Graduate high school, go to college, get your degree. That’s what almost every kid is told to do their whole life. Go through years and years of schooling for one piece of paper. College graduates do see 57% more job opportunities than those without a degree. There are also 1800 majors and four levels of degrees; this brings up many questions.
Is a degree a degree? Will a newer degree get me farther? Is an older degree worthless?
The answer isn’t as simple as you might expect.
What’s New?
We know that having your college degree is the new norm but what we don’t know is which degree to get. The four levels are associate, bachelor’s, master’s, and doctoral. 64% of jobs already require a higher degree and extra training. It takes 10-14 years of school to become a doctor. On the other hand, it takes four years to become a teacher. For most jobs, a degree is a must.
Is My Older Degree Still Valuable?
As we’ve learned previously, 57% of people with degrees get more job opportunities than those without. Even if you got your degree 10 years ago, it is still valuable; here’s why. When you are interviewing for a job, and your employer sees that you have a degree, the game changes. A degree shows that you are disciplined, reliable, and have room to move up in the job.
The only problem with an older degree is that you may not be able to make as much money as you would’ve when you got it. This is because technology is advancing, and your training may be out of date.
The future
These are some jobs that we will still need in the future.
- Information Technology, making $203,035/year on average.
- Artificial Intelligence, making $100,000-$150,00/year on average.
- Business Administration, making $46,720/year on average.
- Physical Therapist, making $91,060/year on average.
- Chemical Engineering $60-$100k/year on average.
When it all comes down to it, a degree is just a degree. A “newer degree” in a field that will be needed for years to come will get you farther, but an “older degree” won’t necessarily hold you back. Also, remember, higher-paying jobs mean nothing if you aren’t happy doing them!
