Tertiary and Continuing Which degrees are useless/useful?

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BrockBlitz said:
I think you guys are miss interpreting or I am miss communicating what I mean. I mean practical skills as in the use of tools, welding, a lathe, etc

I've been working on farm machinery for the last 6 months because there is a severe lack of graduate positions available. Nothing I learnt during my 5 years at uni has helped me in the slightest when I have to fix any machinery. I come from a farm originally so it's not foreign, but there are plenty of times where I have to ask dumb questions because I know how something works in theory, but how it works in practice is very different.

Another example is a mate of mine who is a boiler maker. He recently started a business where he gets written off truck trailers and uses heat, big ass pullies and a shed load of planing to restore them to their original state. Then flogs them off and makes a great profit. I know exactly how the process of heating something, exciting the atoms so they can be manipulated and the crystallization during cooling works. I know all the theory. What I have NFI about is where the heck you would start heating a truck trailer up to bend it back into shape. He does, but he couldn't tell you anything about whats going on on a molecular level is.

I hate that I can do the math, but was taught nothing in a practical setting of how to apply that knowledge to build or repair anything - and in all honesty it's something that is a pain in the arse for engineers all over. I remember a kid in my Mech Eng honours class who had never used a screw driver.

It might not be completely necessary to know how to use tools as an engineer, but shhheeeez it makes you a hell of a better one.
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So basically you work in a job that isn't engineering, yet complain that your engineering degree doesn't help you with it?

Just lol
 

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BrockBlitz said:
Obviously.

But you'd expect even the slightest bit of cross over. There isn't.
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I bet most accountants who graduate would have no idea how to use accounting software or fill out a BAS statement.


regardless of the previous posts, are you enjoying you job?
 
Power Raid said:
I bet most accountants who graduate would have no idea how to use accounting software or fill out a BAS statement.


regardless of the previous posts, are you enjoying you job?
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Farm machinery ? meh it's ok. To be honest I'm really disenchanted with the entire engineering thing and am looking into working in S&C. Surprisingly, quite a number of the guys I graduated with are giving Eng the flick and doing something else.
 
BrockBlitz said:
Farm machinery ? meh it's ok. To be honest I'm really disenchanted with the entire engineering thing and am looking into working in S&C. Surprisingly, quite a number of the guys I graduated with are giving Eng the flick and doing something else.
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S&C? sex and crime? strength and conditioning?
 

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SSSSSS said:
IMO

Arts (Have to be extremely passionate/talented to make it in your field)
Law (if you aren't at the top echelon of your cohort)
Science (If you aren't doing further studies/post-grad which for most fields is the top echelon of your cohort)

If you want job security (on a decent wage)

Get in to med (and survive)
Engineering (Depends what you go into)
Geology (until the mining boom dies)
Do a trade
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wouldn't say there is job security... half my uni grad mates can't even get their foot into the mining sector and instead have filled in as soil techs, field assistants or forced to continue further study as no job offers came through. Compare that to not even 4 years ago when most second years had 110K+ contracts thrown at them from multiple mining companies. I'm already looking for alternatives as I believe there won't be much going on for grads the next 10 years. A lot of experienced geologists have been made redundant the last 3 years and when the mining picks up again they would be given first crack over a graduate.
 
BrockBlitz said:
I could be an engineer - the degree is sitting on my wall. It just shits me to tears. It's not about the money.
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Sorry to hear that. It must be really frustrating. I wouldn't call an Engineering degree useless though, most graduates find jobs very quickly. Good luck with your job search.
 
SizeMatters said:
wouldn't say there is job security... half my uni grad mates can't even get their foot into the mining sector and instead have filled in as soil techs, field assistants or forced to continue further study as no job offers came through. Compare that to not even 4 years ago when most second years had 110K+ contracts thrown at them from multiple mining companies. I'm already looking for alternatives as I believe there won't be much going on for grads the next 10 years. A lot of experienced geologists have been made redundant the last 3 years and when the mining picks up again they would be given first crack over a graduate.
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Oil and gas companies are the other one that recruit geologists on big money.
 
SizeMatters said:
wouldn't say there is job security... half my uni grad mates can't even get their foot into the mining sector and instead have filled in as soil techs, field assistants or forced to continue further study as no job offers came through. Compare that to not even 4 years ago when most second years had 110K+ contracts thrown at them from multiple mining companies. I'm already looking for alternatives as I believe there won't be much going on for grads the next 10 years. A lot of experienced geologists have been made redundant the last 3 years and when the mining picks up again they would be given first crack over a graduate.
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this is when good geos actually "earn" the most money.

They pick up ground that is being dropped due to a lack of expenditure and a simple pegging can turn into $2m-5m windfall.

Can I suggest doing some work experience at a tenement management company and "a stable". Are you Qld based?
 
Barry_Badrinath said:
Sorry to hear that. It must be really frustrating. I wouldn't call an Engineering degree useless though, most graduates find jobs very quickly. Good luck with your job search.
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I wish the that were true ! A lot of my graduating year have all gone on to do masters or doctorates because they can't get jobs! They literally can't afford not to be a student
 
Barry_Badrinath said:
Arts degrees are more or less left-wing brainwashing courses. Very few arts students are open minded.
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arts degrees as a general rule are a perfect second or third degree but a waste of time and money for a first degree.
 
Barry_Badrinath said:
Arts degrees are more or less left-wing brainwashing courses. Very few arts students are open minded.
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Off topic, but it's amazing how many "open minded" people are exclusively left wing and never even consider anything coming from the right. :p
 

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Tertiary and Continuing Which degrees are useless/useful?

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