<p>I have a BS in General Engineering from UIUC. Been out of school for over 10 years now but have never had a rewarding job. My positions have typically been EE/CompSci oriented, but only at extremely volatile companies and short (low paid) contracts. (I've been unemployed <em>A LOT</em>). I know the old adage about your degree only matters for your first job, but my experience is something quite different. At interviews (if I can get one), when the topic comes up regarding my degree, it is often viewed with great suspicion.</p>
<p>So I'm considering going back to school for a 2nd BS in EE or CompE. Since I already had a lot of EE courses (and I did very well), I can get a 2nd BS in only 2 to 3 semesters (full time). However, I'm not sure getting a 2nd BS and taking on student loans again is the best route. Would it be a better decision to pursue a master's on a part time basis? This would take longer and cost more (if I can even afford it). OR, should I just make do with what I have and relocate to another part of the world? (I am a US citizen in the US).</p>
<p>See if you can't combine the 2nd BS with a masters. In myy senior year of school one of the guys I was in class with (an older guy who was "going back" to school) started his Masters in Business while still taking a part-time ChemE load. Also, I think the international experience is a nice idea too.</p>
<p>Firstly, US citizens are only citizens in the US. </p>
<p>Secondly, it makes more senese to go back for a graduate degree. You learn work in more depth at the graduate level. Perhaps you could go back full time as a graduate student?</p>
<p>I mentioned my US citizenship to indicate that I don't require a work or student VISA in the US, but I would elsewhere.</p>
<p>Grad school was my initial line of thinking, so I contacted 2 schools. I was told I would need to take a deficiency course (or two), and possibly be a student-at-large for 1 grad course before being accepted. So I started thinking a 2nd BS would be faster. Again, I talked with schools regarding a 2nd BS and they didn't encourage me on that path, but didn't say "NO" either. (I suppose no school will discourage you from paying their application fee).</p>
<p>But I agree that a 2nd BS would appear odd to employers. Progress toward a master's is the logical path.</p>
<p>Learn from the past - and its ok. I never got a decent job in chemical engineering. Low pay, poor treatment, etc. Why dig a deeper whole in a field that is not working out? Besides, engineering is really a young persons' game anyway. I would continue to work full-time and instead take the right accounting finance courses to take the CPA exam.</p>
<p>My situation is not that the "field" isn't working out, but more that I've never really been "accepted" to the field to begin with. It's primarily an issue of politics. My degree, General Engineering, is often not considered a "real" engineering degree, especially when it comes to jobs typically filled by EE's, CompE's, or CompSci's.</p>
<p>It's just that now, I cannot ignore it anymore and need to update my education. I really should have gone back to school a long, long time ago. However, I have been taking some OOP and math courses, and doing exceptionally well, so I'm quite capable.</p>
<p>And it was never really a question of whether an MS degree pays more, of course it does! My question was whether it is feasible to pursue an MS with my background and be able to get a job in a reasonable amount of time, versus the likely quicker route of 2nd BS. (or, in my case, a "real" BS).</p>