Fulltime work or study?

[Steve-0]

Hey all, I've got a situation on my hands that i suppose some of you can relate to or will be considering really soon.

At the moment i'm studying a tafe fulltime which is 3 fulldays for a course that will take 2 years (end of next year finish). Now these courses dont lack any info or go easy on the education, but the way there set out, there really easy to complete. I'm also working as a casual staff at k-mart and i can pretty much get unlimited work hours there because i work in multiple sections.

Anyway, lately i've been looking at fulltime jobs that are in the electrical industry... not labour type work, jobs like electrical car fitting or electrical design. So with a fulltime job, i can switch my tafe classes to part-time and i'll have a job in the industry, lots of money to pay off my car and start saving, and i can still complete the tafe course. However the tafe course will probably go from 2 years to 4 years... but as i said its really easy stuff so if i concentrated on that as much as work i could probably knock it over by end 2010.

The question is... struggle finacially but study harder? or rake in the money and take it abit easier on studying? I'm kinda leaning towards a job, because i'd be alot more motivated to get up in the morning to go to work then i would be to go to tafe. btw I WONT be giving up study... i know how valuable -in my case an adv dip.- is in the workplace to have.

Another vote towards a job is this scenerio: another person in my classes is an electrical estimater and he's sitting on roughly 40k... he said when he finishes the adv dip. he can go up to a senior estimater and be earning anywhere 100k+ So if i was to get a job, wouldnt i jump up higher once i finish my course then if i didnt have a job? i.e. job+study = 80k study= 50k.

But yeh, just looking for more in life rather then working at k-mart and studying 3 full days when i only really need 1 full day. I know alot of you gr12 people will be asking the same question!.

[Binaural]

I know that when I did my first work experience stint of 6 months while doing my engineering degree did amazing things to my motivation and marks. I would suggest working and cramming the study in - cruising along and not having much difficult to do is boring anyway. If electrical design and staying away from the hands-on side of electrical work is important to you, consider enrolling in an electrical engineering degree. I guarantee you that you won't be bored by signal processing theory, for instance.

Incidentally, your friend who thinks you can jump 60K after a change in classification is probably a bit hopeful. Qualifications remove a bar to advancement but are not necessarily worth much money in and of themselves. I rather doubt his numbers as well, so double check salaries on the web when making calculations on estimated future earnings.

[NCR600]

Forget TAFE if you want to advance in your career. It's fine as a stepping stone to university, and the pointy-heads at TAFE have done extensive research into producing the sort of graduates industry SAY they want.

However all the people in industry handing out the jobs have degrees and won't employ anyone without at least a degree, because it de-values their own qualification.

Your mate is a bullshitter too.

[frostbite]

Not knowing anything about your industry, you need to make sure that those numbers are realistic. If you can get a job that you're talking about without any completed qualifications (I assume), at that level of pay, then it does sound like its a good thing to do. However, make sure that you get the job before you drop your workload at TAFE.

I worked part time in my industry before I finished my degree, and while it didnt get me any extra money, it DID help me get a good job over other people who had the degree but not the experience.

Also - if you're already working for a company when you finish your education keep in mind that they're not going to just give you an extra 30k off the bat. You'll pretty much need to find a job somewhere else.

[Steve-0]

thanks guys! NCR600... i'm doing an adv dip. and although its at tafe i've heard its a pretty solid starting point and will land me a job 100%.

Yeh now that i think about it that guy i mentioned in OP is probably stretching things. However, atm theres a big job demand for people like me, and most full-time jobs start us off at ~40-50k and then it goes up from there each year till about 100k as ive been told until we need to go to uni for further study.

As for dropping tafe fulltime to part time, i wont do it until i've definatly have a job. I'm also not keen on dropping tafe altogether to go to uni or whatever because i've already completed quite a few classes and it'd be a waste of money to stop now and theres no rush to get it done if i got a job.

And binaural, thats my point, i feel bored at the moment because its not hard and just feels like highschool so the motivation isnt there. However i've been told (by uni students and my tafe teachers) that an electrical engineering degree is pretty much what im doing now but in uni theres more maths involved. Unless you were talkign about a specific course? but yeh uni is where i need to be to get a higher qualification.

[ajay]

Forget TAFE if you want to advance in your career. It's fine as a stepping stone to university, and the pointy-heads at TAFE have done extensive research into producing the sort of graduates industry SAY they want.

However all the people in industry handing out the jobs have degrees and won't employ anyone without at least a degree, because it de-values their own qualification.

Your mate is a bullshitter too.

Mate, thatnot really telling the entire story.

Not to say that employers dont look for degrees, they equally look for people who can do the work. I was offered a job next year as a graduate engineer (having not even finished my diploma yet) purely because they liked my attitude and they know id fit in well with the company. Many chief engineers in other companies have given me the same story too - they're constantly looking for enthusiastic people who they can develop, not specifically someone with a degree. A degree doesnt mean that you'll be any better at the job than someone with out it, although it would increase your earnings and teach you how to 'learn' etc.

FWIW - im going to uni next year to get my degree.


Oh, and Steve-O, stay at school and get your qual as soon as possible, you'll find it hard to keep motivated once you're working.

[Binaural]

And binaural, thats my point, i feel bored at the moment because its not hard and just feels like highschool so the motivation isnt there. However i've been told (by uni students and my tafe teachers) that an electrical engineering degree is pretty much what im doing now but in uni theres more maths involved. Unless you were talkign about a specific course? but yeh uni is where i need to be to get a higher qualification.

No, it's pretty different. Electrical engineering is more about theory and electrical trade qualifications are more about the practical aspects. Having worked as an electrical engineer with many with practical trade qualifications, I can state 100% that you are being trained for different tasks than an electrical engineer, and they don't teach you the heavy maths etc for nothing. The qualifications are not equivalent, and you should consider changing if you think you don't want to stay in the practical side of things.

[leitch]

and you should consider changing if you think you don't want to stay in the practical side of things.

But be prepared for a serious slog. The uni lifestyle is rad, uni itself is like a kick in the balls.

Actually, that's not quite true. If you're legitimately and seriously interested in what you're studying, you'll have no problem - 50% to pass is way better than that 80% and upwards crap you need in high school to get to uni in the first place. I know that sounds like I'm celebrating mediocrity and all that, but honestly... 50% is what you need. Any more is a bonus. If you truly are interested, as Binaural said, in the theoretical rather than the practical, upgrade yourself to a uni degree and you will not fail.

[PINT of Stella, mate!]

I guarantee you that you won't be bored by signal processing theory,


Wahey! Quote of the year! ;)

[leitch]

Hey POSM, totally off topic (in the theme of this sub forum!), but where are you at the moment? On the rigs or in the land of heather, castles and Tennents-bloody-lager?

I'll be up in Glasgow in a week and a bit if you're still on dry land.. I'd be keen for a laugh over a pint or 8 if you're interested.

[NCR600]

Mate, thatnot really telling the entire story.

Not to say that employers dont look for degrees, they equally look for people who can do the work. I was offered a job next year as a graduate engineer (having not even finished my diploma yet) purely because they liked my attitude and they know id fit in well with the company. Many chief engineers in other companies have given me the same story too - they're constantly looking for enthusiastic people who they can develop, not specifically someone with a degree. A degree doesnt mean that you'll be any better at the job than someone with out it, although it would increase your earnings and teach you how to 'learn' etc.

FWIW - im going to uni next year to get my degree.


Oh, and Steve-O, stay at school and get your qual as soon as possible, you'll find it hard to keep motivated once you're working.

No, you're right. There are many people who look at qualities other than paper qualifications when employing someone.

However, those people are becoming fewer and farther between as having a degree becomes like having the HSC or equivalent 20 years ago.

Not having a degree just makes things so much harder!

[Steve-0]

Well my plan at the moment is to get a job and study parttime. So that way i can get some money worth saving and when i finish my adv. dip. i can either move up in the same company or look for other higher paid positions... Or if i wanted to i could go and finish my study at uni doing a specialized electrical engineering course.

I was going to finish my qual asap then probably look at a better job part-time and do uni, but i dont think i'd last that long being so poor and mind-stretched. Theres also quite a few students at tafe that work fulltime, mostly sparkies in there 30s coming back to learn some more technical things, So it can be done and finished in a resonable timeframe.

[jumpers]

Well my plan at the moment is to get a job and study parttime. So that way i can get some money worth saving and when i finish my adv. dip. i can either move up in the same company or look for other higher paid positions... Or if i wanted to i could go and finish my study at uni doing a specialized electrical engineering course.

I was going to finish my qual asap then probably look at a better job part-time and do uni, but i dont think i'd last that long being so poor and mind-stretched. Theres also quite a few students at tafe that work fulltime, mostly sparkies in there 30s coming back to learn some more technical things, So it can be done and finished in a resonable timeframe.

I reckon finish your adv dip, work full time for couple years then go back uni. I am one of theses "old dudes" in their 30's who has gone back uni - my adv dip gave me 60% credits on degree -so i wrking full time,study part time -plenty time surf and ride - plus its easier to study when you are older and have work experience

[Nathan_]

I got trapped in this scenario myself...

i have 3 subjects to complete my double degree @ uni.. 3 bloody programming classes.. 1st, 2nd and 3rd year!!!

i was drained and decided to use some resources and try my luck up the chain with my current work force (telstra)

Now working in a role that i would have needed a degree, but because of my past experience, it over ruled it..

i promised the parents i would go back next year... but i dont see it happening, as this role is too good to give up..

Dont do what i did and rack up 100,000 worth of HEC fee's only to u decide your happier working in the workplace..

best advice, do what will make you happy, experince over rules a peice of paper in most instances now (my past experince and my opion only!)