Trucking with a college degree

You will gain more self confidence once you complete your degree. You know that should you decide to leave trucking that you can still get a good job with that sheepskin. Sometimes, I think that a degree is over rated. There is nothing like experience, but when you have a good education to go along with that experience, you will advance to the front of the line.

 

I got my BA in 3D modeling and animation over 2 years ago- still don't have any green to show for it. I'm signed on as a pre-hire with Roehl now and heading to training soon. Probably the best thing that's happened to me since I graduated. I've similarly had trucking in the back of my mind for awhile. Let's rock this thing-

 

Try to get a job for as a cop. The pay might be similar for a while but the benefits and retirement are a lot better as a cop. The longer you wait the more people will graduate with the same degree. Who do you think they will hire, a guy fresh out of school or a guy with the same degree that has been driving a truck for two years doing nothing that pertains to that field? You are still young, do what it takes to get experience in that field. Driving a truck will always be there. I graduated with a degree in fire science. I tried for a couple of years to get on a full time department. I did the volunteer fire department deal and driving truck local at the same time. It really wasn't paying the bills so I went back to OTR. It is pretty hard to be on a fire department when you are a 1000 miles away. The longer I got away from my degree and experience the harder it was to get hired. If I was your age I would have went back to school and got my paramedic and I would have a firefighter job for sure. If you really want to drive a truck, then drive a truck. There is a reason it is hard to get hired as a cop and easy to get hired as a truck driver. Good jobs are hard to get and not so good jobs are not.

 

People who expect to walk out of college with a degree and walk into a high paying job right off the bat, are being pretty unrealistic. Yes, it can happen. But it takes the right serendipity. You have to have the degree that is being looked for right at the moment. You have to have been in touch with the right prospective employer etc.

For the majority of folks, degree or no degree, you are going to have to pay your dues. But having that degree opens doors for you that are not necessarily open to everyone.

Even if you go years without seeing the benefit of that degree, sooner or later, it WILL be a benefit to you. An example, take a company that is looking to promote from within. Doesn't matter if it is a trucking company or a company making widgets. They are looking to promote from within. They are looking a several very good looking candidates. Folks who have been with them for years and all have stellar work records. But one of them has a degree. Which one do you think they are going to be promoting???????

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Now as to getting a job in law enforcement or fire services? Again, it takes not only having everything that is required, but it takes being in the right place at the right time. And the competition for these jobs is stiff. Very stiff.

 

A degree tells prospective employers that you are someone who can learn and follow through. You are someone who can work toward a goal and achieve it. I think that it is much better to have a degree relative to your job aspirations, but some companies only want you to have a degree, regardless of the area of study. Any degree will tell them something about you. Sometimes an individual with a degree with have an opportunity that a non degreed person will not have, no matter what their experience. With the passage of time the degree is less critical, but will still make a difference when time comes for promotions. Even if you never use your degree in your work, you will never regret spending the time and effort.

 

Oh, I don't think there is any question that a degree is overrated. I graduated with several thousand fellow morons from Penn State. If you can fog a mirror, you can get a college degree. I think the overrating is evident in the amount of degree holders out there without jobs. Everyone thinks a degree is everything IN college, but in the REAL world, employers want to see some "salt".

 

So 4 yr degree and no job,,and trucking is your fallback???
PLz say it aint so

you mean,No,NONE of the counties around you,,CHP? prisons?

Man I would be shopping that degree so around

 

There are still a lot of people getting degrees in IT, yet many are finding it difficult to get a job in their field upon graduation. I have lost count of those with IT degrees that I have spoken with who are now driving a truck. The current economy will make it more difficult for some to find employment. My niece is a teacher who was let go due to cut backs. She will complete her masters in December. She found a job, but some felt that she was over qualified for some positions. It took her several months to find something that would work for her and this job ends in December. So, come January she will be seeking another job and have her masters in hand. Hopefully, it will be easier once she completes her MA. But, she will be even more over qualified for some jobs.

 

Having a degree will get you tons of "overqualified" responses... especially when you're desperate for any kind of work. With my current employer... I literally had to persuade the owner for an hour that I was the perfect candidate for the position and prove to him how my degree and experience would benefit his operation overall. He finally "gave in" and I had to make a verbal promise that I would stay at least 3 years. I've been there almost 6 years now. They're awesome folks and they trust me to do everything. I have absolutely no plans to leave anytime soon.