Go to school or find work??

[m134 1]

I’d like to ask the people here for some advice on our current situation. My fiance moved here about a year ago, married in October, and by January had the green card and driver’s license. She was already working by then. She worked for 6 months (at an office) and then she left to take full time ESL classes which will be done by the end of this year. She has a bachelor’s degree from her home country in business administration, she is 24 years old, and now the next steps are a bit unclear.

1. Go to school. But to get a bachelor’s degree means four more years of school. It is very demotivating for her to do this since she just graduated before coming here. She wants to work, and not feel useless to depend on me financially for the next 4 years. On top of that, she is scared about the cost of school and student loans. Working while going to school is possible for some people (I did this in college) but for her would be difficult. That would mean working nights and weekends and we would have little time to spend together. Additionally, hard sciences (engineering, medical, law, etc…) are not her strong suit. So it would be some other type of degree.
2. OR…Look for work. Does anyone have experience finding work with a foreign diploma? I guess her biggest concern about this route is not being able to find a decent job. Anyone can start flipping burgers, but this is not the point. Ideally, in the long term, she wants a 9-5 “regular” job… but what route must one take to do this? We are worried it will take a long time, or she might start at a lower position and never be able to get out of it. Experience counts more, as you accumulate it so the hope is that she can start somewhere and move up. It is obvious that currently starting such a job will not be easy. But is it worth trying? Or just go to school?

Often times a diploma is just important for your first job, a way to get your foot in the door. If that takes 4 years, wouldn’t it be more logical to try and find something anyway in those 4 years and not incur massive student loans? People say education is best, but I’m not sure if that is the correct path if she is just gonna try and get a non-science degree. I’m trying to think logically, but she is stuck about this decision and I guess looking for advice from people who have been down this path…

[millefleur 5,035]

Totally depends on your profession. If you're a computer programmer with skills, I really doubt anyone cares where you graduated from. But you said she isn't a hard sciences person, so yes, it's a bit trickier then.

Some state schools offer "post-bac" programs for people who already hold bachelor's degrees, often foreign bachelor's are accepted as well. This mean she would be able to complete a new bachelor's in two years or more if she studies part-time. Seems like it could be a good fit for her. You should look into it. State schools and community colleges don't require "massive" student loans, often the prices for in-state residents is fair and affordable.

If she is still taking ESL classes, further education could only help. For more "white collar" work, good English is certainly expected and she'll be competing against native speakers, so studying at the university level in English would be practical just for that reason. That's my two cents.

[enxhi96 34]

It depends what country her diploma is from, but the US recognizes many foreign diplomas. They just need to be certified by a professional to make sure they are equivalent to an American degree. She may have to take a few tests to verify her skills and knowledge but I know many people who came from abroad and their foreign diploma was recognized just fine. Have you tried applying for any jobs in her field yet??

[Unlockable 7,306]

Also, she can look into schools here that will vive her credits from the courses she took in her country. So she won't have to take 4 years to finish.

[TBoneTX 43,058]

Here's a recommendation that can lead to her testing the employment waters, find mentors, etc.:

http://www.visajourney.com/forums/topic/449151-the-steveandtiff-stupremacy/?p=6471637

[pinaypilot 3]

She is the only person who can answer that question. A bachelor's degree does not guarantee a stable job or even getting a job at all. In the long run, you'll succeed not because of what you learn in school but your attitude towards work.

I think she was just like me when I started looking for a job here, I did job hunting "Philippine-style" sending 1 resume just for a job that I really want or waited for recruiters to find me in Glassdoor or Monster. And then it took months before recruiters were reaching out to me, and it's not even because I submitted my resume to their company, but because they found it through Linkedin. I eventually accepted a part time job close to what I was doing before but for a smaller company, no chance of career growth, but it's really close to home and I enjoy working with my office mates, what I like with my first job was that my officemates never made me feel alienated at all. It's a big thing for me. She doesn't have to take a part time gig, she could also start working from home, or maybe volunteer for events or do internship.

Moral of the story: Her 1st job will be more of stepping stone, and not the end game. She needs to weigh the pros and cons when accepting a job offer, what can she live with and live without, what is she willing to do and what will that contribute to her career in the future. Your 1st job is the best time to network, find friends, and know what's in the grapevine of the industry that she wants to penetrate. I know of some people who used to be executives or school principal in their home country but had to start from scratch when they came here. It's not going to be easy, but there's no elevator success.

[m134 1]

Thanks everyone for the replies. We took this advice and now are going to send her diploma to ECE to get evaluated to the equivalent American degree. She is also creating her resume which I am helping her do. She understands completely that her first job won't be her career. Nevertheless, the choice is whether or not to start down the path of job "stepping stones" or just go to school. Anyway, once the evaluation is complete she will apply for as many jobs as possible, (not just 1-2 a day).

For the "post-bac" education, I have never heard of this before but after doing some research it seems that kind of stuff is mostly related to the medical field.

[Boiler 43,437]

Why not do a Masters, not sure what another BA would achieve.

[SusieQQQ 11,584]

Why not do a Masters, not sure what another BA would achieve.

My thoughts exactly.

[millefleur 5,035]

Masters programs cost more and are a lot more competitive, generally speaking. But if you can get in, it might be a good choice.

PSU (Portland State) offers post-bac programs for almost everything. Guess it depends on the university.

There are also associates degrees. Getting a one year associates degree is pretty common for people who already hold BAs but want to switch to a new field.