Is it true that jobs don't care what subject a Vet gets a degree in, b/c jobs just want to see that they had the discipline to complete one?

2017-02-27T11:23:31-05:00

In which career fields is good for? Myself and other Soldiers received pressure to take online courses for the sake of boosting promotion potential. Anytime I explained that I was exploring my options for majors, I would get the above statement. Leaders universally said that all I needed to do was transfer my existing credits to a university that would frankenstein them into a pseudo G.S. degree.

Response by MSG Private RallyPoint Member made Feb 27 at 2017 11:37 AM

2017-02-27T11:37:32-05:00

Makes absolutely no sense. In the civilian side your education represents what subject your academic knowledge is in. Rarely you will find a Business management degree holder working as a teacher in primary school. 1st; your civilian education gives you the basis for what you want to do in the future. 2nd; the Army doesn't care about what degree you pursue, the Army cares about you taking advantage of the civilian education opportunities. Get an AA in General studies and you have half a Bachelor's degree. You can then choose the best path for your future, your major. Doing college on your own time displays commitment, discipline, and the will to grow as a person and a professional. I don't push no one to pursue civilian education, it has to come from you. I will highly encourage you to take some college courses, but it will only benefit you at the end. College takes time and effort, and the desire to separate yourself from your peers.

Response by SGT Eric Flores made Feb 27 at 2017 11:38 AM

2017-02-27T11:38:09-05:00

I have not been here for a while. It's good to be back. Regarding your question and I hope I'm on the right track with this reply. The general science major will work well if you want to teach elementary or middle school science. A bachelor's degree in general science is the stepping-stone towards a careers in medicine, dentistry, education, and research. Other than that, if you will rely only on the G.S. degree, I would say that it is a poor investment, if not used for the intended purposes which I just mentioned. In comparison with an advanced degree if you want to be taken seriously then stay of the G.S. degree path, or use it as stepping stone to move on towards an advance degree.

Response by LCDR Private RallyPoint Member made Feb 27 at 2017 11:46 AM

2017-02-27T11:46:51-05:00

I think to an extent that is true but you really need to invest your time in the field you wish to work. In our industry of course you have your hard core PEs but a lot of senior people have all kinds of weird degrees that have nothing to do with what they are doing today. For instance my degree is in Physics. While you are on active duty get what education you can get. Once you get out you can always use your GI bill to get a Masters in a specific field. I am on the Construction Industry Advisory Council at Texas A&M college station. They have moved many of their program to Certificate (BS) and Masters program because you can get your Bach of general studies by just completing 120 hours. But, again be careful you are not wasting your time and money on some mail order degree, universities and industry will not accept those towards their requirements.

Response by CSM Richard StCyr made Feb 27 at 2017 12:02 PM

2017-02-27T12:02:27-05:00

That may hold true for the service and any degree would give you a leg up on the competition who didn't have one. My experience in competing for civilian employment is that you need the degree that corresponds to the job you're competing for.
I was an Army Engineer in the service and my associates degree was in Construction Management which fit my MOS. It made me competitive to and through CSM.
To be competitive in the civilian construction management field I had to work through a BS program for Engineering administration which was engineer specific yet generic enough to apply to a wide range of jobs within the career field. I used to joke with my kids and grand children that I wanted to be an engineer when I grew up.
My recommendation would be to figure out what you want to be post military and gear your courses towards that goal.

Response by Lt Col Jim Coe made Feb 27 at 2017 12:04 PM

2017-02-27T12:04:57-05:00

I worked as a manager in both public and private sector and had a hand in hiring dozens of people, mostly veterans. Here's my view on education: get as much as you can.

In public and private sectors a degree is often an "opener" for job consideration. I mean having a degree appropriate for the level of employment drew me into reading the rest of the resume. Some jobs require a degree or equivalent experience as stated the job description or announcement. Most managers look for the degree first.

In some cases the type of degree matters, but for many jobs it doesn't. You'll see things like "Bachelors Degree in business, accounting, marketing, or similar is required (equivalent experience considered)." In this case, most any business oriented degree will do. Equivalent experience may be spelled out later in the announcement. In other cases you may find, "Degree in information technology, computer science, or automation engineering required with accompanying certification as an Oracle database administrator required." If you see something like this, the company or agency is looking for pretty specific education and certifications. If you don't have them, don't take time to apply.

The school from which your degree was granted almost always doesn't matter. However, it does matter if the school has a reputation for passing out bogus degrees requiring the "students" to do no real work to get the degree, i.e., you pay, you pass. Most HR departments recognize these schools and caution hiring managers about "pseudo degrees." On some occasions you may run into a business that feeds almost exclusively off certain universities. Look at the backgrounds of the senior executives if they are available on line. If almost all of them graduated from the same few universities, e.g., Harvard or Yale, then that's a hint. If your degree is from Mississippi University for Women, you might not bother to apply.

What your leadership is telling you about getting degree work is largely true. Most curriculums have "general education" requirements like math, physical science, life science, history, English, and maybe foreign language. If you take these undergraduate courses on line or from a university on your installation, they probably will transfer to most other schools. Be cautions of taking Junior and Senior level courses or specialized courses if you aren't planning on graduating from that particular school. Many universities also have a minimum number of hours you must complete at their school to get a degree from them. Some may waive this if you are a veteran.

The end degree is really up to you. Don't pursue a degree in a field you don't like or can't excel in. I didn't like math, so I sucked at engineering which I tried for two semesters. I loved history and political science and aced those courses. That's what my degree is in. On installation education offices may have guidance services that will help you target possible career fields in which you would excel or at least enjoy. There's lots of interest and aptitude tests available, but be sure to have a counseling professional help you interpret the results.

Response by SPC John Lebiecki made Feb 27 at 2017 12:16 PM

2017-02-27T12:16:46-05:00

Many good responses on here. G.S. is still going to limit you. It will really depend on your intent when you decide to leave the service. Do what you're doing by looking at your majors options and move forward from there.

Response by Stevan Richards made Feb 27 at 2017 12:31 PM

2017-02-27T12:31:13-05:00

It comes down to what you want to do in a civilian career. If you want to be an Engineer you will need an engineering degree. If your goal is to work in accounting, a finance degree will likely be required. Most larger companies are held to DoL standards and compliance that require what are called Labor Categories (LCATs). A labor category is going to be a required level of education and years of experience and may vary by company.

For example: a GEOINT Analyst I may only require a HS diploma and 3 years of relevant experience. A GEOINT Analyst II may require a HS diploma and 5 years of experience. Meanwhile a Software Engineer I may require a BS degree in Engineering or a related technical field like computer science is required plus 2 or more years related experience

I would encourage to take a look at Job Descriptions for civilian positions that you may want to target when you get out. That will help guide your decisions in regards to higher education.

If you have any questions, feel free to message me directly and I will be happy to provide guidance from a civilian POV.

Response by PO1 Chad Alcock made Feb 27 at 2017 12:31 PM

2017-02-27T12:31:36-05:00

In my experience as an employment counselor, I would have to disagree with the statement "having a degree is all that matters". 10 - 15 years ago that may have been true. But recently, employers have been looking more for a degree that fits. The competition is more fierce than ever, employers can afford to be picky.

Response by Sgt Private RallyPoint Member made Feb 27 at 2017 1:41 PM

2017-02-27T13:41:54-05:00

SSG Private RallyPoint Member A degree does show employers that you have the discipline to complete a degree, but this applies to everyone that completes a degree program. A General Studies degree might not land you the job that you want. Carefully consider the job that you want and then look at job listings to see what the requirements are. A General Studies degree will not land you a job as an accountant, engineer, etc. Good luck.

Response by LTC Private RallyPoint Member made Feb 27 at 2017 2:48 PM

2017-02-27T14:48:11-05:00

I really don't want to repeat what others already stated. It depends on what career field you're looking to work. In my civilian job the type of degree doesn't matter. It's more you can you complete things, developed critical thinking and effectively communicate with other people. However some jobs require basic knowledge and already have an understanding of how things work.

Response by LCpl Cody Collins made Feb 27 at 2017 3:37 PM

2017-02-27T15:37:53-05:00

I can tell you for a fact, in Manufacturing that is a true statement. In fact if you have college and no degree, they will pull you of the production floor and give you an office job.

Response by Cpl Joshua Caldwell made Feb 27 at 2017 4:56 PM

2017-02-27T16:56:02-05:00

to an extent that is true but all degrees are not created equal. If you got a degree in hungarian basket weaving, then you decision making process comes into question. The more useless the degree, the more of a problem it will be with employers.

Response by SFC Andrew Miller made Feb 27 at 2017 5:14 PM

2017-02-27T17:14:36-05:00

Having a degree will be better than not having a degree, but it will not always be the deciding factor. You should seek a degree in a field where you show interest and/or aptitude based on what you want to do post- military.
The biggest thing is making sure that when you decide to do it, obtain a degree from a regionally accredited school.

Response by LTC Jason Mackay made Feb 27 at 2017 11:15 PM

2017-02-27T23:15:37-05:00

Not true. It varies field to field. I work in a Facilities Department for a school District. For our management positions you must be an an engineer (electrical, mechanical, or civil), construction manager, or architect. PE preferred. All our tradesmen are licensed in their respective fields.

SSG Private RallyPoint Member what are you trying to break into? What field are you looking at?

Response by Carrie Corbin made Feb 28 at 2017 2:13 AM

2017-02-28T02:13:11-05:00

Another good resource for you for these types of questions where you get responses from real employers (as well as access to a database of already asked questions) is jobipedia.org. It's built & managed by recruiters from major employers.

Lots of people have given you good advice, so the biggest take away here for you is that even with all of the employment laws that make things confusing for everyone, the interview and hiring process is still subjective for many and depends on who you are talking to and what jobs you are interested in.

There is some truth that by virtue of having a degree, there is value, regardless of the degree. However, if you want to do something that is specialized such as engineering, IT, or even public relations - a degree in that field is going to help you leaps and bounds; if for no other reason than there are too many civilian recruiters who don't know how to read a military resume.

That said - the best thing you can do before you transition is find someone working in the civilian world to help translate your resume into civilian terms.... (i.e. battalion commander to general manager).

Response by MSG Private RallyPoint Member made Feb 28 at 2017 5:00 PM

2017-02-28T17:00:13-05:00

SSG,
You should take online course to at the very least knock out your GenEds while you are searching for a degree field to focus in. Every degree has GenEd courses that need to be completed, so you might as well get them out of the way, and at the very least, earn a two year degree in the process. As for your original question, no it is not true most jobs don't care what a Vet earns their degree in. Not all jobs are military friendly. Most don't care that you served in the military. Most want to see that you've earned a degree that is applicable for the position you are applying for, or have experience directly in, or related to the position. Now if you have been in leadership positions and have been successful managing Soldiers, then you could possibly take any degree, combined with your military management experience, and apply for some type of management position at a company.

Response by Madeline Kronfeld made Jun 8 at 2017 1:53 PM

2017-06-08T13:53:10-04:00

I spoke with the Career Services team at American Military University and they said employers are looking for qualified applicants to fill their open positions, so while there may be people who say that the only thing that’s important is that you have a degree, this assumes that you otherwise possess the skills and experience necessary to fulfill the role. If you want to work in a specific career field, such as nursing, you’ll need a nursing degree and license. However, if you are unsure of what you want to do, it’s better to pursue a degree in something that has multiple applications across several fields in order to achieve your education. If you have any questions about AMU, please visit amuonline.com/rallypoint