Dont put my degree on my resume

UngadungaDiablo · February 2020

Im about to finish my BS in networking but am thinking i shouldn't put my degree on my resume cause i don't want people in the work place asking me questions about computers, i am currently looking to go into a field that doesn't involve computers cause there boring as hell to me to work with. But i hate people coming to me at my current job thinking i can fix something when i always say sorry i dont know how to do that, then they say aren't you a computer major, i say ya but college is the worst place to learn so i dont know anything. I just hate those verbal situations i find myself in with my co workers and would like to avoid them in the next job i go for.

Infosec_Sam · February 2020

You've got a legitimate reason to be worried, but I don't think it's going to be as harmful as leaving your degree off of your resume. Last year, I transitioned from a career in IT to a role in Marketing, and I really didn't have much of an issue staying out of the de facto tech support role. I just made it clear to people in a friendly way that I'm not their support person.

Of course this is anecdotal, and your experience may vary, but I feel like leaving your degree off of your resume is a really dangerous game. If you can get interviews without it, that's great, but you may find yourself missing out on opportunities.

NetworkNewb · February 2020

UngadungaDiablo said:

Im about to finish my BS in networking but am thinking i shouldn't put my degree on my resume cause i don't want people in the work place asking me questions about computers, i am currently looking to go into a field that doesn't involve computers cause there boring as hell to me to work with.

Interesting choice on majors...

UngadungaDiablo said:
But i hate people coming to me at my current job thinking i can fix something when i always say sorry i dont know how to do that, then they say aren't you a computer major, i say ya but college is the worst place to learn so i dont know anything. I just hate those verbal situations i find myself in with my co workers and would like to avoid them in the next job i go for.

So did you tell people at work you are majoring in computers? Or do you pass your resume out to all your co workers? Wondering how having it on your resume matters.

UngadungaDiablo · February 2020

@NetworkNewb , my boss asked what my major was and i told her, so she always asks me computer questions and tells everyone what my major is. Im looking forward though to never touching a computer, just three more months left.

DFTK13 · February 2020

I’m curious, at what point in your degree pursuit did you decide that computers are not for you and wanted to do something completely different?

UngadungaDiablo · February 2020

@DFTK13 , From day one, i finished my first ASB in Information at a for profit school and they said it didnt transfer to a university, so i figured i take another stab at it at a junior college, still hated it at the junior college level but figured maybe next semester it will get better but it didnt and i held onto that same though when i transferred to the university. Last three months of this semester and i am done, ya when i hear the word OSPF or SSH or bool ex ex it puts a shiver up my spine, "like god talk about anything else".

NetworkNewb · February 2020

UngadungaDiablo said:

@NetworkNewb , my boss asked what my major was and i told her, so she always asks me computer questions and tells everyone what my major is. Im looking forward though to never touching a computer, just three more months left.

She goes around talking with everyone about what your major is in college... sounds super awkward and very far from the norm. Ive been working at my current job for about 4 years and couldn't you tell you what anyone's major was in college that works in my area around me. No one except for HR ever really cares. Even HR really doesn't care most of the time, they just want to see a degree in anything

beads · February 2020

Your degree program in a year or two from your first position will have less and less impact than when you first graduate. Once established no one will care where you got your first degree or if the degree is/was in three dimensional arts aka basket weaving. I work in InfoSec with ancient degrees in CS, psychology but my first degree was in Data Processing or CS without the math major. At the time, you needed to complete a full degree in math to be awarded the CS major and I was running out of time to complete the initial CS degree so I opted for DP. A far cry from what I do today.

My advice is to leave the Major and minors off the resume part of the resume and simply state the degree as Bachelor of Science or Bachelor of Arts as pertinent. If someone asks you can honestly tell them, probably a rarer event than you imagine but time will tell.

You'll do much better than working a field you dislike. Many of us have worked with people who simply hate the field. Its not pretty, trust us.

Good luck with your pursuits.

- b/eads

UngadungaDiablo · February 2020

@beads , not pretty huh, were the guys suicidal ? thats how i feel when i half to touch a computer, just sitting there typing code, c++, sql, cisco router configuration, ya.

mikey88 · February 2020

Why do I have a feeling it's a troll post.

DFTK13 · February 2020

Well, I’ve had to change my major several times because I didn’t like the field I was going into despite initially liking it. Now I enjoy IT especially networking. It took me 5-6 major changes to get there. But the major changes were done immediately when I realized I didn’t enjoy what I was doing in that major. I never would’ve stuck it out in hopes that it’d get better especially if I didn’t like it from “day one”. Kind of like being in a bad relationship, you don’t stick it out after they’re obviously treating you like crap and don’t make any changes to their behavior at all. Idk some others may disagree but it’s the way I roll.

Neil86 · February 2020

I learned a lot from college. Not as much as I do from actual experience, but still a lot. But I get it. When I tell people I work in IT they assume I know everything about computer hardware/software, website design, or ANYTHING IoT related. I'm confident in my knowledge, and I can figure out things very well, but I do not know everything. People outside of IT don't always understand that there are areas of specialty, and that I don't just sit at a desk waiting to reset a password or reboot a computer. Everyone knows you have to set it to Wumbo first anyways.

Anyways, utilize your degree, even if it's in networking, you worked hard for it.

Good luck with your future endeavors!

PC509 · February 2020

I love fixing computers. I'm really good at it. But, I've moved on from that part as my profession. For friends and family, I'll help out and have a great time doing it. Most of the time, they'll buy me some beer or whatever. It's just fun to me. However, if someone at work wants it done as a personal favor or someone I don't know or aren't friends with - I get paid a lot more for my work now as I'm not fixing computers for my job. They want something done, my time is much more valuable than if they took it to the local computer shop and they'd probably get it done faster (not really, but a free job doesn't get my top priority if you're not a good friend).

cyberguypr · February 2020

mikey88 said:

Why do I have a feeling it's a troll post.

It's weird thread week/month here.

Iristheangel · February 2020

cyberguypr said:

mikey88 said:

Why do I have a feeling it's a troll post.

It's weird thread week/month here.

Agreed. Sort of weird for the OP to post about they hate computers, working with tech, etc and ask for advice about not going into that field on a forum that's about the tech field in general. *shrug* I don't begrudge the OP. This field isn't for everyone but if you truly hate everything to do with working with computers, this is an odd place to post about it.

UnixGuy · February 2020

when people ask you to fix their computer, say no.

scaredoftests · February 2020

then why is he on techexams..hmmm...

cyberguypr · February 2020

So we ask him to fix our computers? ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

yoba222 · February 2020

Well what field are you going into?

UngadungaDiablo · February 2020

@yoba222 , im not sure, thinking about security, it doesn't really matter, just no the IT field. I work for a small company so there are only 10 people and myself which is why i asked this question some people have a problem with i guess. Iv never worked in a huge corporate office, hopefully i never will, im more of an outdoors person, can sit on my ass all day in front of a PC.

UnixGuy · February 2020

UngadungaDiablo said:

@yoba222 , im not sure, thinking about security, it doesn't really matter, just no the IT field. I work for a small company so there are only 10 people and myself which is why i asked this question some people have a problem with i guess. Iv never worked in a huge corporate office, hopefully i never will, im more of an outdoors person, can sit on my ass all day in front of a PC.

It's because people aren't sure what is it that your asking, so you don't like IT and you don't want to sit infront of PC, that's a fair point and a lot of people share your sentiment.

But first, what do you mean by 'security' ? if you mean cybersecurity then you will be infront of a computer. If you mean physical security, then you may be sitting in a room looking at CCTV cameras through a computer or you may be standing infront of a building.

There are many options within IT that you can do that don't involve sitting all day. I work in consulting, I have go see clients all the time. There are sales jobs where you spend your time talking/presenting. I'm not sure what you think "IT" is, but I can assure you it's broader than what you think.

A lot of us stay active, we go to the gym after work and we have physical active hobbies. Life isn't black or white.

A lot of jobs involve sitting infront of a computer...law, accounting, marketing, ..

I'm just assuming and expecting the best out of people so I'm responding under the assumption that you're genuine and want to get help or just vent out.

Welcome to the forums

yoba222 · February 2020

In my experience, not having a bachelor's definitely narrows down the screening window of job opportunities. The actual name of the degree usually doesn't matter all the much either from an HR filtering process. But once hired, I don't think I've ever been asked what my major was by a coworker in the past 5 years since I've graduated.

I did have a former manager that was actually anti-college degree (she failed out of organic chemistry and then dropped out). I think having a degree was slightly negative in her eyes, but ironically I never would have even been hired for that position without it in the first place. I suspect your enthusiastic manager really loved their college experience and more than the average person.

But sitting on my ass in front of a PC has definitely been the norm in all of those jobs since graduating. It's actually far better with a fitness program, which I'm only now finally balancing out.

DFTK13 · February 2020

To the op, you seem like a really young person. You could go back to school and master in something completely different or get a graduate certificate or something related to more what you’d actually like to do, so it’s easier to break into that field and move up quickly. But first, it really helps to do some serious self reflection and then research what you actually want to do more thoroughly.

UngadungaDiablo · February 2020

@DFTK13 Ya college just isnt for me, its the worst place for me to learn, i dont know if its because i hate learning about the subject matter or what. I have met with a tutor online who taught me c++ for the two semesters i had to take it and i learned allot, i wont lie when i worked / studied with him, IT wasnt boring, i enjoyed doing the work. But the instructors at the campus, man they throw you in the middle and i find myself asking people left and right of me what they have learned and what they think they can do with the class material they have learned and they give me a deer in the headlights stare. For example, i started an advance linux server class only knowing the command LS. We were tasked to created a ticketing system using linux and word press, 99 percent of the material and moves we had to make no body understand, just monkey see, monkey do. So i finished the class / we all did only cause the instructor made a 4 hour video on how to do it, again, i watched the video multiple times to get my project to work but the command and partitions and everything i was clicking on and typing i had no idea about the meaning or why i was doing it.

DFTK13 · February 2020

I think you could get a job on as an electricians helper or laying fiber cable. Plenty of outdoor/out of office experience and you won't be sitting at a desk much. Anyways, I wish you the best of luck in wherever you go in life.

LordQarlyn · February 2020

I would love to see more degree programs in non-conventional settings. I agree one of the worse and harder environments to learn is the classic classroom where the instructor reads out the material.

I learn really well in a very interactive learning environment, especially where I can experiment and explore. The problem is our college/university is still geared with the Industrial Age mindset where the learning centers were expected to pump out citizens who would be good factory workers.

Well, we are deep into the Information Age, where those skills are rapidly becoming obsolete while skills involving thought and creativity are vital for staying marketable. I really would love to see the universities pick up on this and change their structure of their learning environments accordingly.

Hawk321 · February 2020

The college field in the US is extreme expensive and a mature person SHOULD be able to figure out if he/she/it/<something_with_a_*> likes the program or not....AND how to deal with it, rather denying him/her/it/* -self

I seriously recommend you search for professional psychological help !

beads · February 2020

UngadungaDiablo;

Those technologies (Cisco, C++, SQL) didn't exist at the time. We were writing compilers and operating systems from scratch. Graphics were done on a mini computer called a VAX and the Personal Computer had just been released. No one had their own PC yet - no one. You went to a lab to do your work and small electronic calculators were still replacing sliderules.

Very different from today.

- b/eads

Dont put my degree on my resume

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