I never went to college, but when I was 18 I was making about 30k a year, by the time I was 21 I was making closer to 80, now I make about 47k. Changing professions is fun.
Slightly off topic but.. I bet this thread has huge selection bias even beyond this just being ATOT. Although there are obviously exceptions, people who feel they were inadequately successful are unlikely to post, people who feel they made too much to not be bragging are unlikely to post. Who knows.. I guess maybe people who made absurdly little take some sort of perverse pride and would have more propensity to share. Etc.
Yes, there are lots of doctors and lawyers in this thread, successful salespeople, and engineers that went on to management. Good for them, but it can be discouraging to those that post here that are struggling, like most of the country is. The only reason that I read these threads is to get an idea of what I might want to do next since people also talk a bit about their careers.
Graduated with bachelor of chemical engineering in April, probably applied to 300 employers. One call back, next day after scheduling an interview they called me and said a guy with more experience willing to take the same pay filled the job. It was for $18/hour so not even what these other posters are saying they got starting. Working for min wage at a retail place.
Ouch. I find that discouraging. Did you have a good GPA? I've noticed its really hard to find an engineering job with <= 3.2ish GPA (source: a handful of friends who graduated with low GPAs).
Yea GPA not too hot. Going back for more schooling/certification hopefully make my resume better and I actually get an interview. Although I know people with weak GPA who got jobs, but they also had a relative get them the job. But I don't think it's the GPA that matters, it's the experience or connections.
My sub-3.0 GPA got me a great job. /shrugFrom what I've seen among a sample group of 20-30 people I graduated with, GPA seems matter a lot (even with internship experience). My engineering friends with low GPAs (3.0-3.3 or so) were able to get jobs as technical sales people making about $40k. I know a few guys with sub 3.0 GPAs. One got a sales job through his dad. The other eventually gave up on finding a job and became a waiter.
For reference, my engineering friends from college with GPAs > 3.3 got jobs making $50-95k.
My sub-3.0 GPA got me a great job. /shrug