Can you imagine if EVERYONE had engineering degrees. We are not all called to be the same thing, thankfully. The other problem is that you can’t get your foot in the door on most jobs without a bachelor’s degree, so kids have to get through something.
I’d take the engineering degree right now. HAHAHA. It is hard to come by work. I’m just glad I have folks looking out for me that keep coming up with temp work. Head for South Dakota and Wyoming on Monday.
You can get a LOT of jobs without a BA degree.
You have to have a skill that makes the company money. Most young people with BA degrees cannot do that, however.
There are literally hundreds of thousands of jobs out there that don’t need a BA or BS. Sure, the employers will look at people with BA/BS’s, but they’re not needed.
Danny there is pounding the pavement, looking for a very low wage job... when if Danny didn’t have his head up his posterior, he could be making $18/hour driving a mining truck in circles all day. No BA needed, only a high school diploma or GED, a clean driving record, a requirement that you show up for your shift ON TIME, READY TO WORK, and that you be able to pass a random drug test on demand. That’s it.
$18/hour, plus bennies and safety bonuses at the end of the year - which sometimes go as high as $10K.
The one hitch? He’s going to get dirty and tired driving a mining haul truck. Poor woobie.
Mechanics fixing said haul trucks get from $22 up to $35/hour, plus bennies and safeties. No BA/BS needed. The only hitch is that these guys get even dirtier than the drivers do.
After my tour of duty in the Navy, I returned to college and graduated with a degree in Physics. While in college I joined the active reserves because I needed money for a car and a little entertainment. No work was available locally (in western Pennsylvania) so I went to graduate school majoring in Meteorology/Oceanography (I liked the ocean). Now here is the important point. I had to go where the jobs were, so I went to Texas. When I wanted to change jobs I moved to Maryland (with my wife and child). My move to Texas left both our families 1500 miles or so away. The move to MD was a little closer, but not significantly so. During my entire working career, I moved to where I was offered a job. Job offers came because I became known as a good, knowledgeable professional.
So figure out where the jobs are, and pack your bag. I would move offshore in a flash under the right conditions. Also pick up a useful foreign language or two. Good Luck.