so i'm thinking that since i've been laid off, maybe it's time for a change of pace, something different. but something that pays substantially better than the $18/hour i was making as a cnc machinist. i've checked out alot of websites/search engines etc for jobs in my field and most all of them want someone with 3-5 years experience or a degree of some sort. (i've got roughly 19 months cnc machinist experience). so i'm thinking that if i have to get a degree to advance myself, i should get one that will make me a damn fine living. i'm open to suggestions. 

JD, it's the lazy/greedy mans doctorate

JD??  

oh, and i can rule out any type of military service. i'm young and fit enough, just too deaf. 

juris doctor ...... lol...google is my friend. anyhow. seems i need a bachelors first.  hmm...okay...let me clarify...i have no degree, of any type, in any field, but i feel i'm intelligent enough to learn anything. 

Airport, airside operations.

If i wasn't an air traffic controller id do that.

Depends on your age I'd say. As well as where you really want to live.
No sense getting an MBA in finance and wanting to live in Boone NC. Or if you're 90yrs old.
Otherwise I suggest some financial BS, those Idiots make $ both ways. First fuelling the bubble and then by deflating the bubble and getting bailout.
Extra regulation = extra programmers with financial crap to make the banks comply with the new rules. And then financial planners who can by pass that BS.
Cool.
Buddha.

i'm 27, will be 28 in october. 

i spoke to a lady from kaplan university online. bachelor of science in information technology. i think i'd like to be a computer software engineer. or something similar. computer jobs seem to pay the best and the field seems to be expanding. i haven't done the financial aid stuff yet as i've run into a small snag with course requirements. i would have to upgrade my operating system to windows xp pro and would also have to install microsoft office 2007 professional. roughly 600 bucks in software i'd need to take the course. we'll see what happens. i may put it on hold for a while until i can get the software updates.  will keep you guys informed. 

Free trials are your friends

true, but most free trials only last for 60 days or so. 

Check microsoft i know some they have last up to 6months ive used em for schoolwork

Thanks for the tip. 

I've been thinking of becoming a Gynocologist.

Lmao

If you are a student, Academic Pricing is your most excellent friend.  Check out places like:
http://www.academicsuperstore.com

You would not be able to purchase until you had an ID (you have to copy the ID to get the price), but most places give the ID when you register.

OR, buy a used computer with XP Pro already on it and buy Office 2007 (academic) for small $$$.

well said tg

Quote from: jserio on January 14, 2009, 08:17:51 PM
i spoke to a lady from kaplan university online. bachelor of science in information technology. i think i'd like to be a computer software engineer. or something similar. computer jobs seem to pay the best and the field seems to be expanding. i haven't done the financial aid stuff yet as i've run into a small snag with course requirements. i would have to upgrade my operating system to windows xp pro and would also have to install microsoft office 2007 professional. roughly 600 bucks in software i'd need to take the course. we'll see what happens. i may put it on hold for a while until i can get the software updates.  will keep you guys informed. 

I got XP pro for student usage for an academic license fee of $35 if I remember right. Wound up no tneeding it because VB.Net ran fine on my Vista box at home.

You need to see if Kaplan is a MSDN educational partner, I got VB.NET 2003 and 2005 for free when I was taking my C language course. Microsft office 2007 on a student license for the core essentials is like $120. I bought the blown office pro 2007 for $275 when it was a $600 package.   

In 1991 I graduated with a bachelors in civil engineering. I worked in a factory in Pennsylvania from Feb 92 to Jan 93 cos the Idiot that hired us out of college (talk about ruining my life, I had a great job in India) thought engineers need to do manual labor. Nice trick eh. I was, and still am a weakling, comming from a long line of mathematicians and accountants and lawyers my dad was the first engineer on my dad's side and my grandpa was the first engineer on that side. The rest all are bean counters. So essentially blue collar work was a disaster for me.
Anyway ... I decided I should be a software engineer Jan 93. I read up everything on programming and in 93 April I got my first job as a software engineer. That was it, I did pretty well at what I would only classify as a pretty tough job. Ironically 18 months later I decided I had had enough and quit and found another job. Essentially I went away from Unix application support then only to drift back and forth with it, finally landing square back in Unix app support ~2002 only to never look back.
In 1993 I supported Unix applications for citi bank.
In 2003 I was doing almost that same thing for B of A, after which wachovia, JP Morgan.
I dont have anything agaist getting a degree but I suggest you think outside the box.
The biggest trouble with my career was the fact that I didn't have a green card through 01.
Otherwise Software engineering is easy. Its almost too easy for people who have a certain mental make up. And chicks loooooooove geeks. Yea ... they're the best.
I'd just say that getting a degree in it is over rated. You may get a better marketability - maybe. But learing it your self and having a practice session etc etc with a computer is far more useful.
Cool.
Buddha.

Quote from: The Buddha on January 15, 2009, 11:46:09 AM
...
I'd just say that getting a degree in it is over rated. You may get a better marketability - maybe. But learing it your self and having a practice session etc etc with a computer is far more useful.
Cool.
Buddha.

+1.
That's exactly what I think, by looking at what's happening to the occupation market here (not strictly related to the current economic downturn). Different countries, different realities - probably - , but the same principle applies IMHO.

BTW, best of luck to the OP in finding a new career opportunity as soon as possible.