But can you credit any 101 courses with giving you job skills? I can't, but I've never held a job that requires a college education.

I studied computer science and took business classes in the summer time. Accounting 101 got my foot in the door at my college bookstore. I later
took a job supporting their computer system and writing code, and it jump-started my career.

I initially felt like I didn't learn anything practical in college, even
though I graduated with a BSBA in Management/CIS. Looking back, I am
pretty sure that if ~18 year old me had continued in the workforce without
it, things would have been much different. At the very least, it allowed
me 4+ years to mature a little more.

My eventual "career job" did require a degree in order to be hired, even
though the degree didn't really qualify me for the job. It did allow me to
get my foot in the door at a higher pay grade than I otherwise would have,
and gave me an opportunity to show what I could really do, whether I
learned it in college or otherwise.

I also sometimes believe that the job I had while going to college...
working in the college library... helped prepare me more than the actual
degree did. I could not have worked there, though, if I was not a student.

Mike


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Mike Powell wrote to KURT WEISKE <=-

I initially felt like I didn't learn anything practical in college,
even though I graduated with a BSBA in Management/CIS. Looking back, I
am pretty sure that if ~18 year old me had continued in the workforce without it, things would have been much different. At the very least,
it allowed me 4+ years to mature a little more.

I studied "hard" CS, and it taught me what I didn't want to do. :)
While I studied, I worked at the university bookstore managing a
minicomputer, Mac desktops, the network and all of the apps that ran
the business, from inventory to sales, to accounting.

I realized I enjoyed working with systems and seeing my work make
positive changes in the way people worked on a daily basis, and I
didn't get that from programming. Sure, if I'd hung around long enough
to to work on a Windows or a Netscape, that might have changed.

My accounting classes taken in summer got my foot in the door doing
data entry. Being able to speak accounting and computers got my foot in
the door in IT. Running a P/H/A/C-adjacent board got me a job in
telecom. Telecom begaat networking. Funny how that works...

My eventual "career job" did require a degree in order to be hired,
even though the degree didn't really qualify me for the job. It did
allow me to get my foot in the door at a higher pay grade than I
otherwise would have, and gave me an opportunity to show what I could really do, whether I learned it in college or otherwise.

I also sometimes believe that the job I had while going to college... working in the college library... helped prepare me more than the
actual degree did. I could not have worked there, though, if I was not
a student.

Mike

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Hello Rob!

** On Saturday 05.04.25 - 01:39, Rob Mccart wrote to AARON THOMAS:

We had 2 major different course sets in high school.

A 4 year course to grade 12 where you took those technical courses
like auto repair and electronics..

Then there was the 5 year course to grade 13 with more complex maths
and sciences to prep you for University.

Normally you didn't take classes from both of those but I decided
I wanted to and they cursed me trying to sort out a schedule that
would let me do it, but it was worked out in the end..

That's pretty clever actually. I took the "normal" route of
classes to gr 13 to qualify for university, but I squeezed in
one tech/electrical course which I thought would be fun - and
it was!


--
../|ug

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Hello Rob!

** On Sunday 06.04.25 - 01:43, Rob Mccart wrote to AARON THOMAS:

Ha.. On a somewhat unrelated line.. I once applied for
work at the post office when they had a hiring blitz going
on. I figured it was a relatively stable job with good pay
and benefits, but the hiring process was pretty extreme
with I.Q. and Psyche tests required. I later heard back
from them and was told that I was not suited for the job
because I'd scored too high on the I.Q. tests.

There was probably a message in there somewhere.. B)

I think they are factoring in likelyhood of turnaround with
that one. If the candidate scores higher, that probably means
they will get disatisfied with the job sooner and quit, which
would cost the company downtime and expense to hire a
replacement.

So.. for basic, repetative, meanial jobs that don't require
critical thinking, they want people who are satisfied with
routine and doing same-old stuff every day without complaints.

I worked at the post office as a summer student in my last year
of high-school. When minimum wage was around $6, I was getting
$11.01 (yep.. there was an extra $.01 !!! in the contract!)
First, I was intended to be part-time, and on-call. But after
a couple of weeks I was in there every day.

I don't remember if there was an IQ test.

My main task was running the watermark machine for standard
letter-size mail, and stashing the mailboxes. But when things
got less busy, there was always something to keep tidy or
sweep, or help load and unload the vehicles at the loading
dock. I didn't mind the work, but I couldn't see myself having
a "career" doing that stuff for the rest of my life.





--
../|ug

--- OpenXP 5.0.64
* Origin: My Westcoast Point (1:153/757.21)

A 4 year course to grade 12 where you took those technical courses
like auto repair and electronics..

Then there was the 5 year course to grade 13 with more complex maths
and sciences to prep you for University.

Normally you didn't take classes from both of those but I decided
I wanted to and they cursed me trying to sort out a schedule that
would let me do it, but it was worked out in the end..

That's pretty clever actually. I took the "normal" route of

>classes to gr 13 to qualify for university, but I squeezed in
>one tech/electrical course which I thought would be fun - and
>it was!

Yes, it can come in handy.. I also took Machine Shop and while the
rest of the class were making a Vice, I kept talking the teacher
into letting me make custom parts for a motorcycle I was building..
Then one day I realized the term was nearly over that I had barely
started working on the Vice that we were to be graded on..

I went to the teacher freaking out over maybe getting a zero for
the term and he laughed and said I was there to learn the machines
and I was using more different devices than the rest of the class
and not to worry about it.. He gave me a mark in the upper 80's..

---
* SLMR Rob * When you meet people, make it clear you're sizing them up
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on. I figured it was a relatively stable job with good pay
and benefits, but the hiring process was pretty extreme
with I.Q. and Psyche tests required. I later heard back
from them and was told that I was not suited for the job
because I'd scored too high on the I.Q. tests.

I think they are factoring in likelyhood of turnaround with

>that one. If the candidate scores higher, that probably means
>they will get disatisfied with the job sooner and quit, which
>would cost the company downtime and expense to hire a
>replacement.

Yes, they actually mentioned that at the time. I don't know if
I would have been able to do a simple job all day for years or
not. Maybe I could and I'd have more challenging things I'd get
into after work. At the time a reliable paycheque and good
benefits sounded great to me. I figure you don't have to like
your job, and probably the number of people who do are in the
minority of workers. Most I think just do their jobs and can't
wait to get out of there at the end of the day.

That said, virually all jobs I've ever had that lasted for any
length of time, I usually ended up being moved or promoted into
a different job before too long, and usually the new position
was more challenging.

---
* SLMR Rob * Strive to be politically perfect, not just correct
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