Rant: Everyone told me to get a general business degree, but my focused 2-year technical certificate in HVAC from the local community college landed me a job paying $65k a year right out of school.

Has anyone else found that a specific, hands-on skill beats a broad degree in getting you hired fast?

3 comments

3 Comments

Went back for a welding certificate after my general studies degree got me nowhere. The focused training had me working in a shop within a month. Sometimes the direct path is the best one.

mason2832mo ago

Yeah, I was just reading an article about how enrollment in trade programs is way up. @dylan_green58, your story is a perfect example of that shift. The piece said employers are really looking for those specific, hands-on skills right now, which a lot of four-year degrees just don't give you. It makes total sense that you got into a shop so fast.

grant_perry1mo ago

My neighbor's kid went through something similar. He spent two years at a big university, racked up some debt, and then figured out he actually wanted to work on HVAC systems. He went to a local tech school for a year and a half and had three job offers before he even graduated. It's wild how fast that whole world moves. My own son is looking at a plumbing apprenticeship right now instead of college, and honestly, it seems like a smarter bet for him. The whole four year degree thing just isn't the only game in town anymore.