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BA degree any use ?

  • 05-09-2013 12:51AM
    #1
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 301 ✭✭


    Is a BA ordinary degree any use at all ? business and IT orintated that is. or maybe in 3 years time ? I know an hons degree would be better but I'm 24 now an would like to try get a job after 3 years of college

    Any advice appreciated


«13

Comments

  • Closed Accounts Posts: 18,299 ✭✭✭✭The Backwards Man


    I have a BA and it hasn't done me any harm.:)


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 5,533 ✭✭✭Jester252


    Why not aim for an honors?


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 301 ✭✭danish pasterys


    I have a BA and it hasn't done me any harm.:)

    Has it got you recent full time employment in the current economy ?


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 301 ✭✭danish pasterys


    Jester252 wrote: »
    Why not aim for an honors?

    Im 24 the taught of 3 more unemployed years is hard enough


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 18,299 ✭✭✭✭The Backwards Man


    Has it got you recent full time employment in the current economy ?
    No. But it didn't stop me finding employment in the current economy either.


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  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 3,079 ✭✭✭Dr Turk Turkelton


    Op you do realise you asked this in after hours?
    It won't be long before lack of toilet paper is mentioned.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 301 ✭✭danish pasterys


    Op you do realise you asked this in after hours?
    It won't be long before lack of toilet paper is mentioned.

    I find it gets the quickest replys


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 13,172 ✭✭✭✭bnt


    With just a BA you'd be entering a pretty crowded job market. Still, you could add in a few Business or Maths-related subjects to try and differentiate yourself from all the others doing only "soft" subjects. There aren't many jobs out there suitable for graduates who have absolutely no Maths and IT skills (in my view of the market).

    You are the type of what the age is searching for, and what it is afraid it has found. I am so glad that you have never done anything, never carved a statue, or painted a picture, or produced anything outside of yourself! Life has been your art. You have set yourself to music. Your days are your sonnets.

    ―Oscar Wilde predicting Social Media, in The Picture of Dorian Gray



  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 1,073 ✭✭✭pauliebdub


    I'd strongly advise you to stick it out for an extra year and do the Hons degree, right now you will be competing for jobs with Hons graduates and likely to lose out unless you have additional useful skills or experience.


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 4,339 ✭✭✭Artful_Badger


    Im 24 the taught of 3 more unemployed years is hard enough

    Its just one more year though. You're gonna be working for the rest of your miserable life so might as well do all you cant to put yourself in a good position to start.


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  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 5,533 ✭✭✭Jester252


    Im 24 the taught of 3 more unemployed years is hard enough

    Its one extra year and an honers looks much better on the CV.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 7,818 ✭✭✭StupidLikeAFox


    If you have a good result in your final degree and a little bit of extra-curricular stuff a lot of the big companies won't mind what your main subjects are in the degree. They will see that you are disciplined and hardworking and they will find some role for you.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 1,829 ✭✭✭Nemeses


    I don't have either.. I'm doing well


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 1,234 ✭✭✭chrissb8


    Im 24 the taught of 3 more unemployed years is hard enough

    Ya know.....24 years old is young and 27 is still young. I'm 23 and have 3 years more of college. Really don't think age is a problem considering you're still good and young. I would consider doing the honours and getting it done and dusted. Give yourself every chance. Plus in most cases, yes it is a requirement in a lot of places to have that sort of degree.


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 5,175 ✭✭✭Amerika


    In the US a BA degree adds about an extra $1US million in salary over someone with just a High School degree on average, over the course of your working years.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 16,255 ✭✭✭✭Pherekydes


    What about a kindergarten degree? :pac:

    You can get a BA Hons in most good universities these days.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 1,427 ✭✭✭Merrion


    IT is close to full employment at the moment but none the less employers are taking a big risk taking a graduate on - you should get some experience in order to reduce their risk perception. My advice would be to join a couple of open source projects and get some real-world experience.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 16,952 ✭✭✭✭Grayson


    It depends on the subjects. I have a friend who did philosophy and english. 5 years later he's waiting tables. I was talking to a guy working in a coffee shop last week. He's got a degree in journalism.

    I did philosophy and maths. i know people in my company who are earning quite a bit (€40k+) in starter positions with just a degree in maths.

    I'm starting a masters in the next month. It's a 1 year mastrs in management. Added to the experience i already have and the maths i should be able to get a better job then the one I'm in now.

    What your BA was in is only part of it. What you do with it is what matters. A regular BA is not always enough because they subjects might not be applicable to real life. there are however any number of postgraduate courses that will definitely get you a job. And you can do a lot of them whilst working part time or even full time. My advice though is to look at all the options and pick something you'd enjoy. You'll be more likely to get and job and progress if you can demonstrate a good aptitude and genuine enthusiasm.


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 14,380 ✭✭✭✭Banjo String


    BA degrees are ok I suppose.


    Mr T degrees are where is at these days though.


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 133 ✭✭theGEM


    Don't they have a 3 year honours BA in DCU.

    You could always work and do a Open University course or other evening course.

    If you already have a degree think about doing the one year conversion courses in DIT.


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  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2, Paid Member Posts: 29,394 ✭✭✭✭_Kaiser_


    Like Nemeses above, I don't have either and it hasn't stopped me doing ok for myself.

    I'm in IT though and have worked up from answering the phones in a callcentre, to managing the IT needs for another large multinational (via 5 years managing the IT for a public sector organisation)

    I'm a crap academic though and have found over the years that I learn best by doing or researching (ok.. Googling) when needed. With the way tech changes you'd never keep up with it all.

    Plus I think with IT you hit a wall after a certain point where you need to specialise and keep investing thousands per year into qualifications so you can keep current with the latest fresh crop of graduates who have them already.. and who can do the job for a lot less (no mortgage, kids or cars to worry about.. unlike you!), or you can move into management (which is what I did)

    So now I manage a team of techs globally and deal with vendors, purchasing contracts, clients etc which presents its own challenges but it's also given me the chance to go back and get some of those qualifications to back up the experience I have (as in the past I was just too busy working to study as well - most nights I'd get home around 7 and have to do another few hours work too). It's slow going as this job is busy enough too but I've already gotten the first one this year so I'm kinda proud of myself for that :)


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 4,822 ✭✭✭sunflower27


    I did a BA in Media and communications. Worked for the Sydney Morning Herald newspaper in Australia and the FT when I lived in London. Did me no harm at all.

    It all comes down to securing that interview and then selling yourself. Once you have mastered the knack of being likeable to all types of people, the world is your oyster.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 4,463 ✭✭✭CruelCoin


    Is a BA ordinary degree any use at all ? business and IT orintated that is. or maybe in 3 years time ? I know an hons degree would be better but I'm 24 now an would like to try get a job after 3 years of college

    Any advice appreciated

    If you go somewhere private like DBS/Griffith/Portobello/etc then you get an honours after 3 years.

    Win/Win.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 3,031 ✭✭✭Cravez


    CruelCoin wrote: »
    If you go somewhere private like DBS/Griffith/Portobello/etc then you get an honours after 3 years.

    Win/Win.

    The larger universities (DCU, UCD etc) have honours degrees in 3 years as well. What seperates Ordinary from Honours is the amount of credits you do per year. If you do an honours degree in 3 years the workload is higher than doing an ordinary degree in 3 years (e.g more modules per semester - more credits - more workload)


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 19,976 ✭✭✭✭humanji


    23 helpful replies. Only one A-Team reference. AH really has changed.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 1,215 ✭✭✭harney


    Im 24 the taught of 3 more unemployed years is hard enough

    Is that a pun? :confused:


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 4,463 ✭✭✭CruelCoin


    humanji wrote: »
    23 helpful replies. Only one A-Team reference. AH really has changed.

    DA-DA-DA-DAAAAAH
    DA-DA-DAAAAH


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 7,949 ✭✭✭Hande hoche!


    humanji wrote: »
    23 helpful replies. Only one A-Team reference. AH really has changed.

    I love it when a plan comes together


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 4,681 ✭✭✭bodice ripper


    I have a BA Hons in Fine Art and I have not been unemployed since I left college seven years ago. What you do with the degree is equally as important as the degree itself.


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  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 9,251 ✭✭✭Ray Palmer


    Kaiser2000 wrote: »

    Plus I think with IT you hit a wall after a certain point where you need to specialise and keep investing thousands per year into qualifications so you can keep current with the latest fresh crop of graduates who have them already.. and who can do the job for a lot less (no mortgage, kids or cars to worry about.. unlike you!), or you can move into management (which is what I did)


    That is a really strange comment to me. I have yet to meet a graduate who actually had some specialist knowledge due to their recent education. Graduates tend to be completely clueless and arrogant. I have never seen a recent graduate put in charge of anything.


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