Should I drop out of college?
TL:DR
- Rising junior at top 20 university
- Tech startup I'm currently interning at & previously interned last summer closed Series A somewhat recently
- Got offered a job as a product manager $110K/yr + $45K RSUs (based on Series A valuation) w/ decent benefits. This would be post-internship, full time - 40-50/hrs a week.
- Great culture, room to grow within company. company experiencing decent growth & decent trajectory
Points I'm debating:
- Exit opps: will not finishing my degree hold me back from other product management jobs/high-paying entry-level jobs in the future especially since I"m non-technical, I am technically literate, but I can't code. Basically what happens if company folds in 1-2 years, will I be able to find another job? Any hiring manager/recruiter perspectives would be helpful.
- If I knew I know I'd be able to find another similar paying job afterwards w/ that cash comp, I'd do it. Work is immensely more interesting than school.
Future Goals: I want to start my own company in the future.
honestly I’d try to convince them to take you in after you graduate if possible. I’ve known so many people who landed amazing paying jobs while in school and dropped out to pursue them and for whatever reason it didn’t work out and then they can’t find similar jobs that will hire them without a degree and they end up never returning to school and just work shit hole jobs.
Thank you for the advice! That's definitely a point I worry about, would you be comfortable sharing the general sector the people you knew who dropped out went into and how long they worked there before having to leave ie.
sure, in my senior year in highschool I worked at this wedding banquet and there was this lady in her late 40s who I worked with and she used to always tell me stories about her life. She told me how she used to be a marketing major and how she got an internship at a mid sized company not sure what the position was for but how after the internship she was offered a FT position for 70k a year and 40 hours a week. She took the job and after 3 years they laid her off for someone younger and more charismatic. After that she couldn’t find anywhere that would take her and she started working as a planning manager at restaurants. Her current job at the place I worked with her at paid like 40k which is not ideal for someone in their 40s. She told me how after you enter the work force and start making money it’s hard to want to go back to school and suspend that revenue. I also knew this kid from my college who dropped out to take a full time job at a small tech start up that promised him long term growth and a growing salary, place went bust after 1 year lol, luckily he was able to go back to school afterwards
Thanks for sharing this, really great perspectives.
I have heard both sides of the story before. I know someone who entered into work and did well, however to rise even higher, is struggling with the concept of going back to school due to the costs. I also know someone who did decide to go to university following a decade in the public sector, but who after a post-grad struggled with getting a new role. My personal inclination is that university (at least undergrad) is much easier to complete early on and can be extremely important moving forward in your career. My university friends and I for example have taken this route and have all managed to secure a good job. But, this may not be for everyone which is totally fine!
Not sure how helpful this is, but Good Luck!!
Thank you for the anecdotes!Was the person not able to rise higher due to management requiring him a degree? That seems like what I'm leaning towards just finishing this degree quick, then working afterward.
Pretty much yes. It was because to be any higher, a qualification was required to be a true 'expert' in the field.
You'll have a tough time getting another job if the company goes under unless you start your own business. Tech seems like there is a slight exception where you might be able to find another job without an undergraduate degree, but that's a potential exception not the norm.
Maxime fuga voluptatum commodi. Excepturi et aperiam dolorem distinctio sint. Dolor itaque magni debitis.
See All Comments - 100% Free
WSO depends on everyone being able to pitch in when they know something. Unlock with your email and get bonus: 6 financial modeling lessons free ($199 value)
or Unlock with your social account...