Hey CC. I’m a UT-Austin graduate (class of 2020) who currently is struggling to get my life together and need advice on what to do moving forward with my career.
I graduated with a STEM degree (Applied Math with a minor in CS). I struggled to find a job after hundreds of applications and dozens of failed interviews but managed to land a decent job that does not put my degree to use. I am working in technical support remotely. Not trying to sound selfish, but after being in this role for a little over a year now, I feel like a failure and I should be doing better for myself. I also despise waking up working the 9-6 Monday through Friday doing repetitive work.
I’ve been really wanting to do something more scientific or technical. Originally I intended to major in mechanical engineering/computer science but could not get in so I went with my backup plan of majoring in math and minoring in CS. I realized this is a big mistake and early 20’s me should have transferred to another university to accomplish my goals. I now struggle to find time to hone my technical skills working full time and would love to go back to school to start over as I feel this is the best path to remedy this.
So I’ve been planning on going back to school in Fall 2024 for either a second bachelor’s or a master’s. I know it’s ultimately on me to make that decision and I can only decide my own fate, but I wanted to see if I can gather any insight. I’m 25 and living with my parents currently and would likely be 28-29 if I do graduate with a second bachelors. I was thinking of going to one of lower tier universities in Texas (Texas Tech, UTD, UNT, UTSA). Or should I push towards a masters with my background even if I don’t really have the right work experience? I just find it hard to get LORs for what many masters programs are requiring. Or should I just grit my teeth and hone a technical skill and keep applying?
Please provide some more information. Do you want to study engineering or CS. What are the programs you are considering? Do you have the pre-requisite coursework done for the masters programs? What experience do the programs require that you do not have? How does the curriculum for the masters compare with the second bachelors?
Some masters programs may allow admission on a provisional basis, allow you to take prereqs.
Or you may see post baccalaureate certificates via IBM, Google, on Coursera or even certificates or boot camps offerred by universities, for topics like data analytics, cybersecurity.
But if you want engineering…that may require a second BS.
Sorry you feel this way. You are working hard, it is not easy to be remote. Thank goodness you have family support.
Can you network locally and look for new job? Some employers will invest in your training.
Also check out career services at UT Austin, may help many alum get foot in door.
I am still currently researching programs however I would be happy to study either Computer Science or Mechanical Engineering as these two majors would help me get into the robotics and automation industry. I am also interesting in artificial intelligence / data science / computer vision too.
Some programs I am looking into (mostly in Texas for now):
BS/MS Mechanical Engineering from Texas Tech
BS/MS Mechanical Engineering from UT Dallas
MS Artificial Intelligence University of North Texas
MS Computer Science Georgia Tech (online)
MS Data Science from Texas A&M
I would have all of the prerequisites for UNT and TAMU given I was a math major but for ME I’ll definitely have some catching up to do. My biggest concern is if I do take the ME route would it be better to jump straight into a masters and skip the bachelors. I feel like I would need to find a really specialized ME masters. Due to my struggles in college work experience is lacking however if I do go back I’ll be more mature and try hard for a summer internship.
I’m aware the GRE is needed and I haven’t taken it. I’m not sure how to go about preparing for it while working full time. Getting LORs is going to be difficult but I could maybe get one or two from a manager.
Hmmm… Generally, if you are prepared, I would say to go to a graduate level program - it will be focused and take you further than a second bachelors, but… you may not be prepared. I think you need a little more research into programs, and some more reflection about what you want, and what you need to have a better (more successful?) experience than you did in your previous college experiece
I was exactly in the same situation as you some years back. I went the masters degree route. It was a lot more difficult, but completely worth it, because it gave me a direct competitive advantage in my job search. I recommend going the masters degree route.
Try exploring Tarleton State University. They have a fully online Master of Science in IT that doesn’t require a lot of leveling courses, if any. Full-time, it can be completed in 18-24 months, and you can live at home and work while doing it. The benefits of a masters is that it’s generally the equivalent of 1 year of work experience over a bachelors degree. Whatever you decide, you’ll want to come out somewhat proficient in a widely used programming language, (SQL for instance).
There are GRE study manuals. The test surprisingly isn’t all that hard. A couple of LORs from any professor should get you into a graduate program, like Tarleton State, UTSA, etc. Unless it’s a highly competitive school, a LOR is just a formality. Trust me, if you explain your situation, any professor will write you a LOR.
I appreciate the response, but I really want to do something on the science side/ hands on and not an IT degree. Which is why I’m considering ME.
Also, how can I convince a professor to write me an LOR if I haven’t spoken to one in years now? Wouldn’t it be inherently better to have one or my supervisors write me one in my situation?
The same way you prepared for SAT/ACT while being full-time high school.
Most everyone taking the GRE will be preparing while either working, or while trying to excel in Senior year - so you’re not alone.
You can choose from one of many brand prep books (such as Princeton Review). My daughter made herself a schedule to work through a section each week, take the sample exams, etc. In some areas, she felt like a throw-back to high school, having to go back to High-School math that she had not had to use for a few years.
Overall, she didn’t find it any more difficult than other (generic) standardized tests, but she definitely saw the wisdom in having gone through prepping.
Not necessarily, I got LORs quite easily from 2 professors 5 years after graduating. I was an above average student with both of them. They get those requests all the time. Generally an academic LOR holds more weight for graduate school admissions, and some schools require academic LORs. It varies from school-to-school. Often, when you fill out an application, it comes with a template you can fax/email a professor directly.
With a minor in CS you should have been a plausible candidate for at least some if not many CS jobs. I’ve also known math majors that got CS jobs that required deep mathematical competency. You also hint in another reply about struggles in college and mention UT wouldn’t admit you to your desired ME major. Did you try to transfer to ME and get turned down? Was your gpa low when you were looking for jobs, and what happened on the interviews?
My concern is there are other reasons you haven’t found work that you want, not just lacking an engineering or CS degree. And that returning to school will just kick the can 2-4 years down the road but leave you in about the same position.
I also despise waking up working the 9-6 Monday through Friday doing repetitive work.
Welcome to the real world.
I agree with @mikemac. Something else is going on.
I have two children in CS, both work more hours than 9-6. Right now, my eldest, is doing “fun” work and loves it. She had to do the grunt work, early on, to get where she currently is and likes exploring new areas of her work as a manager.
Our son is working and doing the grunt work now, but he actually likes being in demand because he knows his work is good, as well as, having good colleagues that help. His university professors prepared him and his classmates well, indicating that some of their initial job tasks would not be “luxurious”, but that they needed to create the jobs that they want, by getting some experience.
CS and engineering are difficult, as you know. You need a minimum of a 3.0 gpa, at graduation to be considered by employers. Some employers expect a 3.5 gpa. If you crashed at a number of interviews, then you need to find out why that failed you. You can still access your university’s career center and ask them to evaluate your presentation skills.
A degree in Applied Math makes you qualified for DOZENS of roles/career paths which are scientific and technical in nature.
Have you met with a career counselor at all? Have you sat down with one of the career services folks at UT to review your resume and figure out how to tweak it, and done a few practice interviews to get feedback on why you “fail” the interview?
It seems like more education is not the answer- getting back on track professionally does not require either another Bachelor’s (which rarely pays out) or a Masters (which would- but only if you know exactly why you are going and what type of job you are preparing for).
A 15 week coding bootcamp would be faster and cheaper than a Master’s degree and could get you to the same place, depending on what you want to be doing…
Data Science- look to a certificate program. You don’t need a degree in it since you already have a degree in math- which is the hard part.
GRE for a Math major should be a piece of cake. It is HS Math and Geometry. Get some prep software (not book) and take exam on the computer. (Sorry I took GRE 100 years ago, I hope i do not provide obsolete info.).
I want to give myself a second chance. My first degree doesn’t really satisfy my career goals long term and I feel like I’ve matured a bit. I also feel like being close to home has hindered my independence and I feel a second bachelors can remedy that.
I graduate with a low GPA (3.3 overall) but not terribly low.
I roomed with my brother in college and I have never really had the college experience.