I'm in my mid-50s and have a low-wage menial job.....

2008-09-21T00:46:00.000-07:00

I'm in my mid-50s and have a low-wage menial job...and a liberal arts degree with a minor in comp sci.

I wasn't able to keep my IT skills current as I had no money for continuing education, and now I cannot get financial aid.

So is there any hope for me?

I couldn't disagree more. The level of skills req...

2008-04-24T19:43:00.000-07:00

I couldn't disagree more. The level of skills required depends on the competencies needed to succeed in the role (in other words, an English major won't really be too valuable in a job where the employer is looking for a C++ programmer), and the level of expected experience correlates to the type and grade of job (e.g. a new college graduate can't walk through the door and expect to be a senior director right away). Many large Fortune 500 companies hire en masse from colleges with the stipulation that the new hires go directly into a training program that can last for six to twelve months before they're let loose to actually work. Large, corporate employers are pretty realistic about what they can reasonably expect from entry level professional hires in terms of skills and experience, but they do want to see evidence of creative thinking, intelligence, and ambition. Internships are a great way (but by no means the only way) to demonstrate those qualities.

Since you asked about personal experience, my employer has an annual training budget for each employee and will sponsor graduate study if the degree program will make the employee more valuable. They have sponsored training for advanced certification in my area of expertise (I had to do plenty of studying in my own time), and they pay for all of the courses and renewal fees I need to keep my certification.

Comments on See Me Get Rich: Job Experience and Training

I'm in my mid-50s and have a low-wage menial job.....

I couldn't disagree more. The level of skills req...