I have had this question on my mind for some time now… How does returning to college to recieve a B.A. look to employers?
I earned an associates degree right out of high school and worked in a related field for about 10 years. I’ve now decided that I would like to return to college, at age 30 (freaking old), to get a B.A. to hopefully improve my career. I will be 34 years old by the time I graduate, which seems really old to me.
How do employers feel about old-ass people like me who have returned to college? Any thoughts?
I was 32 when I started and I felt like I was too old, but I got over it. I expect that employers are going to be favorable of the degree no matter what the age is. After all, what do YOU think looks better on a resume? A 34-year-old without the degree or a 34-year-old with the degree?
I know this is an old thread, but the non-traditional forum needs more on-topic activity and this was (and still is) a good question.
Short answer: Employers look favorably on completed degrees. Full stop.
In addition, there’s no rule that says you have to put the year your degree was earned on your resume. If you have the credential, you have the credential. Give them the year truthfully if they ask for it, but you don’t have to volunteer that information.
Finally, a purely anecdotal example. My mother went from being a stay-at-home mom to teaching herself to type on a borrowed typewriter and going to work as a typist. She worked her way up in her career, and eventually took several years of night/weekend classes at a local university to earn her bachelor’s degree around age 40. About five years later she finished her MBA. She retired this year as a Senior VP of the very same employer where she started as a typist.
The achievement matters more than the timing.