Help 47 yr old man decide on degree?

Well, you should have taken you own advice... :(

That's absolute and utter crap. (60 year old engineer, worked technical field of choice entire career).

To OP...as you've noted Mr Todd has a singular view of the state of affairs...

This may be true if you are older and your goal is to work for a "big four" (three? who knows anymore) firm. I graduated with an accounting degree at 41 and the furthest thing from my mind was to apply to a major firm. It's a crap job that serves as a stepping stone, not what I was interested in.

The real value of an accounting degree (IMHO) is that it opens more doors in the business world than a general business degree. An accounting degree is in essence a business degree with a concentration in accounting. There are many companies out there looking for hard working, intelligent, dependable people but without a degree of some kind you may never get the opportunity to show them who you are. And an accounting degree will get you in front of more people. I know this to be true from experience.

Simply put...There is nothing you can do with a general business degree that you can't do with an accounting degree, but there is a lot you can do with an accounting degree that you can't do with a general business degree.

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I'll concur w/ very similar sentiments w/ the engineering degree as well...if you get out w/ a brand new BS at nearly 50 and try to compete w/ the "traditional" new grads for the same jobs, you'll have a tough time. To go w/ a large corporation doing bulk hiring for entry-level jobs you would have to have a real "in". You wouldn't be considering this, however, if you didn't see something at the place your currently working as engineering aide/draftsman/designer/whatever however, I presume. You need to cultivate those folks and any others you come into contact with, starting now.

Similar goes w/ an engineering degree as well regarding what you do...

See in text :-)

Crap is made by people usually. Assumption that more people make more crap is valid but is too much related to "more" notion. Some are counting 1,2,3, many. Which is not always complete truth. Some people are diarhetic by nature - wherever they go crap happens.

Why colonel son can't become general? Because general also has a son. Degree by itself is just a degree. Some notch on some scale. Nothing more. And nothing less.

An accounting degree is

Companies are built and maintained by people. People instinctively are afraid of people they don't know. Young are afraid of older ones, and old ones are afraid of younger competitors. That's newcomer's challenge. Why are you better than my nephiew I know for years? Even if he/she is cocain addict and ... - you can add your own favourite expletive. Hard working are slaves. Intelligent are crazy. Dependable are dumb and easily manipulated. According to modern views. See A&A principal note above.

And an accounting degree will get you in front of

Good point. Business is related to power. Power corrupts. Bigger business or company if you will, more power, more corruption? This applies of course to powerful companies. Do you want to deal with losers having no power?

Degrees don't help as such. Find proper connections. You can learn whatever you want or need afterwards or in process. Depends of course on what you want. To survive or to conquer. But survival is also paradise conquest for most of us. So, broaden your horizons and try to consider all pro's and contra's. And don't expect perfect recipes as they exist in pizza joints only. Your brain is your best weapon. Even if lethal.

Final note - why so many Todds here? Like in toad pond. NOTE: you should ignore this remark. Disclaimer: posted as is - use at your own risk

No please don't consider it a waste of time

I'm evaluating what you are saying very carefully and respect your opinion.

My goals for taking accounting classes weren't so much to become an "accountant"..... but to be eligible for office type functions such as sales, inventory jobs, management, etc.

What secret attributes are they using?

I it hard to work for a public accountant? What do you mean by above statement?

How shall I put? Mr Todd tends to the black helicopter...

He has some basis in that there is a tendency in large organizations to become obsessed w/ "credentials" when there are an abundance of (at least reasonably well-qualified) applicants for each job. Many new graduates apply with large companies for the benefits and perceived prestige of working for a "name"--this is true in all academic fields, not just accounting or business. As I noted elsewhere, age, while technically illegal as a discriminant will factor in the competition you will face in that market if you attempt the "traditional" route. I would, in fact, expect it to be difficult at 50 to get an entry-level job w/ a large company via the typical college placement route. I think it is such considerations Mr Todd is alluding to...

It could very well be. I have no knowledge except the opinions of people like you all here

Actually achieving an engineering degree at my age (47) may not even be "doable" or advisable cause its gonna be at least 5 years getting one by which I will be 52.

Its just that I currently work in an engineering dept altho as a CAD tech and maint clerk.

Still tho..... I feel like I MUST go to college and add some "value" to myself...even at this late age. So what to do?

But I can also start a small business on the side in the meantime. No?

I mean... doing both is not mutually exclusive. I can go to college. And start a window washing or cleaning business at same time. No?

Of course you could do that!

Wayne Brasch

Will you guarantee him a job? Will you put up the money as insurance for him getting an engineering or accounting job after graduation?

I agree with you conclusion of the value of the accounting degree for its knowledge value. I don't agree that it opens doors.

As far as the hard working, intelligent, dependable, etc... I've found that to be more lip service than fact.

And how does that differ from what I said?

They age discriminate and if you can't get in on nepotism you have a zero chance. The self employment route has the highest probability of success.

If you can sell, from what I have seen, age would not be a barrier and could be a maturity advantage. As I understand it, the "whole life" insurance companies are very open to older graduates.

This is exactly the info I needed to hear. And what was told to me an older friend of mine

This older friend is 68 and retired form local cement plant. He had an accounting degree form a small local college. But his main duties at the cement plant were as a production scheduler I think

here is link to that cement plant

You have to ask them, they're secret and seem to change with every company. From my experience, they are not hiring for what they say they are hiring. The most transparent experience I had was a CPA who was looking for a field audit manager. What it ended up at was the salary issue, although he wouldn't say it. AIR, I wanted $38,000 ( which I thought was cheap at the time having a great deal of experience in the type of audit and a Calif. license) and he found an out of state CPA who wanted Calif. experience and would do it for $22,000.

You have to experience it first hand. There are reasons why public accountants are the only segment of accounting who complain about not getting enough resumes for job announcements.

Each persons life experience is unique to them.

Sure, I once new two fellows who worked for the Air Force, ran an apartment painting shop and went to commercial flight training school at the same time. AIR, Dell started his computer company out of his college dorm room.

Before Pell Grants and massive government aide to higher education, it was called working your way through college. Some of these may be of some help.

Best of luck.

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A. I'll be in the old-folks' home by then... :)

B. As much as for anybody...he's no different than anyone else--he's responsible for his own decisions and maintenance. If he's good and ambition, he find a job. Will it be CEO of a major engineering firm or the CFO of a well-known retail chain? Probably not. Might he have to move or do other things out of his comfort zone? Quite possibly...

Ron Todd wrote: ...

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In your "code-speak", not a lot, granted. I simply translated and made it more explicit for OP as it is clear he's not been around a.a so doesn't understand your posting style...

Actually, I don't buy the "zero chance" argument...if one is really good and has ambition and is willing to relocate or do the extra it is possible.

In engineering, your idea of sales isn't such a bad one although sales engineers are, like in other professions, uncommon if not rare. (Most engineers love to design and consult and hobnob w/ their potential customers, but many have a hard time "closing the deal" as they don't like to talk the $$ or won't just go on to the next call when it becomes clear this client