Going back to school at a later age in your career…is it a good thing to do?
Q: Is going back to school at a later age in your career a good thing to do?
Welcome to episode #32 of Engineering Career TV. The theme for today’s episode is: Is going back to school at a later age in your career a good idea?
I spend almost all of the Engineering Career TV episodes answering questions that have been submitted from engineers around the world. The questions are typically focused on professional development for engineering professionals, especially relevant to practicing engineers.
You can submit questions for the show by clicking here.
Let’s jump into today’s topic: Is going back to school at a later age in your career a good idea? This topic is based on a question from Jay, who asks the following:
Q: I graduated with my physics bachelor’s degree and am currently working as a “test engineer” testing physical and mechanical properties. Before that, I worked as an engineering intern for a company doing vehicle dynamics and performed the roles of a technical translator as well.
I plan on heading back to school to finish my mechanical engineering degree in a year or so. By that time, I will be about 27-28 years old. My question is:
1. Will I be at a disadvantage in terms of gaining initial engineering employment due to my age?
2. Will my work experience allow me to leverage a higher starting salary?
A: The full answer can be seen in the Engineering Career TV video above, but here are a few of the main points:
- It depends on how you brand yourself, how you market yourself and how you represent yourself and also what the hiring companies needs are.
- Make every effort to completely leverage your experience and market yourself through the resume and the job interview process.
- Make sure you are getting that point across to employers and in getting that across to them, ensure that they see the value in that.
Resources mentioned in today’s Engineering Career TV:
Ask a Question
The Engineering Mastermind
The Engineering Management Accelerator
I hope you found this episode of Engineering Career TV helpful.
Finally, to watch some of our other episodes, and get alerted to new ones, please subscribe to our show: YouTube (click here) and/or iTunes (click here).
What questions do you have about going back to school at a later age in your career?
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To your success,
Anthony Fasano, PE, LEED AP
Engineering Management Institute
Author of Engineer Your Own Success
