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Jan. 30, 2012 3:53 p.m. PHeller Dork

Need your opinions:

I want to get into parks and recreation management, but also come with the trades background. Think operations management for parks.

Do I:

Go to graduate school, get a masters of parks and recreation management, and spend another 4 years paying off those loans?

Or

Go to trades/vo-tech schools and build a resume full of general trades like plumbing, electrical, hvac?

I've got the cubicle crazies, and I'm only 5 months into my first real job since college (had plenty of jobs before college).
Jan. 30, 2012 3:55 p.m. DILYSI Dave SuperDork

If you want to be outside, I'd skip the graduate degree.
Jan. 30, 2012 4:20 p.m. Stealthtercel HalfDork

Go get the skills now, then invite a subsequent employer to help you with time and/or money to upgrade to a graduate degree if it will help your career path with them (and if you still want to.)
Jan. 30, 2012 4:22 p.m. HappyAndy HalfDork

I'm not sure how closely my experience equates to yours, but there are some people in my line of work with bachelors degrees doing the exact same job as I do for less $$. I don't know of anyone with a graduate degree, at least not anyone that would admit to it.

I repair industrial vehicles, mostly forklifts, and specialize in electric powered machines, some of which are quite high tech.

My advice is that if don't want to be a desk jockey, don't go for the graduate degree. You can make decent $ working with your hands, and usually better for the mind body and soul.

Just my $.02. As always YMMV.
Jan. 30, 2012 8:17 p.m. CarKid1989 Dork

There is a lot to be said for earning "that piece of paper". Just saying
Jan. 30, 2012 8:41 p.m. PHeller Dork

I don't doubt that a graduate degree won't help the salary, but will it help the job satisfaction?

Maybe when I'm 40 and I don't mind sitting at a desk and my opinion matters because I have got "life experience" to back it up.

But until then, I need a good solid line of work that I can do anywhere, get a job where ever I go, and develop that into the type of career I enjoy over a lifetime.

I could get the masters tomorrow, but would it produce the high salary job that allows me to get outside while not working all that hard, and benefit my community? I'm not so sure.
Jan. 31, 2012 1:05 a.m. rotard HalfDork

It really depends on what the Masters or Doctorate is in. Certain technical jobs are only available to those with higher levels of education. Research engineers with masters degrees were starting out at $76k a year at my old company. There does come a point where NOT having a PhD, or at least a MS, keeps you from being promotable.
Jan. 31, 2012 6:51 a.m. Giant Purple Snorklewacker SuperDork

PHeller wrote:

I don't doubt that a graduate degree won't help the salary, but will it help the job satisfaction?

Maybe when I'm 40 and I don't mind sitting at a desk and my opinion matters because I have got "life experience" to back it up.

But until then, I need a good solid line of work that I can do anywhere, get a job where ever I go, and develop that into the type of career I enjoy over a lifetime.

I could get the masters tomorrow, but would it produce the high salary job that allows me to get outside while not working all that hard, and benefit my community? I'm not so sure.

When you are 40 and sitting at a desk it might just be that you are trapped there by your lack of education, need to pay a mortgage and sock funds away for the little PHellers to go to school.

If you can get it "tomorrow", get it. It won't ever hurt you.
Jan. 31, 2012 9:11 a.m. AngryCorvair SuperDork

Giant Purple Snorklewacker wrote:

PHeller wrote:

I don't doubt that a graduate degree won't help the salary, but will it help the job satisfaction?

Maybe when I'm 40 and I don't mind sitting at a desk and my opinion matters because I have got "life experience" to back it up.

But until then, I need a good solid line of work that I can do anywhere, get a job where ever I go, and develop that into the type of career I enjoy over a lifetime.

I could get the masters tomorrow, but would it produce the high salary job that allows me to get outside while not working all that hard, and benefit my community? I'm not so sure.

When you are 40 and sitting at a desk it might just be that you are trapped there by your lack of education, need to pay a mortgage and sock funds away for the little PHellers to go to school.

i believe GPS and i had a similar conversation before. i'm 45 and am fortunate to work for a company that has both "inside" and "outside" jobs, and the company believes in putting people where they are happier, so they'll do better work and be happier doing it. i'm in the process of switching back to an "outside" job, after 12 years of being chained to a cubicle.

get the experience now. find out about tuition reimbursement in case you want to chase that degree later.