Dumping 'trainee'

[Stone]

On-line education seems to help people in fields where the degree is just a credential and nothing more, like teaching or social work, but when degree holders are actually being hired for their skills, there seems to be a preference for those who are classroom or laboratory-taught at colleges with selective admissions.

Uhh, try getting a teaching job in most of the country with an on-line degree. Outside of areas that cannot attract enough teachers, good luck.

 

[Mountain Man]

Since he likes the math part, go towards MBA and MAI for the commercial end. With an MAI, he can get a job at a big bank reviewing and crunching numbers all day for decent pay.

 

[Vernon Martin]

Uhh, try getting a teaching job in most of the country with an on-line degree. Outside of areas that cannot attract enough teachers, good luck.

I stand corrected, then, and my apologies to all the school teachers out there. Yours is a noble and challenging profession.

U of P and the other proliferating on-line universities pay a lot of advertising money to AOL, Yahoo, etc., resulting in so many articles on "how an on-line degree can help you", so consider where these articles are coming from. I have my doubts on how seriously their degrees are taken, though. A generation ago, we had a similar phenomenon -- the correspondence school.

 

[Vernon Martin]

The big bank review jobs

Since he likes the math part, go towards MBA and MAI for the commercial end. With an MAI, he can get a job at a big bank reviewing and crunching numbers all day for decent pay.

There is a misconception that one has to be an MAI to get these commercial appraisal review jobs. I spent most of my career as a big bank review appraiser and chief appraiser without being an MAI, and very few of my colleagues were MAIs.

When I entered the banking world in 1988, the local Institute chapter was hostile to bank appraisers and only gave experience credit to fee appraisers. The net result was that bank appraisers rose through the ranks without getting designated, and most of the MAIs had no banking experience. When MAIs did take bank jobs, they had some catching up to do, because they were sometimes learning for the first time what the bank really needed in an appraisal report.

 

[Caligirl]

I stand corrected, then, and my apologies to all the school teachers out there.

A teaching credential requires one year of on-the-job training and cannot be completed online.

Apology accepted.

 

[Metamorphic]

WRT to the UoP teaching crediential programs.

None, AFAIK are completely on line. There are a few selective classes in the program that you can do remotely. But AIR 3/4s of the classes or so were in person. Usually 3-4 hour in the evening 1-2 days a week, and then you have a couple more evenings a week working at the home of one of the people in your "learning team". I made for a year and a half there I made a lot of lemon bars, and rice krispy treats to fuel the learning team in my dining room. Also, to get into the credential program you already have to have a 4 year degree from a regular college.

Since my wife started working I've gotten to know a lot of her co-worker teachers, many of whom have been on hiring panels. Most say they would rather have a adult who knows about life, has their own kids, and got a quick education on teaching at UoP, than a 24 year old kid with a masters who has never held a full time job, or raised their own children.

 

[Flygirl 152]

My friends husband is attending U P classes. I may be wrong, but I do not believe they offer a 100% on-line classes. Her hubby does some things on-line, but is required to go to school 2 nights a week for a few hours. She said it is very intensive, and commands a great deal of his time. She also told me that employers are starting to not recognize it as a "real degree", and much as they would recognize a degree from a local college. (Don't shoot the messenger, I'm just repeating what she said)

One of the moms at my sons school did the same program as my friends husband and said she thought it was the perfect situation for someone that is working full time and has a family. It went quite well for her and she got her degree.

Good luck with whatever he decided, and good for him to have the ambition to go back to school. Sometimes that is the biggest hurdle.

 

[OSU Beavers]

Just some general advice: Have him keep his license and do one a month to stay in practice. Go to a real school as UP and Devry will not be looked at as a "real" degree. If he takes any classes from them make sure they will transfer to a four year school. If you cannot afford a State University then go to a local Community College for two years. That gives him the option of getting an AA degree or transferring credits to a four year school. It should be busy during the summer so he can work full time then

That four year degree can then lead to a General Certified upgrade for commercial work.

 

[Conservative in Virginia]

Great input.. thanks to all. To clarify he is 25 - and attended NC Wesleyan for 4 years (did not graduate unfortunately but has loads of credits) - and the major he picked.. well... not real great (Exercise Science). I suppose he SAW me in this lovely profession and KNEW at the time college was not required and jumped. Stupid stupid stupid. Wish I had been here on forum THEN (two years ago) and asked advise as I know some of you would have said LOCK HIM DOWN and keep him out as the end is coming and I would have listened and read and seen beyond my myopic URAR form and 4 orders of the day... but we are here now aren't we.

He does not want to give up being an appraiser but I am drilling him daily that a newbie in will not attract new clients (good ones anyway) as there are way too many of us here and way too little orders and this is gonna stay for quite a while. (Yes, you hear me saying - I want him out!)

I will take the advise and get him to talk to this 'University' as to whether their credits are transferable to VCU... YES VCU is a great school here with many opportunities of career choices.

I hope and pray he will take a few classes and see another more stable career than this one. I wish I were a few decades younger or I would join him.

Thank you all my friends

Cindie

 

[Wayne Tomlinson]

Lots of people work their way through college. There are lots of scholarships every year that go unclaimed.
It would seem that he could continue to appraise, go to school, get scholarships and get a "real" degree.

I would not recomend a U of P degree. Even if it is good, and I am not saying it is not,every employer has seen their ads screw up the program you are trying to watch, and just know it is a diploma mill, whether it is or not.

I can see where such a schools courses could help to round out an education and add to the training,but I would not like to have to call it my full education

Just my thoughts, and likely worth nearly as much as it costs.

Wayne Tomlinson