What do you do and where?

[Strazos]

Oh, I'm not upset at all; I always knew there was a very real chance I simply would not be picked up...but geez, 31% for a Graded Board?

Well, whatever. Now, it just seems like I pissed away a year and a half of my early twenties, if that means anything. At least I have other options to pursue...


Hell, I might go around and do some things, and apply again in a few years, who knows. My recruiter tried to urge me to stick around for the next board, but I don't see the point to be honest; my interview was great, I had solid LoRs, my AFOQT scores were fairly far above average...I just don't see what I could possibly improve. Plus, the next graded board (this fall/winter) has been cancelled, so the Next board is in 01/08, and it's non-graded, so that means jack and shit for me (plus, those boards usually have something like 21% selection rates). That would place the next Graded board at least 9 months from now...no thanks, I'd rather not have my career ambitions held hostage.


I took my shot, and it failed. Life goes on.

[stray]

Totally flipped at work today.. Basically it comes down to me working with too many women. I had all this pent up bullshit goin' on for awhile now, but today I took it out on the biggest hoochie of them all.

Then I got all pottymouthed, explaining myself to the execs. And for some reason, they promoted me. Called me a "neat kid". I'll be sitting where they're at... "On the other side of the building". Fucking bizarre. It's almost like that scene from Office Space.

[Strazos]

Good job.

Also, nice avatar. 

[Johny Cee]

All this talk of school reminds me that my three year old asked me what "grade" I was in this week. I had to count it up and realized I was in 22nd grade. 

I'm always impressed when someone can carry on with a career while working toward their educational objectives.  I also want to use the "Unfrozen Caveman, Phd" line.

If it makes you feel better....

I was at a wedding in Wellsley two weekends ago, got to see a bunch of people I haven't bumped into in a while.  One guy will finish school in two years,  at the age of 30:  convert that to 24th grade.  A friends wife has hopefully another 2 years,  making her 32 when she gets her Phd.

[Yegolev]

I envy you.

As long as you are envious for the right reasons, I guess it is OK.  Seven or so years of college credit over a thirteen-year period is not really something to emulate.  In fact, I'd say I wasted plenty of time, money and effort in banging my head against a brick wall simply because I wanted to have a piece of paper that would garner me nothing but pride and perhaps an easier way into management.  Yeah, it makes for a cool set of stories when I talk about my spotty educational track and how it somehow does not intersect with either my career (putting fizz in soda-- I mean AIX support) or my hobby (games and games industry), but it was really just a waste of time outside the character-building aspects... in my case.  Hindsight!

To quote Henny Youngman: "He's not a total loss: he can always be a horrible example."

[Bunk]

I think it's the right reasons. It's just a case of wishing I had edumacated myself more when I was younger. I blew about half of my twenties being a worthless, lazy fuck before I got my act together. It's all good now, but it always feels like I should have been where I am now about ten years sooner.

[lamaros]

I'm at University again (can't remember if I've posted to this thread before). At the end of this semester I'll have 3/4's of a year left to finish (3 subjects at once instead of 4 is fun). Going to major in English and possibly Philosophy too. Will then maybe do an honours year in English. If so I'll finish in 2009 at the age of 27.

I don't know what to think exactly about the whole 'do other things before uni' topic. I went to uni (Arts degree with a small scholarship) out of school because it was really the only thing to do. Didn't care or try much and deferred in my second year. Went back the second semester before deferring again. Then spent a year working (admin) and moved out for the first time. Moved back home and did my course again (no scholarship this time) the next year. Nothing had changed so I started a new course (multimedia systems - a bit of a mess) and did well but didn't really like it. Went overseas the next year and decided during that time and I wanted to finish my degree and just get the thing over with.

Certainly doing university now I have a different approach to when I did it earlier, but I doubt that would be the case if I hadn't done my earlier studies. Given that I still don't have specific goals the main change is now that my motivation comes from wanting to finish without stuffing about. For any people who have clear motivation when they start uni it seems to be beneficial, and I have some friends who were like that, it's just that in most cases people don't develop that motivation till they're a bit older or more experienced. But I wouldn't suggest the blanket statement is true.

I'm not expecting honours English to do all that much for me, which is why I'm thinking of including a philosophy major too (only need 3 subjects to get it), but I don't really care all that much in a way. I'm not interested in money that much, I just want to feel like I'm getting the most out of myself - and I'm not going to rely on a chosen vocation to achieve that.

[cmlancas]

What part of English, lam? And have you thought about publishing?


You can do more than you think with a good English degree -- you would be surprised how many rich corporate execs will pay you to make them sound coherent. I've seen positions lately (I'm one semester to graduating) that are close to 40k-45k USD to start.

[lamaros]

I don't really do anything specific as yet, that'll only really happen if I do honours. Subjects I've done so far have been Travel Lit., Children's Lit., and Australian Urban Fiction as well as the generic introduction rubbish.

I havn't really thought about it much, except perhaps journalism (which I mostly dislike - so it's not really positive thinking), but a lot of the things people might expect from English students - like good grammar, spelling and the like - I am actually shocking at myself (though trying to improve). I'd basically ignored English outside of my private reading up until this last year. My previous focus was on Philosophy and I tend to bring that kind of approach to English.

So, my love of English is mostly a love of reading and of criticism (not journalistic criticism) and I don't really know how that would be expressed vocationally. I wouldn't mind sitting on the board of the Booker Prize and such things if that was a paying job!

Also, I'm not sure if my degree will be a 'good' one. I lost my scholarship (not going to exams makes it hard to keep your grades up), have a fail average over my course due to earlier fucking around, and even now rarely put the effort in to get marks as good as I could.

[cmlancas]

I've found that English majors mostly get jobs because they are literate. I know that's a gross understatement, but that's more or less where the job desirability comes from. Companies want people who can write, plain and simple.


I blew all my scholarships and stuff too partying/drinking my first year at school, failed a bunch of classes and whatnot, but am still managing a 3.5 or so with some Fs. It's actually relatively easy to bring up your GPA from 0.0 to something decent early on. However, when you get to 100 credits, then Fs really start to hurt.

[Phildo]

I took a course on British lit from the last 200 years that had some really interesting stuff in it.  There's little quite as humorous as deconstructing Lewis Carroll in a college course.

Also, yes, bouncing back from an awful GPA is pretty easy IF you take it seriously.  I never did, and while I graduated my GPA was pretty embarrassing.

Lastly, much easier to find a job as an English major than a Philosophy major.  You definitely dodged a bullet there.

[Raging Turtle]

I may be headed back to Korea! 

Due to a combination of poor timing (primary hiring seasons is mostly over in Europe for English schools) and the lack of an EU passport, I haven't gotten any non-crap job offers in countries I actually want to live in.  Sorry, Poland, but you're just too damn cold for too long, and Russia, you scare me (I'm looking at you, Moscow).  I'd sooner live in Cambodia, where at least the trouble is a bit more obvious.

So it's back to the States I go in a few days, and then probably off to Korea again.  I've got quite a bit more experience and credentials this time around, so hopefully the job offers will rise to match.

Next year:  Czech.  I'm thinking Brno. 

[Roac]

I've found that English majors mostly get jobs because they are literate. I know that's a gross understatement, but that's more or less where the job desirability comes from. Companies want people who can write, plain and simple.

A little more broadly, English majors tend to be better at communication, which is key for business.  There are very few jobs where this need be your only skill, but there are quite a few where it is a frontrunner.  I've also seen qutie a number of liberal arts majors of all stripes do well for similar reasons.  History majors may not be as intensive on the subject as English majors, but you write a shitton of papers which makes you reasonably good at figuring out what bullshit someone else is saying, and writing your own glossy bullshit as well. 

Of course, there are quite a few of those same people working at department stores.  No degree can make up for a lack of skill or talent. 

[Nebu]

To support the other statements on English skills, I'll give you an interesting tidbit: I serve on admissions committees for both PharmD and MD programs and we've found that scores on the verbal portion of the PCAT and MCAT seem to correlate most strongly with success in the program.  English skills tend to point to avid readers with solid communication skills.  Both are necessary in the health sciences. 

I sometimes wish I had studied literature rather than chemistry... I guess the grass always looks greener someplace else.

[Phildo]

I'd go back for Pharmacy if I thought I could really handle/afford 6 more years of school.  There's ridiculous money straight out of college.  Hindsight, eh?

[Raging Turtle]

Heh, I'm an graduated English major considering med school two or three years down the road.  Would have to spend about a year taking chem classes before I could apply, though. 

[Signe]

English and Art majors have round heels.

[Soln]

Looks like I am off to Seattle and will be joining Amazon's mgmt.  Provided ya'll let me your country.  Plz and thx. 

[Yegolev]

Who would keep you out?

[Soln]

teh man.

I need a visa.  Apparently, they take some effort.  Not worried realistically, but just something new for me to deal with.  Like having to provide transcripts and stuff.  No more hopping across the border from CDN.

[Yegolev]

Just come over as an illegal and start working, you'll be put into the system eventually.

[Soln]

aye.  Leaving that passively to my new employers to work out.  All will be well, I expect.

[WayAbvPar]

Grats on the new job, welcome to Seattle, and hook me up with a Prime membership kthx 

[schild]

Grats on the new job, welcome to Seattle, and hook me up with a Prime membership kthx 

Good call, mine expires next month. >_>

[Oban]

Well...  I resigned from my "impossible to ever be fired from" job and am now working in the defense industry.

I am starting to notice the help wanted signs in places like Starbucks and EBGames.

So, um, yeah.  Go team go.

[WayAbvPar]

Well...  I resigned from my "impossible to ever be fired from" job and am now working in the defense industry.

I am starting to notice the help wanted signs in places like Starbucks and EBGames.

So, um, yeah.  Go team go.

You should come to Seattle too. Then you could work at Starbucks AND EBGames and hook me up with all the coffee and games I need.

[murdoc]

I keep debating getting a 'once-a-week' position at the EBGames here since they're begging for employees just so I can get cheap games, but I keep hearing crap like them not being able to set aside popular games until pre-orders are filled and I realize it's not worth the effort.

Plus, I hate the general public and would probably be fired fairly quickly.

[schild]

but I keep hearing crap like them not being able to set aside popular games until pre-orders are filled and I realize it's not worth the effort.

Lies.

And just preorder them yourself.

[Oban]

What is the discount for employees?

[Phildo]

What is the discount for employees?

Really, really good.

[murdoc]

What is the discount for employees?

This is the big question!

[WayAbvPar]

Depends on how big a duffel bag that let your bring to work? 

[Yegolev]

What is the discount for employees?

From what I can tell, it's the five-finger variety.

Also, I think you are required to hate people, or at least yourself, to work at EB.

[HaemishM]

What is the discount for employees?

From what I can tell, it's the five-finger variety.

Also, I think you are required to hate people, or at least yourself, to work at EB.

It's where I learned my general hatred for all of humanity.

[Ratman_tf]

37 Male

Software Test Engineer 1. (Temp monkey mostly.)

I have a ton of console titles under my belt and one MMORPG.

Currently doing Vista compatibility testing for Microsoft Game Studios.