Hello,
I started college late and had to take several semesters off for health reasons. I’m 22 at the moment. I’m looking to go into engineering. I’ve finished pretty much all of the core classes that everyone has to take and unfortunately quite a few more classes. I decided that since I like math a lot and that I really think physics is interesting and cool, that I’d go into engineering.
Anyway, a friend’s dad told me that if you graduate late then employers will think there’s something wrong with you (like you were too slow, too lazy, too stupid, etc) and that you’ll be less likely to be hired.
If I graduate on my time (since I’m starting at 22…) then I’ll graduate at 26. Is it true that I’ll be viewed as lazy and stupid and will employers be less likely to hire me?
Part of me wonders if I should just go for a major that’s easier and graduate in two years. It already bothers me that I’ll graduate when I’m 26. Should I even bother? It’s something I think I’d really like and want to do, but the age gap between classmates gets me anxious.
If you want to work as an engineer, study engineering, even if it takes an extra semester, assuming that you can afford it.
@ucbalumnus
Thank you. I can afford it. I actually get veteran benefits. But do you think I should do it even if I graduate when I’m 26? I mean is it true that I’ll be less likely to be hired?
You’re a veteran? Thank you for your service. I don’t think that an employer can fault you for being in the military and starting school later than others. It’s not like you weren’t doing something useful with your life. Go for it! Also, if the health reasons are tied in any way to your status as a veteran, than I doubt they would discriminate because of that. Thank you again!
@albert69 I’m sorry I should have been more clear. My father was a Vietnam veteran and I get benefits through him through the government.
The health reasons are chronic and long term.
I’m kind of assuming that since people are shying away from the question, it’s true?
I don’t think it’s true. In fact, some employers might welcome an intern or grad with more maturity.
DH went to school on what we jokingly refer to as “the eleven year plan”. He started as pre-med but realized he could not work 30 hours/week (needed due to family finances) AND maintain high GPA. He worked, took classes here and there… and eventually switched to MechE at the community college. Then he transferred to a 4 year school where they accepted 70 of his 140 credits. He graduated at age 29, and that did not seem to impact his job hunt.
26 is young, my dad graduated with a BS in Computer a Science, he loved language and math. But that was not his first degree. He used to ask his kids if we thought it’s possible for him to find employment when he graduated.
It is absolutely NOT a problem. More important is the internship experience you get during your undergraduate studies and that you have a GPA above 3.0/4.0 for that initial job. After that, your academic record is less important than your work experience.
It is not an issue to be several years older than the traditional 21-22 years old at college graduation. Also, many engineering graduates took more than 8 semesters to complete their bachelor’s degrees, due to the rigor of engineering curricula.
I hired several college applicants that were older than the usual 21-22-23 years old. Didn’t matter to me. What mattered is whether you had the engineering knowledge (read GPA), the ability to work in a team environment and the passion to be a good engineer.
An employer won’t necessarily know how old you are, some 22 year olds look older than their age, some 30 year olds look young. If you are uncomfortable with them knowing that you are older, don’t include the year you graduated from high school on your resume.
Don’t sweat it. Major in what you want. Potential employers often do not ask about age or date of birth (for background checks) until you are advanced in the hiring process. This is to avoid any possible accusations of age discrimination (which is only illegal of a firm is discriminating against those over 40 years old in favor of younger workers.) Because engineering degrees often take longer to complete, you may find your age is even less of an issue with an engineering degree.
If you feel a hurry to finish you bachelors degree or want an alternative, if you do very well in a math or physics major and take enough engineering classes, you might be able to enter a masters programming in engineering afterwards.
I can’t reply to you all, but I just wanted to say thank you for the encouragement and the straight answers! Thank you!
I graduated at 25 because I spent 4 years in the military. As far as I can tell no employer cared, and there were plenty of people older than me in school.
Hey Don’tDoIt2500 , I’m kind of in the same boat as you, I’m 20 and just started college. I was always informed that Age Discrimination is illegal in the jobs I’ve had. I think job experience matters more in the hiring process than age.
It won’t matter. Do take the time to get an education even if you are older. You will be better off in the long run compared to not having a degree. Many people have to start and stop their educations because of finances, health or other reasons.
Employers look at it like this: does the candidate have a degree? Nobody cares how old you’re but employers do tend to hire less people over the age of 50. The other thing is that most people will not know how old you’re other than the information you’re putting down. If you’ve been out of high school for ten years they won’t know unless you have listed a company on your resume that you have worked for a long time. The other real way they would know is based on the information you give them during hiring process but only HR has that information.
The thing though is that nowadays more people are taking longer to finish college, instead of the traditional 4 years, many people are taking 5-6. People’s lives happen, unless you’re parents are rich, you gotta be able to support yourself or whatever else happens.
Don’t let it discourage you though. I’m 26 and won’t be graduating for another year. I have a job in my field, I make decent money, and they never asked me a question.