How are we supposed to get industry experience otherwise?

Businesses aren’t hiring without a degree unless you have four years of industry experience to replace the degree.

Plus, we get an internship during college to get some of both.

Still don’t get hired after graduating.

It’s fucked!

That's because we told them that there would be jobs on the other side of that debt.

Just lie your way in. Worry about how to do the job later.

You just finished 17+ years of education and invested a small fortune into yourself. If that isn't enough for a career with a living wage and the possibility of advancement, what's the point?

My first employer out of college told me explicitly they hired me because I was willing to stick with a 4 year program, and though I didn’t have experience they were confident I’d stick around enough to be trained. I got an art degree and it was a computer science job 🤔

That was how it was marketed. Explain to me how there's not a class action lawsuit there. I remember a woman in a pantsuit with a university lanyard around her neck coming into a high school class to give a presentation about how many millions more dollars a college graduate makes. There are people in this world whose death I would celebrate with a prolonged dance involving a significant amount of hip thrusting. Hers is one of them, if I knew who she was.

A minimum 4 year commitment was supposed to make you more valuable in the job market. That was the entire point or at least the message broadcasted. If a degree isn't conducive to large potential for at least a 30% increase in wages, what's the point of that time invested? Either institutes are adequately designed to promote this or they're effectively useless in a practical sense.

When I was an undergrad my professors put a big emphasis on developing a portfolio of work and picking up experience where we could before graduation. For me that meant freelancing a few times a month while working a part time job along with class. Internships are great, but everyone had to have one to graduate from my program. A degree will set you up, but a portfolio of work and related experience will help set you apart.

"Degree required. Must have 10 years experience." -- Every job available

In hindsight I would have been much happier, healthier and wealthier if I had just gotten a construction job or something after HS instead of torturing myself through a CS degree lmao

I joined the military after I had run out of money for college, and out of sheer luck ended up in a job vastly preferable to what I had been going to college for (military aviation search and Rescue vs. Band teacher). Now I'm getting on in years with lots of work experience and no degree, and people in my work are constantly getting poached by avionics and aviation companies (one guy was about 8 years from retirement, where he'd get a paycheck for the rest of his life at 40 years old, did the math, and found he'd make more over his life with the company poaching him).

I'm not saying the military is a good choice for everyone, but in the "get paid while getting experience" thing, it can work out pretty well depending on the field. And if you get into cybersecurity, you'll end up with at least Secret clearance, which is a hot commodity if you can secure a job straight out of getting out of the military.

Just don't be, like... infantry or admin. Have a plan going in for getting out.

It's been 7 months for me and in all that time I got one job offer that they ultimately gave to someone else. The pain is real...

This is something I'm worried about. I actually have a decent-paying blue-collar job, but I want to be an engineer and expand myself. A lot of entry engineering positions pay less than what I currently make. I'd be happy breaking even, but pay cuts are a hard decision to make.

The degree will get you the interview. Experience will get you the job.

Unfortunately it's hard to get in the door without one.

Co-ops, work study, volunteer work, even self employment cannot be understated. They're not necessarily looking at if you have done the job, but how you've handled situations. De-escalation, customer service, team work, taking initiative, and reasoning are all good things to mention during an interview.

Read the job description, research the company, be prepared to ask questions to show engagement, and be prepared to show how your life experience has prepared you for the work.

And be sure to say thank you and send a follow up email or two!

Where's this template from? A Mario animated movie?

It certainly helps.

Holy shit peach is fine as hell in this movie.

Yes :'( I thought degree and projects is all you need. I laughed at those lazy group members, but the joke is on me as some of them now have a job in CS and I don't (they had an IT job or relative in the industry) Here I'm going on 2 years and I'm still waiting for employers to line up. Or even just one one unsolicited which isn't spam. :'(