DD wants to move to Israel and change her college degree

amother

Powderblue

Tue, Mar 12 2019, 2:18 pm

DD is pursuing an undergraduate engineering degree at Cornell with a 4.0 average in her junior year but wants to change her degree because she wants to move to Israel because she frummed out and has decided she needs a degree that is in demand in Israel. She thinks American educated accountants and/or actuaries do well.

What advice would you give to someone regarding American educated individuals seeking jobs in Israel? I know medicine is in demand, but DD does not like that at all and would not want to attend college in Israel.

I'm naturally not very happy about her decision, but she is an adult and can make her own choices.

Rappel

Tue, Mar 12 2019, 2:32 pm

Engineers are in HIGH demand in Israel, and they make top dollar.

If she's doing well, then I think she should stick with the degree. Even if she ever gets bored with her work, that degree will jump her well forward into any other career - there are even programs which allow you to complete a medical degree in less time, if you have a degree in engineering. She should finish

ora_43

Tue, Mar 12 2019, 2:36 pm

I would tell her to finish her engineering degree. Halfway through her junior year, finishing the degree she's already started is almost guaranteed to be the fastest way to a good job in Israel, if that's her goal.

She's at Cornell. That's going to open doors here like in America. And engineering degrees are useful anywhere.

It's also more flexible as a degree/career, afaik. Meaning, you can do more different things with an engineering degree than you can as an accountant.

causemommysaid

Tue, Mar 12 2019, 2:40 pm

Oy. She's about to make a huge mistake. Do everything u can to stop her. Engineers are in major demand in Israel. one of the best fields to go into.

amother

Vermilion

Tue, Mar 12 2019, 2:44 pm

Agree with everyone above that engineering is a great degree to bring to Israel. Maybe have her talk to someone at nefesh b'nefesh so she feels like she heard it from an expert.

DrMom

Tue, Mar 12 2019, 4:17 pm

As an American-educated engineer now living and working in Israel, I cannot imagine wanting to be an accountant instead.

If she's dead-set on coming to Israel, she may want to consider an engineering program in an Israeli university (the Technion, Ben Gurion U, etc.).

amother

Dodgerblue

Tue, Mar 12 2019, 4:23 pm

Being that she doesn't have that much left to complete the engineering degree, I think she should finish it. An engineering degree would be valuable for many careers besides engineering. She could become a patent lawyer (which only someone with a science/engineering background can do), work in finance, etc. It is highly regarded in many industries. If she decides on another career, she can pursue a masters degree, etc in a different field. She sounds like a very smart, accomplished woman. May she have success in all her endeavors.

essie14

Tue, Mar 12 2019, 4:44 pm

What everyone else said. I know several US educated engineers who are doing way better than then US educated accountants that I know.

amother

Powderblue

Tue, Mar 12 2019, 6:56 pm

She is concerned she won't be able to get a decent job without her masters and while she is fluent in Hebrew is concerned it may not be appropriate for college there. I am going to show her the thread.

4pom

Tue, Mar 12 2019, 7:14 pm

What everyone else said.
My israeli realtive with american parents came here ( with his young family) to get his engineering degree. And then back to Israel.
Good luck and kol hakovod for supporting your daughter

causemommysaid

Tue, Mar 12 2019, 8:23 pm

amother wrote:

Young people are always so impatient and dont see the bigger picture. She has a year and 3 months left of her degree at a great school with excellent grades. If she's serious about going to Israel, she should put in the effort and time now to set herself up for that. Not switching to a less prestigious and less in demand field based on erroneous assumptions.

Rappel

Tue, Mar 12 2019, 8:43 pm

amother wrote:

Although I hear her concerns, it's really not that formal. Really.

She'll do fine without a master's degree. Heck, she'd probably do fine without any Hebrew, if she's working in a tech field. The fact that she's a fluent speaker just sets her up for STARTING in the highest pay brackets in the country. She definitely should stick with her degree.

FranticFrummie

Wed, Mar 13 2019, 2:32 am

She really needs to talk to some intake counselors at Technion. There may be subsections of engineering that would be very interesting to her.

If she hates it, she can always pick up accounting later. There are universities here that offer English speaking courses.

BTW, congrats on having such a smart and hard working daughter. A 4.0 at Cornell is nothing to sneeze at. She sounds like a real go-getter, and will make things work no matter what she decides.

DrMom

Wed, Mar 13 2019, 2:43 am

amother wrote:

She is wrong on both accounts.

Someone with an excellent BS engineering degree and fluency in Hebrew and English will have no problem getting a job here.

And if she wants a master's degree, she can earn one here.

Also, I don't know why she thinks her Hebrew will be suitable for accounting and not engineering.

For someone with a 4.0 grade average at Cornell engineering, she doesn't sound like she is being very rational!

imasinger

Wed, Mar 13 2019, 4:56 am

It might help to point her towards some frum American born Israeli female engineers, preferably with a similar hashkafa to where she's headed. Ask around. They do exist.

causemommysaid

Wed, Mar 13 2019, 5:35 am

DrMom wrote:

For someone with a 4.0 grade average at Cornell engineering, she doesn't sound like she is being very rational!

This. I'm curious who is guiding her. Does she have a rebeztin or mentor who is feeding her these ideas?

I ask because back when I was in seminary part of the brainwashing included a story we were all supposed to take inspiration from about a girl who was one year away from a prestigious degree at Yale who left her college with one year to go and got her degree instead from Thomas Edison and married a guy in kollel and everything was wonderful. I always felt sad hearing that story and wondered if 10 years down the road that girl regretted her decision. I never could understand why she couldn't marry the kollel guy and still finish her Yale degree. I think the point of the story was the evils of college campuses but I dont remember exactly.

amother

Coffee

Wed, Mar 13 2019, 5:55 am

Tell her to complete her degree in the US.

Then, as a young graduate olah, she will be eligible to go to Ulpan Etzion in Jerusalem (where she might also meet her bashert!) and also do a Master's free (a perk of aliya).