Mike-S

I'd go along with the premise of no degree, limited options as well. Last year my wife's company asked her/us to move out to New Jersey, so I had a scout around the employment market in the water / civils industry, latterly in project management. Very quickly came to realise my 20 years experience and O/HNC from good old Stockport college wouldn't even get me a job in McDonalds, never mind dealing with pipelines & potable water, so much as we really wanted to come over we didn't take them up on the offer

I certainly 'married up' though, wife has a Phd in sciences, long gone are the days of me supporting her through the studies

chartreuse

At the risk of digressing, there was a fascinating article in yesterday's LA Times, on the subject of teacher quality:

Superintendent spreads the gospel of 'value-added' teacher evaluations.

The subject of the article tried measuring performance in San Diego, but was forced out by the teachers unions. But it seems that the current administration may be on the right track with this one:

scrubbedexpat091

I am in San Diego now and a bachelors is more or less required for anything over min. wage it seems now, but I've read 40.1% of those aged 24 to 49 now have a Bachelors or higher so it does not surprise me.

And yes I have been having major issues, nothing but Thanks but no thanks emails or no response.

Most of my friends have degrees in various subjects and some now do hiring and they use degrees to eliminate applicants, none of the positions actually need a degree but they dont have time to review all applicants so they just have the computer eliminate every aplicant without a bachelors or higher.

I've now even seen some janitorial ads asking for a degree, so its becoming more or less a degree is the new high school diploma it seems.

I for one will never have a degree, tried college and it wasn't for me and its gonna suck for everyone young now for whatever reason cannot get a degree, no everyone can learn in a classroom type environment.

Retseh

Just take one of the on-line programs, it's much easier - just avoid embarassing names like DeVry and Phoenix on-line, try something more upscale like Indiana Wesleyan, that way it doesn't scream "on line degree" on your resume.

I don't knwo what line of work you're in, but without a degree you're always going to be struggling, especially if you need to switch jobs.

dunroving

Of course there's always the Open University, also (not sure if it's only open to UK residents though ...?)

chartreuse

Or do what a few of us here have done and sign up for an on-line Masters with one of the many UK unis that offer them. Most have provision for accepting students without a Bachelors, as long as you've got relevant experience etc.

Cheaper than anything on offer from a US college, 2 years part time, instead of three or more and, hopefully, it would get you into a better paying job than janitor in San Diego.

Bob

The missus, her best friend only has a masters, but she's running a lab that does a lot of diabetes research...she even ran a lab at Harvard till she got poached and not having a phd hasn't been a problem for her, it's just having good quality experience and a network of connections that has been the most important factor.

My field, a degree isn't all that important, it's experience that counts, but having a degree certainly helps those who don't have experience.

Bob

you can do OU from abroad, but you must be a UK resident when you first began the course.

Rete

My hubby came to the US in 1998 with 36 years of computer hardware/software experience with the RCAF. He worked for the RCAF, the US Air Force and US Navy and Litton Corp. in those capacities during those 36 years and still was not able to find employment as anything but a computer tech in a school for shite money because he had no degree to tack on the end of his resume plus his age was an issue as he was in his 50's.

So things have been this way here in the states for a while.

chartreuse

No argument from me. I think there are loads of ways of demonstrating ability (for research, that might be a PhD, a research Masters, experience or whatever). But I'm not a poxy HR person in the arse end of Texas...

Sally Redux

That's interesting, I don't know anyone in research who doesn't have a PhD.

dunroving

It depends on the type of position. You might find someone with a masters degree running a lab or a particular project (i.e., doing the day-to-day project management, etc.), but rarely being a lab director (i.e., the independent researcher who is landing the grants, etc.). Not sure I'd want the responsibility - can lead you to desparate measures: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eric_Poehlman (an example I use in my research ethics class every year - what a claim to fame)

Cape Blue

I missed that move - no jobs going in BC I assume?

Sally Redux

Oh yeah I know all about grant applications

BritishGuy36

Got a call today from a local health organisation I applied to - interview next week.