement lie. they get you a 2 week temp. then a 1 month placement later on, then are done with you. never did that route; i started before that, but had to hire people like that. i.t. is NOT the golden egg. i've known people with more certifications than god on unemployment for 2-3 years

The way that life is going for many it seems is you should keep your job. There are many educated, experienced people out there jobless. I wouldn't recommend quitting and going to school.

Talk to your wife. Ask her the same questions you're asking us & explain it thoroughly. Listen to what she has to say about it & seriously consider her reply. That being said, Your GI benefits for school will be just as good next year as they are right now; I'd say keep working your job, keep your nose in the wind & your ear to the ground for possible changes @ work while SAVING some money for the next year. If things go sour at work, go to school. If things don't go sour at work by next year, then go back to school. You'll have saved X amount of money, found a school you want to attend & will have included the wife in a serious decision. You might be slightly unhappy for a few months or even the full year, but I think you're a big boy & can handle it; I mean you ARE a brewer after all. A few mugs of homebrew can be quite the balm for a hard days work.

Nothing like being well prepared for a big change when that big change happens. Keeps the wife happy, pads the bank acct, gives you more time to consider/apply to more schools, and if you happen to change your mind along the way, no worries, you've got it covered. That's my 2 cents worth, now go brew up another batch of beer.
Regards, GF.

As someone who works full time and is taking classes through Strayer, I have to recommend keeping going at work as long as possible while going to school online or at night. The experience is invaluable, and will place you better for a future job than will a degree without experience.

The thing about schools like UofP or Strayer is you get out what you put in. I took some brick and mortar classes and found the same thing I do online, that some professors are a pushover an some are ballbusters. I'm married now, but when I was a single dad online was the only way I could take classes, and like some others here I fell into a decent job and i intend to stay at least until I'm done getting tuition reimbursement

The experience is what'll get you hired somewhere else. A degree will help yeah, but I don't think you'll have any disadvantage if you keep working and get a degree online. I know several executives who would regard that higher than quitting to go to school.

You know, to receive the GI Bill you have to have a "full load" of classes a semester? They consider that 12 hours I believe. Also you would also receive full E-5 bah. There are a few other benefits with the GI bill. Get with the VA office about it if you haven't already.

I second nitrousjunkie... I am using my GI Bill right now, and working full time. To be considered full time, you have to take a minimum of 12 credit hours a semester to draw full E-5 with dependents BAH. Having said that, you can use it towards online classes, but each semester you have to have a traditional, as in in a classroom, class to count as full time. Otherwise you recieve a prorated BAH.

Also, if you look at the Yellow Ribbon Program, it actually acts as a top up similar to the GI Bill and TA while you were active duty. I would also attempt to pick a degree program that meshes well with your SMART transcript to minimize the amount of time you are in school.

I work in IT. It is a great field. There is a lot of flexibility within the field. If you get bored of hardware, you can move to software, or to networking. You can always find something related to IT that will interest you. The pay is generally pretty good as well. It has slipped in the past 10 years, but the future outlook is pretty good because Americans aren't getting IT degrees anymore. I have a hard time finding people for the jobs I need filled.

Any technical degree is a good thing. A technical degree teaches you how to think and solve problems, which is a good skill to have. A technical person can usually find a job in any field because of that skill set. I hire engineers, math majors, science majors all the time because I know they will be able to handle most problems I throw at them.

Online is OK as long as you are affiliated with a good university. I'd opt for a brick and mortar school if possible. Nothing beats hands-on learning. Stay away from the diploma mills. I teach at one part-time. The diplomas and classes are real, but most businesses don't take them too seriously. I do a lot of hiring, and I've never hired anyone from one of those schools.

I graduated with a Biology degree, but returned to school part-time to get a Computer Science degree when I was 30. It was tough and I felt like giving up many times. I had 2 small kids at the time. I pretty much had to start over. Looking back it was well worth it. I'm much better off now.

It really comes down to what you want to do. There's nothing wrong with changing your mind and leveraging existing skills to improve your prospects. It's not easy, but nothing worth doing is ever easy. There is also risk, but most successful people are willing to take risks if they see an upside.

Check your state universities for online classes. Or start out taking Gen Ed courses through a community college that will get you transferable credits.
I even took some classes that were mostly online, with two live classes a month.

What did you do in the Marines?

I was a weapons repairer so not the most transferable skills to the civilian world, but i do like the breaking down of things and diagnosing problems.

So i have on person who says the IT field is not so good and another that says its great. I really like computers and what they are possible of doing, but i dont want a job where im just a help desk for people who dont know how to turn on a printer.

and im definitely trying to pay down my debt fast got one credit card almost paid off and then the car loans.

have you considered working part time and going to school full time? I just finished my masters going full time while working a part-time job. I sucked sometimes not having much of a social life, but I got through it and I"m glad I did. I think sacrificing your income now to get a degree is wise because your earning potential with a degree with increase dramatically.

danorocks17 said:

have you considered working part time and going to school full time? I just finished my masters going full time while working a part-time job. I sucked sometimes not having much of a social life, but I got through it and I"m glad I did. I think sacrificing your income now to get a degree is wise because your earning potential with a degree with increase dramatically.

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Thats my dilemma do i go all out and go to school fulltime credits wise and work fulltime.

Partime school/ full time job

or Full time school/ part time job.

the problem with going to a traditional brick and mortar for me is traveling distance roughly 1 1/2 away for the nearest university.

I do appreciate all the responses does give me alot of advice that i can chew on.

Punity said:

Thats my dilemma do i go all out and go to school fulltime credits wise and work fulltime.

Partime school/ full time job

or Full time school/ part time job.

the problem with going to a traditional brick and mortar for me is traveling distance roughly 1 1/2 away for the nearest university.

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ah i see, that's a bummer about the distance. Unless you could get a job at the university and work around your school schedule? I'm not sure if they would have jobs like that or how much they would pay, but it might be worth looking into. You'd be surprised how many programs cater to working adults too, so you might look into a program that allows you to go just in the evenings, or programs that you take all your classes two days a week, which would allow you to work the other three.

I don't know what the BAH rate is where you're at, but I would go to school full time and work part time. You said you already receive disability and that covers your mortgage. The BAH would help off set your loss of income with working part time. Have you talked to the VA about your GI Bill benefits yet?

nitrousjunkie said:

I don't know what the BAH rate is where you're at, but I would go to school full time and work part time. You said you already receive disability and that covers your mortgage. The BAH would help off set your loss of income with working part time. Have you talked to the VA about your GI Bill benefits yet?

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Yea i have, already have my certificate of eligibility. The BAH depends on what school you are going to and the COL for the area. Around my area its alright. I think im going to try my hand at getting some better math classes and higher core classes out of the way here at my CC then move on to finish my degree at a traditional school.

Punity, if you don't mind some advice...

I'm 27, have a B.S. in Biology and work full time for an environmental engineering company here in Raleigh. My degree has allowed me to get the job I have now, but doesn't provide the needed education to really move up in my company. The engineers in my company are the ones who are paid the highest, have the best career mobility, and are rarely laid off. I'm taking classes at my local community college for an associates degree in Civil Engineering. If I could go back in time, I would have made myself major in civil engineering. The civil engineers that I've worked with seem to have more opportunities across different fields than most people I know. There is a serious need and demand for civil engineers (and engineers in general) so I doubt you would have a difficult time finding a job in that field.

My advice would be: continue to work in your current job and take part-time classes at your local community college. Not only are these classes CHEAP (My classes are $56 a credit), but they'll typically be transferred over by the public universities in your state should you decide you want a 4 year degree. Take 2 - 3 classes a semester, but continue to work and bring in a paycheck so you're not making a drastic lifestyle change. If you do lose your current job, it should make a positive impression on your future employer that you're looking ahead to the future and not just focused on the present. My 2 cents.

Darwin18 said:

Punity, if you don't mind some advice...

I'm 27, have a B.S. in Biology and work full time for an environmental engineering company here in Raleigh. My degree has allowed me to get the job I have now, but doesn't provide the needed education to really move up in my company. The engineers in my company are the ones who are paid the highest, have the best career mobility, and are rarely laid off. I'm taking classes at my local community college for an associates degree in Civil Engineering. If I could go back in time, I would have made myself major in civil engineering. The civil engineers that I've worked with seem to have more opportunities across different fields than most people I know. There is a serious need and demand for civil engineers (and engineers in general) so I doubt you would have a difficult time finding a job in that field.

My advice would be: continue to work in your current job and take part-time classes at your local community college. Not only are these classes CHEAP (My classes are $56 a credit), but they'll typically be transferred over by the public universities in your state should you decide you want a 4 year degree. Take 2 - 3 classes a semester, but continue to work and bring in a paycheck so you're not making a drastic lifestyle change. If you do lose your current job, it should make a positive impression on your future employer that you're looking ahead to the future and not just focused on the present. My 2 cents.

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Solid advice i appreciate it.

I rarely jump in to serious advice threads as I tend to visit this site for brewing ideas and fun, but I just had to weigh in on this one. As an ex-military myself, I used my GI bill while working full time. It was hard but it can be done. You need to choose the method you feel works best for you.

If you are working with DCS and enjoy it, you could look into a general management degree, even one from University of Phoenix, get proficient in PLC and HMI platforms and end up running a tech department. I have been in industry for a few years.... (more than 15) .... I manage maintenance for multiple facilities and enjoy my work. Pay and bennies not so bad either. Many HR managers that I know respect UoP as it really does require effort and study, and many experienced high level managers used real life experience (OJT in industry) coupled with UoP or similar on line degrees to move up. Granted your CEO's and CFO's normally have your high-level brick and mortar degrees, but it all depends on what you want to do in life.

I guess my advice is this; Don't write off experience and an on-line degree as a path to success. It can work for you if you want it to.

Thank you for your service, I hope this helps without muddying the waters too much.

No its great advice.

Perhaps you should go into the garage door selling buisness in southern India?

Try to stay positive - it may feel like our backed into a corner, but there are always options. The economy seems to be good for people who have jobs (much easier to get another while you're actively employed). I've also seen projections that need for workers, especially in IT, will quickly outpace supply as soon as the baby boomers retire. There's no one to replace them, and companies won't be able to outsource enough to compensate.

On the IT side, especially in functional areas (working with administering/maintaining solutions like Oracle an SAP) there's a lot of opportunity. There's also the traditional help desk/support IT, network engineering, system development (programming), web development, etc. I'm not much of a programmer, so I got my degree in information systems - it lends itself more to the functional side.

I'd stay away from online "for profit" universities if you can. They don't give you the interaction or networking that will help you succeed post college, and it takes a lot of additional effort to stay engaged an learn. In my case online learning goes in one ear and out the other most of the time - but it's different for everyone. Lastly, there have been some big news stories over the past few years about online universities going bankrupt an taking students money without providing a degree. If you have to go with online options, stick to the big ones like UoP or find an accredited non profit state university that does distance learning.

+1 on starting up at a community college part time. It's much cheaper, you can figure out if engineering, IS, or something else is what you want (those math classes are painful). A good GPA proves to full time universities that you are serious.

+1 for staying in your current job as long as your paycheck is clearing/until you get another job. The more work experience you have on your resume the better, and it'll build up your best egg for when you need it. If you can find a job that pays well and pays for classes, that would be a great supplement to your GI bill funds.

This last one is a little bit of a pipe dream, but you may want to look into it. See if any of the local universities have jobs related to your current experience or for IT support. The pay is usually decent, the benefits are great, an you can take courses for free.

Feel free to PM me if you have any questions, and I'll send you my email address. I've been in IT & Systems Integration consulting for 10 years and do a lot of college recruiting, and most of my friends are either IT or engineers. I'm happy to bounce ideas back and forth.

Best of luck!

I was in the same situation as you 5 years ago. 2 years out of the Corps, deciding if I should do college or not since my current job paid the bills but didn't fit my long term goals.

Go to school. Part time is easy, night classes, online classes, CLEP, whatever you need to do to use that GIB. I got my AA in EET with my GIB, got hired on at a National laboratory, and I'm now on my way to my EE with tuition help from my current employer.

I would never leave a job to go to college, especially having a family, but if you crunch the numbers and can swing the budget, a college degree is as near-to a guaranteed salary increase as you will ever find.

FWIW

My first year in college was a disaster. Booze, pool rooms and very poor behavior had me out on my ear after the second semester.

Four years of night school and full time work for the Railway Express got my head together and I was admitted back into a regular university program. Luckily all my science credits were accepted and I was able to enter as a senior, only having to take a bunch of easy electives along with a small number of degree specific courses in the field I chose. Due to the fairly light load of difficult courses I was able to keep working full time (driving truck and working the loading docks on the midnight shift) and still keep my head above water both money wise and grade wise.

Hard? Yes, at times, but if you want to, you can do it. Like the tortoise and the hare, do your best and stick to it.

bosco

As a fellow vet who went to school on the GI Bill.

If I were you I would:

Keep the job you have for as long as you can and go to community college out of pocket and get out of debt. Get your gen ed's done and get your smart transcript credits in the system @ community college. Good fulltime permanent jobs are hard to come by anymore.

Wait until you your done with your gen ed's and leave your job if you haven't already and then go to university full time work part time. Use your GI Bill for the more expensive courses.