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  1. #1
    Eyes eastward... Uilleann's Avatar
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    Is "education" really the answer employers are looking for?

    One writer's take.

    Flame on!

  2. #2
    Master OptiBoarder
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    My boyfriend's son just left school with a masters and a thesis away from a PHD in mathmatics. He can't find a job. "Entry level" positions now require experience...go figure.

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    Master OptiBoarder OptiBoard Silver Supporter Java99's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by cocoisland58 View Post
    My boyfriend's son just left school with a masters and a thesis away from a PHD in mathmatics. He can't find a job. "Entry level" positions now require experience...go figure.
    My cousin is in the same boat, just a thesis away from her PhD in Psychology. She was hired by some idiot to manage the night shift of a nursing home. She lasted three days before the staff and patients both were eating her alive. She's now making crafts and quilts to sell on Etsy and for some unknown reason, not working on her thesis and cannot get a job that "she" feels "befits" her level of education. Personally, I think it's a shame for someone to be so educated and not use that education, but I have very little patience for her not taking jobs that she doesn't think are good enough. Which may be exactly why education may not matter in today's market as much as experience. It's what you can do with what you know, not just what you know.

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    I heard a local radio personality say he decided to go to college so he wouldn't have to work for a living any more. Perhaps this is the problem, too many people think they should be paid for having gotten an education as opposed to what they can do with it after they have it.
    No reason the number of letters after your name should exempt one from productivity.

    Chip

    There is the old joke about the employer who was interviewing a young person for a job. After the interview the employer said: "OK kid you got the job."
    The applicant said: "What would you like for me to do first?"
    The employer replied: "Go sweep out the back room."
    The applicant replied: "But I'm a college graduate!"
    The employer said: "OK I'll show you how."

  5. #5
    Master OptiBoarder
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    I'm pretty tired of hearing how expensive school is and I can't get a job out of college. Heres a few suggestions:

    1. Ditch the car
    2. Live in the dorms
    3. eat the school meals
    4. don't take spring break
    5. finish in four years like us old fogeys used to do

    And the number one thing. Get a degree that people actually want to hire for !!

  6. #6
    Eyes eastward... Uilleann's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by AustinEyewear View Post
    ...And the number one thing. Get a degree that people actually want to hire for !!
    So not a degree in opticianry then? ;)

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    Quote Originally Posted by Uilleann View Post
    So not a degree in opticianry then? ;)
    It's not the degree, it's what you do with it. My BA got me nothing. Two years of optician school got me a job before I even took my boards. Mind you, this is a licensed state. Coulda had something to do with it.

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    Master OptiBoarder
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    My son at one point wanted to follow me in this business, and I discouraged him, for good reason. We in fact have no set standards for what most of us do, some better than others, but just the same, but no real path. My son graduates this Friday with a degree in accounting, an adult student who I am very proud of, and has enrolled in the masters, which I understand is mandatory to the CPA that he is after. I am so proud, as I don't think his future would be as bright as ours is as opticians. We kill ourselves daily.

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    Master OptiBoarder CCGREEN's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by AustinEyewear View Post
    I'm pretty tired of hearing how expensive school is and I can't get a job out of college. Heres a few suggestions:

    1. Ditch the car
    2. Live in the dorms
    3. eat the school meals
    4. don't take spring break
    5. finish in four years like us old fogeys used to do

    And the number one thing. Get a degree that people actually want to hire for !!
    So get the degree. But if you still cant do the damn work I don't want you working for me.
    Skip the degree and go hands on learn the trade and you have a job with me.
    Now go hands on learn the job, be awsome at it, get the degree and I will then be glad to take you in as a vested associate in the business that I have worked hard to establish.

  10. #10
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    Quote Originally Posted by CCGREEN View Post
    So get the degree. But if you still cant do the damn work I don't want you working for me.
    Skip the degree and go hands on learn the trade and you have a job with me.
    Now go hands on learn the job, be awsome at it, get the degree and I will then be glad to take you in as a vested associate in the business that I have worked hard to establish.
    Why do you assume opticians with a degree won't be able to do the work? We can all agree that a percentage of people who graduate from any field will in fact be lousy at their chosen degree field, but I don't get the negativety towards opticians with a degree. I've never heard of a medical practice who brands a new doctor as no good and instead welcomes with open arms an apprentice doctor.

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    Master OptiBoarder CCGREEN's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by optilady1 View Post
    Why do you assume opticians with a degree won't be able to do the work? We can all agree that a percentage of people who graduate from any field will in fact be lousy at their chosen degree field, but I don't get the negativety towards opticians with a degree. I've never heard of a medical practice who brands a new doctor as no good and instead welcomes with open arms an apprentice doctor.
    Optilady, Im sorry you thought that I "assumed opticians with a degree won't be able to do the work." that is not how I ment to come across.

    In my first line I said to "get the degree, but IF you cant do the work"............. I fail to see how one can assume that I had made a assumption when I had used the word "IF".

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    Quote Originally Posted by CCGREEN View Post
    Optilady, Im sorry you thought that I "assumed opticians with a degree won't be able to do the work." that is not how I ment to come across.

    In my first line I said to "get the degree, but IF you cant do the work"............. I fail to see how one can assume that I had made a assumption when I had used the word "IF".
    My reply wasn't against you, it's against so many here on OB who have a foul opinion about education because they are excellent opticians who didn't go to college. It's also against the opinion many have that "I've worked with opticians who have degrees and they were horrible, therefore there is no need for formal education."

    It's an absolute fact that there are excellent apprentice opticians, master opticians, who have been doing this for 35+ years, who have built a foundation for this field in ways that us relative newbies could never do. But I can't imagine any other field where there is such an "us verses them" attitude. More power to you that you learned everything on the job. We ALL learn on the job.

    But wouldn't it be great if most opticians out there learned in two years what apprentices did in their first 10 years?

  13. #13
    Master OptiBoarder Grubendol's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by AustinEyewear View Post
    I'm pretty tired of hearing how expensive school is and I can't get a job out of college. Heres a few suggestions:

    1. Ditch the car
    2. Live in the dorms
    3. eat the school meals
    4. don't take spring break
    5. finish in four years like us old fogeys used to do

    And the number one thing. Get a degree that people actually want to hire for !!
    One problem with that, even a state school, doing what you suggest, costs thousands of dollars a year. Loans/grants/scholarships are still required to pay your way.
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    Hi AustinEyewear,
    I agree.

    Well Uilleann,
    How well do you communicate with your customers that might have a PHD to a high school education? This takes education and a degree would help your practice.
    Donald D Price

    Ophthalmic Optician, Society to Advance Opticianry

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    Underemployed Genius Jacqui's Avatar
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    I have a Doctor of Nursing degree, I make lenses. Everyone tells me I'm over qualified for any of the nursing positions that I've applied for.

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    Master OptiBoarder CCGREEN's Avatar
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    Wow this one confuses me. "Doctor of Nursing degree" Im not saying there is no such thing if anybody should know Jacqui should. I am the first to admit that I dont.

    So are you a Dr or a Nurse?
    Do we address you as Dr Jacqui or Nurse Jacqui?
    After all these years in optical, (I see your join date to Optiboard is 2003) with a degree of higher education then I assume you comfort zone is in Optical Wholesale Lab not haveing to deal with patients or the public in general?

    My suggestion to being told you are over qualified is not to tell them so much. Hold back information so you can get your foot in the door, show them you can do the job and more and then start to slowly devluge your education.

    Please do not think that I am doubting or making fun of you because I am not. I just have never heard of your title. Now I have to go looking and educate myself.

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    Quote Originally Posted by CCGREEN View Post
    Wow this one confuses me. "Doctor of Nursing degree" Im not saying there is no such thing if anybody should know Jacqui should. I am the first to admit that I dont.

    So are you a Dr or a Nurse?
    Do we address you as Dr Jacqui or Nurse Jacqui?
    After all these years in optical, (I see your join date to Optiboard is 2003) with a degree of higher education then I assume you comfort zone is in Optical Wholesale Lab not haveing to deal with patients or the public in general?

    My suggestion to being told you are over qualified is not to tell them so much. Hold back information so you can get your foot in the door, show them you can do the job and more and then start to slowly devluge your education.

    Please do not think that I am doubting or making fun of you because I am not. I just have never heard of your title. Now I have to go looking and educate myself.
    The degree, Doctor of Nursing Science, or Nursing Practice is very well known. I am surprised you are unaware, since you are so obviously so well versed in the field of education! It is primarily for Nurse Educators, and is a prime example of a profession moving itself forward, vesus those in Opticianry who continue to hold the field back, like those who do not support education.
    Last edited by wmcdonald; 05-01-2012 at 09:15 PM.

  18. #18
    Underemployed Genius Jacqui's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by wmcdonald View Post
    The degree, Doctor of Nursing Science, or Nursing Practice is very well known. I am surprised you are unaware, since you are so obviuosly so well versed in the field of education! It is primarily for Nurse Educators, and is a prime example of a profession moving itself forward, vesus those in Opticianry who continue to hold the field back, like those who do not support education.
    Thank you

  19. #19
    Underemployed Genius Jacqui's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by CCGREEN View Post
    Wow this one confuses me. "Doctor of Nursing degree" Im not saying there is no such thing if anybody should know Jacqui should. I am the first to admit that I dont.

    So are you a Dr or a Nurse?
    Doctor is an academic degree, it has nothing to do with your job title. Most nursing instructors and Nurse Practitioners have a Doctor of Nursing or a Phd. in Nursing (both are the same).

    Quote Originally Posted by CCGREEN View Post
    Do we address you as Dr Jacqui or Nurse Jacqui?
    Either, although Doctor sounds nicer In emergencies I answer to almost anything.


    Quote Originally Posted by CCGREEN View Post
    After all these years in optical, (I see your join date to Optiboard is 2003) with a degree of higher education then I assume you comfort zone is in Optical Wholesale Lab not haveing to deal with patients or the public in general?

    My suggestion to being told you are over qualified is not to tell them so much. Hold back information so you can get your foot in the door, show them you can do the job and more and then start to slowly devluge your education.

    Please do not think that I am doubting or making fun of you because I am not. I just have never heard of your title. Now I have to go looking and educate myself.
    I do work as an on-call Midwife at a local hospital, so my foot is in the door. After 43 years in the optical business, I find that I like making things the most. I'll never give up my patients whether at the free clinics or during disasters or at the hospital.

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    Master OptiBoarder CCGREEN's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Jacqui View Post
    Doctor is an academic degree, it has nothing to do with your job title. Most nursing instructors and Nurse Practitioners have a Doctor of Nursing or a Phd. in Nursing (both are the same).



    Either, although Doctor sounds nicer In emergencies I answer to almost anything.




    I do work as an on-call Midwife at a local hospital, so my foot is in the door. After 43 years in the optical business, I find that I like making things the most. I'll never give up my patients whether at the free clinics or during disasters or at the hospital.
    Thanks Jacqui for helping me understand. I am now all that much wiser today then I was yesterday.

    Again Thanks. Your awesome.

  21. #21
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    Quote Originally Posted by Jacqui View Post
    I have a Doctor of Nursing degree, I make lenses. Everyone tells me I'm over qualified for any of the nursing positions that I've applied for.
    Hmm....I have two family members with AS degrees in nursing. One just received a $3800 sign on bonus and will be making $62k, the other travels around the country, six weeks at a time, and made over $75k last year.

    There must not be much of a demand for nurses in optical labs.
    Ophthalmic Optician, Society to Advance Opticianry

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    Quote Originally Posted by Johns View Post
    There must not be much of a demand for nurses in optical labs.
    I've needed one a few times after stabbing myself with a screwdriver.

  23. #23
    Underemployed Genius Jacqui's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Johns View Post
    Hmm....I have two family members with AS degrees in nursing. One just received a $3800 sign on bonus and will be making $62k, the other travels around the country, six weeks at a time, and made over $75k last year.

    There must not be much of a demand for nurses in optical labs.
    Ever stop to think that at my age and with my health I should do what I like instead of trying to kill myself to make a little more money??

  24. #24
    Master OptiBoarder OptiBoard Gold Supporter Judy Canty's Avatar
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    Sometimes it's just not about the money. My husband has a PhD in Public Administration. He LOVES being a Realtor and he's now studying for his brokers license. I LOVE being a lab rep.

  25. #25
    Master OptiBoarder CCGREEN's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Jacqui View Post
    Ever stop to think that at my age and with my health I should do what I like instead of trying to kill myself to make a little more money??
    Have to agree with you Jacqui...............at this point in my life my "Give a damn" is just about busted. Im ready to be happy with and enjoy what I have earned and learned.

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