Thoughts on college

[Physics]

You get what you put in.  You can be a very successful at whatever you do if you put the effort into it.  However, getting a degree in a field where there are not a lot of jobs means that you had better be the very best of your field if you want to be employed. 

[RoadKingLarry]

As we have noted elsewhere on this board, the STEM degrees and jobs are no guarantees either, unless it is in a computer or engineering occupation.  I am looking to fill a position in my department now for a nursing informatics person, and I am getting umpteen resumes from nurses, either new grads who cannot find jobs, or experienced nurses who have been laid off due to low census.  No one qualified for the position, though.

That suggest two possibilities.  Either you're not offering a high enough starting salary or yours job requirements are unrealistic. But it is a relatively new branch in the  field ( compared to "just" nursing) combining multiple and not necessarily complimentary disciplines.

[KD5NRH]

However, her degree is in "general studies".

Oh, well in that case, she needs to go back for a MA.

(Yes, I've seen a master's in general studies available at least once.  They call the PhD "education administration," IIRC.)

[MillCreek]

That suggest two possibilities.  Either you're not offering a high enough starting salary or yours job requirements are unrealistic. But it is a relatively new branch in the  field ( compared to "just" nursing) combining multiple and not necessarily complimentary disciplines.

It is more that the majority of people in nursing informatics have experience in hospitals only.  I am looking for someone with experience in ambulatory EMRs.  Those are few and far between, apparently.   And someone whose sole experience is working for five years on the med-surg floor using Centricity is not what I want.

[charby]

Oh, well in that case, she needs to go back for a MA.

(Yes, I've seen a master's in general studies available at least once.  They call the PhD "education administration," IIRC.)

I've seen a MA and PhD in Higher Education Administration. This is for the people who want to well go into that field or already work for a university and want to get into management. Pretty much if you want to be a boss person, you need to have a terminal degree at a university.

[Tallpine]

It is more that the majority of people in nursing informatics have experience in hospitals only.  I am looking for someone with experience in ambulatory EMRs.  Those are few and far between, apparently.   And someone whose sole experience is working for five years on the med-surg floor using Centricity is not what I want.

Is this something like "must have five years experience with Visual Studio 2012" ?   

[roo_ster]

It is more that the majority of people in nursing informatics have experience in hospitals only.  I am looking for someone with experience in ambulatory EMRs.  Those are few and far between, apparently.   And someone whose sole experience is working for five years on the med-surg floor using Centricity is not what I want.

It appears you are in shortage-land.  I think you know what you need to do to get to the clearing house price for a clean hire of someone with your desired set of skills..



Or be ready to train.  

One thing I have learned after reading countless RFPs and writing a similar number of proposals, is that the cost of tacking on additional requirements costs more than you would think.  

There is a similar phenomenon WRT hiring.  I have seen so many reqs written such that the only person qualified is the person who just left the position.  When you requirement-whip your req such that your pool of applicants sums up to "one" or "none," get ready to pay.   Or pay someone else less and suck up the poorer performance until they get caught up with OJT or discrete training.

Is this something like "must have five years experience with Visual Studio 2012" ?   

Heh. 

"No Americans responded to my req for five years' experience with Visual Studio for an annual salary of $chickenfeed.  We need more H1B visas!"

[KD5NRH]

Is this something like "must have five years experience with Visual Studio 2012" ? 

I've seen a lot of those, including one that wanted two years of experience in a software package that was still pre-alpha at the time, (I'm pretty sure they hadn't gotten much beyond void(main){/*we'll write this part when/if we sober up*/} and thinking of a name for it.) and ultimately ended up being 95% vaporware.

[Tallpine]

More valuable is someone who can figure out new things.

[Firethorn]

It appears you are in shortage-land.  I think you know what you need to do to get to the clearing house price for a clean hire of someone with your desired set of skills..

This chart also demonstrates what's happening to college degrees.  Due to subsidization the price for the consumer of education is decreased, encouraging more of them.  On a related by different scale, due to the increase in college grads the price for them has decreased.

All generic of course, but it's how you get majors in literary who end up working at pizza joints.  If there were fewer of them, all of them would be able to get jobs in their field.

[Boomhauer]

More valuable is someone who can figure out new things.

HR does not want smart people like that. They want drones who neatly fill the slot.

[MechAg94]

For a kid now days who is determined to go to college, I would strongly suggest Junior College or Community College.  Figure out your 4 year University of choice, then find a JUCO or CC that has lots of classes that transfer to that university.  Not only will it be a lot cheaper, but it also gives some time for a kid to resolve what he wants to do without spending a mint in tuition.  Also, the kid should be able to make grades at least a letter grade higher than what they would get at a large University. 

[Balog]

Ever wondered what the trillion + in student loans is really being used for?

http://www.zerohedge.com/news/2014-03-04/what-student-loans-are-really-used-depressing-case-studies?page=3

[Viking]

Ever wondered what the trillion + in student loans is really being used for?

http://www.zerohedge.com/news/2014-03-04/what-student-loans-are-really-used-depressing-case-studies?page=3

My reply before reading: beer, pot, Doritos, cheap noodles?

Edit:

Price spent much of the loan money on crack cocaine, cars, motorcycles, jewelry, tattoos and video games.

Yikes.

He is now taking courses for a degree in theater so he can become an actor.

[Boomhauer]

Ever wondered what the trillion + in student loans is really being used for?

http://www.zerohedge.com/news/2014-03-04/what-student-loans-are-really-used-depressing-case-studies?page=3

What did I say on Page 1 of this thread?