Job: Information Technology (IT) Manager (United States)

Going back to school seems like a logical solution in tough employment times. It makes a person feel better, feel productive. (like going to confession or something) And companies hire graduates. But, if a person doesn't have a part time job, parents, internships or some way to subsidize the education cost through grants or scholarships, then going back to school is a financial risk. Experience is what many businesses desire in a job candidate, with the schooling as a traditional formality. Some may agree with my personal opinion that school is a business, and an expensive one. The customers are the students. Even now, I still have student loans to pay and it took a lot longer than expected to finish my program. (Not just for me but almost 90% of my peers.) And those same peers are not seeing quite the advertised return on their investment for a long, long time. Ultimately it is a personal choice. People attend school for different reasons (socially, etc) building connections to the community in which they graduate. It really depends on what the market dictates per degree classification and companies are paying to hire.

In these challenging times, it definitely is worth going back to school.

Scenario:

A woman who has worked in the banking industry for 18 years as a business analyst lost her job. She only had a high school diploma. She thought will her years of experience she would be able to find a job without any issue. SHE WAS WRONG. Every employer she interviewed with told her the same story. You must have a Bachelor's degree or a certification. She has started school to get her PMP.

This is a very rough lesson to learn in this financially difficult time(s).

I'm working 50 - 55 hours a week - it never ends. Its been like this year after year. Yea they give you a 3% salary increase and a 3% bonus but I'm a stranger to my kids. The money is OK but I'd rather have a normal 40 hour work week and a manager who can make decisions. My manager is known as "no decision is a good decision". Never ask him for his opinion because he doesn't want to be held accountable for a decison that could come back to haunt him. I'm also on call 24/7 in case something goes wrong. My wife told me to tell them to "stuff it" because I'm not a doctor.