<p>I meant that most of Google employees come from Stanford, Harvard, and MIT. I don't know about this Teach America thing.</p>
<p>Google has offices everywhere, even in OC. I read through a UCI website about Regent's scholarship and someone graduate from UCI CHP program works there in the Irvine office.</p>
<p>I actually live in Irvine and what I can tell you is that Google isn't exacally impressed with UCI grads (mainly Computer Science majors) since they make up the bulk of their applications. Even on their website it specifically states that they want "A degree from a top-tier university".</p>
<p>Check out this message posted by a Google recruiter on the UCI website..</p>
<p>torrestowers:
The UK version of TFA is called teach first,if you are interested.
Anyway, I think you may have thought that I was implying that TFA was only good as a way of padding out your resume, which is not what I was trying to say. Yes, doing TFA gives a great opportunity to give something back and to also gain other skills useful for other careers, if you find that teaching isn't your thing. For me, the advantage is that I will be a qualified teacher in two years, I can then go on and get a job in the city, or whatever (I feel that I do need to earn some money quickly to pay of debts/mortgage and enjoy life for a few years) and then, maybe when I am a bit older I can re-enter teaching, as a more laid back career much more suited to family life than banking. From people I have spoken to this is the intention of quite a lot of people, there are people out there who like to balance 'giving back' with also earning quite a bit of money along the way so that they can lead a comfortable life for the rest of their career.
I know the situation in the UK is slightly different with house prices being so enormously high, and consequently mortgage repayments a huge burden on young people's incomes, but I would expect that in the US a number of people leave TFA after their two years with the intention of possibly returning 10/15 years later.</p>
<p>Taxguy, student loan debt should not be a problem for Teach for America candidates, because it is an AmeriCorps program. While in the program, teachers qualify for a forbearance on federally-guaranteed student loans (i.e. Perkins & Stafford loans). Interest accrues during that forbearance period, but if the teacher successfully completes two years of service, AmeriCorps will pay the accrued interest for the student, so they are left with the same amount of debt they had going into the program.</p>
<p>Furthermore, upon completing their term of service, teachers qualify for an educational stipend that can be used either to pay off student loans or to pay for grad school.</p>
<p>See this page for more details:
<a href="http://www.americorps.org/for_individuals/benefits/benefits_ed_award.asp%5B/url%5D">http://www.americorps.org/for_individuals/benefits/benefits_ed_award.asp</a></p>
<p>Colin,
From a quick glance I did not see anything about what Google view about UCI computer science, I see the resume writing skills of some of the UCI students that need to improve. I talked to people who interviewd at Google, went to UCSB, Google prefers students with graduate degrees. Top tier schools is what employers all want but Google expands like crazy and they may not be able to get enough people from those top tier schools. The two guys that started Google graduated from University of Delaware and University of Michigan. I have not checked with USNWR but I think UCI is on top 50, which could be higher rank than University of Delaware. I mean their top people did not graduate from MIT, Stanford and Harvard for undergraduate.</p>
<p>I'm pretty sure the two people who started google are Stanford graduates. If I remember correctly, the first version of Google they created was used specifically to search Stanford databases...</p>
<p>Ah, okay. One of them did go to UMich and the other University of Maryland for undergrad. They were doing graduate work at Stanford.</p>
<p>Is it true that Google offers more for people that went to MIT (etc.)?</p>
<p>
[quote]
The Public Sector offers virtually the only defined benefit pensions left in the workforce. Smart students, who can do a discounted cash flow, know that this is an outstanding deal. The government attracts the best and birightest by offering what amounts to the best deferred compensation program in the world.
[/quote]
</p>
<p>Yet most American elected officials are schmucks.</p>
<p>Not just Google. School reputation+GPA+how well people like you when they interview you = $$$$</p>
<p>nyu stident-you may be right about the elected officials but our FBI, CIA, NSA, State Department and Treasury careerists are among the best in the world.</p>
<p>I didn't call all those other people mediocre schmucks. Just the elected morons.</p>
<p>
[quote]
I wouldn't say...a lot. Some. GS-13 or higher isn't exactly that full of people...
[/quote]
</p>
<p>Very true...not to mention that on the GS scale, only step 10 GS-15s are making upwards of $120K in base pay (<a href="http://www.opm.gov/oca/07tables/html/gs.asp%5B/url%5D">http://www.opm.gov/oca/07tables/html/gs.asp</a>)</p>
<p>"Very true...not to mention that on the GS scale, only step 10 GS-15s are making upwards of $120K in base pay (<a href="http://www.opm.gov/oca/07tables/html/gs.asp)">http://www.opm.gov/oca/07tables/html/gs.asp)</a>"</p>
<p>The table this link goes to only shows pay without any locality pay increases. If you look up the tables for high cost areas like DC, New York, Chicago, LA, San Francisco, etc. you will see that employees in high cost areas make much more than the basic pay shown in this table.</p>
<p>I am encouraging both of my children to look into careers with the Federal government. My husband has worked for USDA for over 36 years, and while he might not have made as much money over the years as he mighty have in the private sector, the health insurance and retirement benefits more than justify his choice to remain with them. Incoming employees are under the new retirement system that started in the eighties, but it still offers some measure of security over what is widely available in the private sector.</p>
<p>There are many interesting careers at the Federal level that offer bright, high achievers an opportunity to serve the public interest.</p>
<p>IllinoisMom2006,</p>
<p>I'm torn on the federal government. For one, I do want a career with them in some way. But on the other hand, any job that requires a clearance of any sort can be a real drag. I highly recommend AGAINST working in any agency that involves polygraphing.</p>
<p>But yes, you can definitely make more than the general OPM GS chart. Most, however, will not.</p>
<p>UCLAri:</p>
<p>My husband rose through the ranks from a GS-5 to a GS-15 at the chief investigative agency in the Department and has never been polygraphed for his high-security clearance.</p>
<p>Perhaps there are agencies that do use polygraphs, but I don't think the vast majority do. For one thing, it would be cost-prohibitive.</p>
<p>Agencies that poly are usually limited to law enforcement and intelligence. So, FBI, DEA, USSS, CIA, DIA, NSA...</p>
<p>Most agencies that don't require any sort of compartmentalized clearance (TS:SCI) are unlikely to poly. However, here's my recommendation about agencies that do poly. </p>
<p>Stay away.</p>
<p>Failing a poly is as good as failing a clearance outright. It can blacklist you from future employment with other agencies. You can fail a poly even if you are 100% truthful and never once have done anything illegal. Yes, some of the jobs that poly are interesting to work for, but getting jobs there can be a real headache. And not getting a job because of a poly can mean reduced opportunities in other agencies. </p>
<p>Just my $.02 based on seeing 3 people in my program alone fail a poly this year. One had passed a poly earlier last year, and then went and failed a similar poly later.</p>
<p>It has been said of the mini baby-boom/"millennial" generation that they will be more civic-minded than their predecessor Gen-X and Boomers, perhaps even as civic-minded as the now-mythical "greatest generation"</p>
<p>This gives us hope. Our country sure could use another great generation...</p>
<p>Apple is at number 3, I'm even more pumped to be working for them now :D</p>