Career propects for older Grad

[southbeach]

Hi, I will be 33 or 34 when i complete my undergrad at a canadian university.

I do have some industrial experience and lab experience, will my age hurt me and what can I do to make myself more attractive to potential employers.

Regards

 

[jgailla]

I was 29 when I graduated. A good friend of mine who graduated with me was 34. We were more marketable than someone 22 just out of school. It is my impression that many employers would rather have someone with experience, even if it's in another field. Also, they don't have to worry about young people never having had a real job before. It's harder to get a degree at 30 than at 20.

Go for it. Your age shouldn't be a problem and will probably be advantageous.

 

[TomBarsh]

southbeach,

I was 31 when I (finally) graduated with my BSE and (later that same year) my MSCE. That was 20 years and I have never regreted returning to school to complete those degrees. I am sure you also will be well-rewarded for your efforts of the past few years. In fact, such "late bloomers" as us are found all over the engineering profession, possibly more so here than in other fields.

Certainly you will be better off at 33/34 WITH your new degree than if you didn't get it, so don't worry about the age at which you get your degree!

I suggest trying to leverage off your previous experiences if you can: try to major in the same fields, if possible, as your prior work experience. This isn't always possible though, so don't sweat it; you can still show this on your resume as valid technical experience.

Good luck!

 

[RDK]

A guy in my graduating class was 54 at graduation. In my MBA classes there were at least three (out of a smaller class size) who were over 50 at graduation.

I personally have hired or worked with several people who were much older than the average (mostly technicians) when they started their engineering or engineering related careers. They have tended to be people who were re-trained by Worker’s Compensation due to chronic injuries or trained by the Unemployment Commission due to having the misfortune to have been involved in a large layoff.

Generally they have some additional maturity and work place smarts that do not exist in a 22 year old, simply because they have been in the work place for 10 or more years before they graduate.

IMHO the disadvantage in having a shorter career by being an older graduate is balanced by the advantages that maturity brings. In ten years or so you will have caught up to where you would have been had you graduated at 22.

Rick Kitson MBA P.Eng

Construction Project Management
From conception to completion

http://www.kitsonengineering.com

 

[pldpe]

I graduated when I was 30 and returning to get my degree was the best move I ever made. The only downside as I see it was that colleagues and clients expected me to have about 7 years more experience than I had, because of my age. If you can get with an employer that will show you the ropes, possibly a smaller firm, you will find that your life experience and hopefully more developed people skills as well as your degree will put you ahead in no time. Best wishes.