Back to (Grad) School time
Wednesday, September 2nd, 2009
How old do you have to be to stop dreading early September? I dreaded it well into my late 20s, all due to years of schooling. Back-to-school shopping ads still bother me when they come out in mid-July. Well, this September is different!
When I was a fresh-faced college grad, I really wanted a Graduate degree. Not in a sensible way, but in a “I need a Graduate Degree” type of way. I wanted to be able to say, “I have a Masters degree.” It was an expectation in my family, and in fact my three older siblings all have Masters degrees, done full-time. I studied for, and took, the GMATs for a potential MBA program. I ordered literature from some of the top 20 programs. (Yes, the Internet did not handle this stuff well at that time, and certainly not on my 28.8 modem.) I expected to take two years away from work and study full-time, preferably somewhere far away. I don’t know why I never pulled the trigger on the MBA, but I’d guess the idea of jumping out of the workforce held me back. Plus, two more years of business classes held little appeal after doing the same in undergrad. Basically, I didn’t know what I wanted to do, and going to school just for the degree seemed like a bad idea.
Eventually I realized I did not have to enter a full-time, all-or-nothing program to continue my education. I still wasn’t sure what I wanted to do, but I knew I liked computers. I started courses in 1998, and by 2004 had completed a graduate Certificate in Applied Sciences from Harvard University Extension School. This provided me with a decent computer science foundation, and I took courses in Java, C++, Perl, HTML and Technical Writing. Although the development knowledge did help me with my former employer, I should have done more with it. Caught up in promotions at work, I didn’t realize I was missing career opportunities on the outside. I failed to truly capitalize on my new “degree.”
So why think about a Masters now, you ask? Well, needless to say part of it is based on the economy, and part on my own knowledge gaps. However, part of it stems from my first job post-college. I worked at a small Retirement Services provider in Boston with less than 100 people in the office. We were small enough to have a single person in charge of our network and desktop computers. This guy encapsulated several stereotypes: He was a classic ex-Marine, and he was a classic “computer guy” of that era. He was the type of guy who gave you a hassle every time you reported an issue, making sure you knew that you were an idiot, whether it was your fault or not. Think the old skit on Saturday Night Live with Nick Burns, Your Company’s Computer Guy or, for my UK-based readers (a.k.a. Tom), The IT Crowd (but more disparaging). This guy was such a jerk, we had a new employee quit on his first day because of the disrespect he had been shown when being taught how to login to his computer. This was not the only occasion this happened. In fact, as the company grew and I had the chance to join the networking team, I ended up turning down the opportunity purely based on this man’s attitude. It’s not to say I couldn’t work with him, but the observations over three years proved to me that he was an awful manager, not just a bad co-worker.
I distinctly recall stating at the time that someone like him will be unemployable in ten years. Computer guys would no longer have the right to be jerks, and they would need to be well educated in business and technology. They would likely need common decency too. I assumed at the time that such roles would require more education in the future as well. As technical knowledge has become more commonplace, I think that techies are now required to have better bedside manners than in the past. In addition, I do think education is becoming more valuable, or at least expected, among younger candidates. Although not a barrier to entry at this time, a Masters will certainly open up more options. I have common decency, and I have a business background. The only thing I lack is a Masters degree, so it’s back to school time!
When I was younger, I wanted degrees for all the wrong reasons. I wanted the line on my resume, and the piece of paper…and maybe the respect of my parents? I also just wanted it “out of the way.” Now, I feel like I have turned a corner. I want to go back to school not for the degree, but for the content of the courses. I want to build up my knowledge, and actually apply it to my career. I have seen lots of people bang out an MBA and never use it, and I don’t want to be one of those people. I plan to use everything from this program, and hope it will enhance my abilities appropriately. And yes, in the long-term I hope that it is a differentiator when I apply for jobs. This will not help me find my next job, but hopefully the one after that.
Next week, I begin my journey toward my Masters in Computer Science. I have two classes this fall. It is starting on the right foot, as I have done things differently than I would have in college. I have already met my two professors, and begun establishing relationships. I have talked to an alumnus about the program. I have done all of my homework, no pun intended. My goal is an A in every class, not just getting by. It’s going to be a lot of work, but I think I’ll be happy about this. Plus, with a Masters, I’ll never have to report to that jerk, right?
Got to go stock up on supplies, and find my old lunchbox!
© Submit to Any - jjtcomputing.co.uk
How old do you have to be to stop dreading early September? I dreaded it well into my late 20s, all due to years of schooling. Back-to-school shopping ads still bother me when they come out in mid-July. Well, this September is different!
When I was a fresh-faced college grad, I really wanted a Graduate degree. Not in a sensible way, but in a “I need a Graduate Degree” type of way. I wanted to be able to say, “I have a Masters degree.” It was an expectation in my family, and in fact my three older siblings all have Masters degrees, done full-time. I studied for, and took, the GMATs for a potential MBA program. I ordered literature from some of the top 20 programs. (Yes, the Internet did not handle this stuff well at that time, and certainly not on my 28.8 modem.) I expected to take two years away from work and study full-time, preferably somewhere far away. I don’t know why I never pulled the trigger on the MBA, but I’d guess the idea of jumping out of the workforce held me back. Plus, two more years of business classes held little appeal after doing the same in undergrad. Basically, I didn’t know what I wanted to do, and going to school just for the degree seemed like a bad idea.
Eventually I realized I did not have to enter a full-time, all-or-nothing program to continue my education. I still wasn’t sure what I wanted to do, but I knew I liked computers. I started courses in 1998, and by 2004 had completed a graduate Certificate in Applied Sciences from Harvard University Extension School. This provided me with a decent computer science foundation, and I took courses in Java, C++, Perl, HTML and Technical Writing. Although the development knowledge did help me with my former employer, I should have done more with it. Caught up in promotions at work, I didn’t realize I was missing career opportunities on the outside. I failed to truly capitalize on my new “degree.”
So why think about a Masters now, you ask? Well, needless to say part of it is based on the economy, and part on my own knowledge gaps. However, part of it stems from my first job post-college. I worked at a small Retirement Services provider in Boston with less than 100 people in the office. We were small enough to have a single person in charge of our network and desktop computers. This guy encapsulated several stereotypes: He was a classic ex-Marine, and he was a classic “computer guy” of that era. He was the type of guy who gave you a hassle every time you reported an issue, making sure you knew that you were an idiot, whether it was your fault or not. Think the old skit on Saturday Night Live with Nick Burns, Your Company’s Computer Guy or, for my UK-based readers (a.k.a. Tom), The IT Crowd (but more disparaging). This guy was such a jerk, we had a new employee quit on his first day because of the disrespect he had been shown when being taught how to login to his computer. This was not the only occasion this happened. In fact, as the company grew and I had the chance to join the networking team, I ended up turning down the opportunity purely based on this man’s attitude. It’s not to say I couldn’t work with him, but the observations over three years proved to me that he was an awful manager, not just a bad co-worker.
I distinctly recall stating at the time that someone like him will be unemployable in ten years. Computer guys would no longer have the right to be jerks, and they would need to be well educated in business and technology. They would likely need common decency too. I assumed at the time that such roles would require more education in the future as well. As technical knowledge has become more commonplace, I think that techies are now required to have better bedside manners than in the past. In addition, I do think education is becoming more valuable, or at least expected, among younger candidates. Although not a barrier to entry at this time, a Masters will certainly open up more options. I have common decency, and I have a business background. The only thing I lack is a Masters degree, so it’s back to school time!
When I was younger, I wanted degrees for all the wrong reasons. I wanted the line on my resume, and the piece of paper…and maybe the respect of my parents? I also just wanted it “out of the way.” Now, I feel like I have turned a corner. I want to go back to school not for the degree, but for the content of the courses. I want to build up my knowledge, and actually apply it to my career. I have seen lots of people bang out an MBA and never use it, and I don’t want to be one of those people. I plan to use everything from this program, and hope it will enhance my abilities appropriately. And yes, in the long-term I hope that it is a differentiator when I apply for jobs. This will not help me find my next job, but hopefully the one after that.
Next week, I begin my journey toward my Masters in Computer Science. I have two classes this fall. It is starting on the right foot, as I have done things differently than I would have in college. I have already met my two professors, and begun establishing relationships. I have talked to an alumnus about the program. I have done all of my homework, no pun intended. My goal is an A in every class, not just getting by. It’s going to be a lot of work, but I think I’ll be happy about this. Plus, with a Masters, I’ll never have to report to that jerk, right?
Got to go stock up on supplies, and find my old lunchbox!
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