Ahem. Are we missing something, here? Or, considering all our experience, what else might we do for money?

I ask this because I just found out that for a measly twelve credit hours beyond a bachelor's degree, I could get a certificate in survey research from a school in Orlando * and join the well-paid opinion gatherers. For about ten years, and spanning decades, I have been a minion who obtains opinions for people who earn substantially more than I do. This should not be. All that experience, combined with study of research/related in grad school and other work experiences involving education, training, insight, thought, and reporting should qualify me for something better. Why did I not see this before?!

But what about you? If you added up your experiences in shopping, etc., for what fabulous, or at least better paying work, would you be qualified? Inquiring minds want to know.

* Now, now. There is no reason to think that is just another Mickey Mouse operation. It is the University of Florida, Orlando.

Nature does not hurry, yet everything is accomplished. - Lao-Tzu

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 11/20/2021 02:15PM by Shop-et-al.

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How do you obtain "opinions for people?" and how do you know they earn substantially more than you do?

So do it. Get those credit hours!

IMO, One ought view education as a good in itself, not as a means to a professional situation.

Ask them for references of companies that hire people with their certificate or that any certificate is needed at all. Check the want ads for that position....do they require this certificate?
ing out.
The college should have public records showing how many people that took this course got jobs in the field and what they are being paid.

I'm skeptic by nature and hope I'm wrong. but before you spend time and money, it's worth check

I have a different perspective. I shop now for fun, not for money I need. I worked for others for decades for money. But I learned that the best way to obtain more money is by using money. I've invested for decades while I worked. Now I earn more money than when I worked by being invested in low cost stock market mutual funds. It's not a get rich quick endeavor. Albert Einstein — 'Compound interest is the eighth wonder of the world. He who understands it, earns it ... he who doesn't ... pays it.'

To answer a few posts: For transparency, our pay is a matter of public record. The minions received a pay raise recently. That was wonderful. We are the people who contact designated or random potential respondents (depending upon the study) and interview them. That is our job. Other people who earn more money than we do manage the entire process, including producing the scripted interviews that we conduct and translating the collected information into usable and/or publishable material. We fetch information for them and work part time. They perform a larger variety of tasks and work full time. As I recall, we can take one course for free, every so often. I have not done so because I have not had time to find one, let alone do the work for it. I just keep on learning as a happy, GPA-free and syllabi-free person. It would take some motivation to re-enter the world of school, grades, syllabi, and exams. If I found the right course or program, I would create time for it.

Nature does not hurry, yet everything is accomplished. - Lao-Tzu

I very rarely feel that I make less than most people I deal with doing my jobs. I have done jobs (audits) at car dealerships where I assume the sales manager made more than me.

As long as I can buy beer, smokes, and pay rent!

from my research here the only place you need any thing is nevada for that private investigators license. everything else is a scam. there are plenty of business schools etc that offer worthless certifications and degrees. examples would be phlebotomists. in PA you dont need a certificate. when i was in training there were two ladies that were miffed they spent $3000 on a phleb cert that ACL labs in erie pa didnt need. local business schools offer a medical office secretary cert. you dont need training to be a secretary. the schools i work at will take anyone just about.

shopping north west PA and south west ny

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Ahem. Are we missing something, here? Or, considering all our experience, what else might we do for money?

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