Landing a job after graduation is no guarantee. In fact, the job hunt all seems like a big toss-up. A recent study done by Georgetown University’s Center on Education and the Workforce found that unemployment rates for recent college graduates was 8.9 percent, with students possessing degrees in architecture topping the list at a 13.9 percent unemployment rate.

So what about those people who don't have a traditional four-year college degree? What options are out there for people with associate's and GEDs?

Where can one go with an associate’s degree?

Student adviser of employment services at Washtenaw Community College Sandra Worrell said it's certainly possible for one to have a well-paying job without obtaining a bachelor’s degree first.

“At WCC, we’ve got tons of associate’s degrees and certificates (with which) students can go out after they graduate and get a good job,” Worrell said.

While she said she was unauthorized to disclose specific names and information of previous WCC students, Worrell said she personally knew of several students who landed jobs in computer or technology fields right after completing an associate’s degree.

She mentioned a student who'd gotten a job with a local internet company and quickly moved up the ladder.

“(The student has) been working there for a long time ... and I think he’s a manager now,” she said. “He started out as a technical support specialist doing troubleshooting over the phone when customers call in.”

Other students with associate's degrees got jobs as computer support specialists, tier-two and tier-three networking engineers, support desk technicians and network administrators, Worrell explained.

Computer and information technology jobs have annual salaries ranging from $41,000 to $72,200, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics website.

They also are popular concentrations for students at Lansing Community College. James Woolcock, coordinator of student employment at LCC, said such fields tend to be “a bigger draw in the mid-Michigan area.”

“We got a lot of opportunities for employment as well as internships or fellowships in (computer and information technology),” Woolcock said. “We’re seeing a lot students go into everything from database administration to programming and web design.”

A broad spread

But jobs pertaining to computers or technology aren’t the only options for students, according to Worrell and Woolcock. Both advisers listed many other possible occupations one could have without spending four years at a university beforehand.

Among the other jobs Worrell mentioned were positions in nursing, web design, welding, culinary arts, physical therapy or technician posts in pharmacy and radiology.

“(Students) can all leave here and get a job right away without a four-year degree,” Worrell said.

Woolcock added that General Motors is also recruiting students to go into manufacturing.

“We’re seeing the manufacturing sector pick up here with GM,” Woolcock said. “They’re starting to hire, bring people (from LCC).”

So how important is a bachelor’s degree?

BLS statistics suggest that having a bachelor’s degree is more advantageous for employment. According to a BLS Jan. 6 economic news release, the unemployment rate for all individuals with “some college or associate’s degree” is 7.9, whereas for those with “bachelor’s degree and higher,” the rate is 4.6.

Despite the statistics, Worrell and Woolcock said people with associate’s degrees and certificate holders can still land a good job and earn a decent salary. So is a bachelor’s even worth the time and effort?

Woolcock and Lynne Sebille-White, senior assistant director of employer relations at the University of Michigan, said they think students should pursue bachelor's degrees.

Though Woolcock acknowledged that many past LCC students were able to earn a good salary with their associate’s degrees, he stressed the benefits of having a bachelor’s degree.

“There are a number of students who can make as good of a way, (but) just not more so, than somebody in a bachelor-degree field,” Woolcock said.

According to Woolcock, LCC encourages students to pursue higher education, even though it’s common for students to get hired with just a two-year degree.

“Certainly, over one’s lifetime, they’re going to have more earning potential with a higher-level degree,” he said. “We’re always encouraging people to think about that (idea) and the lifelong learning benefits that come with a higher degree.”

In a similar way, Sebille-White explained that while for some jobs, a bachelor’s would not be as useful, having the degree is beneficial in most cases.