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I'm glad to see that some of the companies in the area take education seriously. I should have qualified my earlier statement in that not all companies in the area consider degrees to be of little worth, just most of them can't seem to understand that a degree, though not a guarantee that a prospect will be more capable, more intelligent, and more team-oriented, it at least raises the probability a bit.
Nav,
As someone who has been involved in the hiring process at several companies in the past, I would always choose a college educated individual, because of the probability that they have been exposed to more types of information, as well as to fostering social skills in dealing with difficult problems. Though many years of achievement-laden experience can sometimes substitute, often applicants in this area lack achievement-laden experience, but think that their experience will get them by. I tend to disagree.
Well, assuming that just because someone doesn't have a college degree that they are stupid or not qualified enough is a big mistake these days.....I see jobs asking for a college degree and by the description it looks like a child can do the job! who needs a college degree to type word documents! really!!!!!!!!!!! companies that require a BA or MA for an administrative job!? "a secretary"....seriously! I would never spend thousands of dollars on a college education to become a secretary! that is ridiculous!
Also, there are a lot of people who are self taught who couldn't afford to pay for college education that know a lot more than college educated people and can perform a job a thousand times better than a college educated individual; sometimes people who have a degree have a demeanor that they are better than everyone else and they slack because the job is either not "paid" enough or is too boring! they have a "self entitlement issue"...in fact college educated people are not anymore exposed to information that everyone else these days, we live in a computer world where the same information is available to everyone who is interested in reading it......that is no longer an excuse.
The ONLY difference is the same old "status", "ohh, I have a college degree, therefore I am better than everyone else"...and companies forget that some people went to college for the parties and after being done they don't know anymore than a Street Joe would!
It is really sad to see that someone can get a job "Just Because" they have a college degree and someone with much more experience and better work attitude is left behind! it is actually really stupid and companies are shooing themselves in the foot with this practice!
If I were ever in a position to hire someone, I wouldn't care if they had 10 degrees, I would care a lot more about their work "ETHIC" (which is NOT taught in college unfortunately) and their experience....a piece of paper telling me they spend thousands on college education only tells me they want more money so they can pay their school loans back!!!!!!!!!!
I think that a degree requirement is not just to see if you HAVE a degree, but obtaining degrees take discipline. Companies may also see it as "this person can see something through all the way to the end." I NOW have a degree after 6 years of schooling. I had a child, had to work full time ,etc. I just got hit with life. I think it's necessary to have a degree, not to say "hey I'm smart," but to say "hey, I'm marketable." I say get one, but make sure it's the right one. Of course you can make money without one if you have the discipline and know-how to start your own thing. Just a few thoughts.
If I were ever in a position to hire someone, I wouldn't care if they had 10 degrees, I would care a lot more about their work "ETHIC" (which is NOT taught in college unfortunately) and their experience....a piece of paper telling me they spend thousands on college education only tells me they want more money so they can pay their school loans back!!!!!!!!!!
Work ETHIC is not taught in college??? Thats news to me...college can prepare an individual for the real world, with real world challenges(at least for me in my Business Studies), how to work with people, fosters team building, discipline, and a sense of "how to learn"..ive never thought i was better than anyone else because I have a college degree(actually two of them ), but I do feel I was more prepared to enter the real world having the experience and studies that I attained through college. But that just may be me...
Education is an investment in oneself, I would never tell someone they dont need a college degree...and it should never just stop with a college degree, I feel one must continue to educate him/herself as thier life evolves...and to realize that college can be expensive, but you dont have to go to the most expensive schooling...and there are grants, scholarships, and the dreaded student loans that can all pay off...I am grateful that the company I work for believes in continuing education, and pays 100% tuition reimbursement(as long as you maintain a B), no matter what types of courses you take, and they also provide constant education, training, skill building throughout your career...
Last edited by tampaguy03; 12-01-2009 at 06:21 AM..
Well, assuming that just because someone doesn't have a college degree that they are stupid or not qualified enough is a big mistake these days.....I see jobs asking for a college degree and by the description it looks like a child can do the job! who needs a college degree to type word documents! really!!!!!!!!!!! companies that require a BA or MA for an administrative job!? "a secretary"....seriously! I would never spend thousands of dollars on a college education to become a secretary! that is ridiculous!
Also, there are a lot of people who are self taught who couldn't afford to pay for college education that know a lot more than college educated people and can perform a job a thousand times better than a college educated individual; sometimes people who have a degree have a demeanor that they are better than everyone else and they slack because the job is either not "paid" enough or is too boring! they have a "self entitlement issue"...in fact college educated people are not anymore exposed to information that everyone else these days, we live in a computer world where the same information is available to everyone who is interested in reading it......that is no longer an excuse.
The ONLY difference is the same old "status", "ohh, I have a college degree, therefore I am better than everyone else"...and companies forget that some people went to college for the parties and after being done they don't know anymore than a Street Joe would!
It is really sad to see that someone can get a job "Just Because" they have a college degree and someone with much more experience and better work attitude is left behind! it is actually really stupid and companies are shooing themselves in the foot with this practice!
If I were ever in a position to hire someone, I wouldn't care if they had 10 degrees, I would care a lot more about their work "ETHIC" (which is NOT taught in college unfortunately) and their experience....a piece of paper telling me they spend thousands on college education only tells me they want more money so they can pay their school loans back!!!!!!!!!!
While I agree with some of the point that you raised in this post, there a a number of points that I disaggree on your assessment:
1) You can't just type word documents and get away as you put it. Our staff assistants who has the degree that you just bashed do know more than just typing word documents: they are versatile in their computer use not just word. If someone says we don't need architect, the structural enginners are enough. After all, only the best design we see in the world need to be designed by architect. You will be the one complaining! Remeber how florida houses don't have "characters"? Poorly designed garage and so on. May be those builders by-passed the eductaed architects for somebody who read the internet a lot on how to design house as you are suggesting.
2) You can't just substitute formal college education by reading on the internet as you are suggesting. You could complement it if you have the formal training because now you know what to look for. Otherwise, you need guidance from teachers who will answer your questions. I can't imagine you will wikepedia your way out to learn math and science at a college level. Even if you do, how does an employer knows you know your stuff? You must pass an exam. That's why many of the field actually require licensing to check not only you have a formal training and the experience but you didn't go to college for partying. In order to get a license with JUST experience, you would need years of experience such that you are on the verge of retirement, lol.
Comparing secretarial work with architecture is like comparing apples and oranges....both have their degree of difficulty if you wish, but the two don't even come close as professions from the get go....
I wasn't suggesting Wiki as a learning tool!? where did you get that from?
There are tons of books out there, classes, etc....a myriad of resources are now available in stores and online.......and many people simply cannot afford ($$$$$) a higher education...it's that simple...I am pretty sure that if higher education was affordable for everyone, everyone would have one in their field of choice.....
I am not saying that higher education is not useful, of course it is, however, not ALL college educated people make good employees!nor can be successful business owners
Assuming that college courses can ONLY be found in college these days is also wrong....all the materials taught in colleges can be found in stores or online....HOWEVER, the structure of a class created by a certain teacher is WHAT is NOT found in stores.......That's the biggest difference.
Overall, a college degree is only useful if you take someone that directly requires one(i.e. engineer, doctor, lawyer, etc.).
Lots of kids these days go for the "bachelor of arts" degrees in marketing, business, etc. These degrees are fairly easy to obtain because they require little math and do require lots of easy courses.
They are basically worthless in hard times, because the graduate has zero specialized knowledge in a given field. They have lots of general knowledge, but no specialized knowledge. Employers want employees who can help them make money. They don't care what fraternity you were a member of or what your favorite hobbies are.
So in this day and age, I would say employers place far greater importance on actual experience in a given field as opposed to a freshly minted graduate.
Also, college degrees used to be somewhat rare, now they are very common. Supply and demand.
though a degree doesnt guarantee a dedicated teamworker contributing to the focus and vision of the workplace, i would argue that it highly increases the probability. i would love to see some stats, though slightly problematic for a conclusion, on job retention and degree level.
tampaguy,
if you dont mind me asking: in your opinion, once someone in this area has gotten their degree, entered the workforce for a few years, started a decent portfolio (marketing, copyediting, graphic design, etc), been praised by past team members, etc and really enjoys making a contribution but can't seem to find a job right now (last company closed), is there anything more they can really do to get in the door somewhere, showing that they are a great addition to a work place? like ive said before, my degree and my portfolio (as well as my business card and brochure) dont seem to get me anywhere around here. any suggestions or recommendations? you seem like a smart professional guy; id appreciate your thoughts.
stpeteguy,
i agree that unfortunately sometimes degrees are "dumbed down". however, on the whole, i think they are still valuable for attaining a whole host of skills. if the degree doesnt give someone those skills, ill be able to figure it out in an interview real fast.
i still think id probably hire, all other factors the same, the kid with a year's experience and a college degree over the other guy with five years experience alone. of course, the interview and their portfolio would still determine a lot.
Last edited by aninaction; 12-06-2009 at 11:56 AM..
College Degrees More Expensive, Worth Less in Job Market - Yahoo! News (http://news.yahoo.com/s/time/20091209/us_time/08599194608800 - broken link)
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), but I do feel I was more prepared to enter the real world having the experience and studies that I attained through college. But that just may be me...
