How much does a college degree matter in Tampa Bay?

[aninaction]

algia,

you do know the difference between stats and anecdote right?

[dorada19]

Originally Posted by algia

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!!!!!!!!!!

Hey you need to chill before bashing college degrees . A long time ago when I graduated high school I thought along the same lines as you and thought that it was ridiculous to have a degree unless you are a doctor, lawyer, nurse, etc. As life taught me I learned that a college degree is worth a lot even if you do not get compensated for it the way that you think that you should. In the end an admin assistant is not going to make more than 35,000 unless he/she lives in the East Coast or California.

For starters you learn culture and how to interact with people on a higher level than if you only went to trade school or high school. There's somethng nice about knowing about 19th century artists or the origins of humanity as it helps one to make sense of the world. You see yourself as part of a microcosm.

If the abstract doesn't interest you, I have a more practical take on the importance of having a college degree. I have worked in HR and notice the difference in the quality of the companies that have college graduates versus high school or trade school graduates. For starters I have observed that companies that have less educated people tend to be a greater liability and thus attract lawsuits with more frequency because the people tend to lack proper social and critical thinking skills. They tend to overlook critical mistakes, not do proper damage control and underestimate people who wind up suing the company. Yes, having a degree is more beneficial for a company's bottom line in the long run.

At the same time I am aware that some individuals don't learn a thing and a degree does not push them along in the right direction, but those are the few. One can learn critical and social skills without a degree but it takes that person a longer time and they have to hit many roadblocks before they get it.

I don't know, but I think that maintaining a schedule for the four years that one is in college a work ethic. Most college students these days work on the side and also have to maintain their professional commitments as well.

You are right about some college graduates feeling entitled. I think that they have earned it because it is not easy feat to finish a degree, work, have a family and any other variables that make going to school harder. It's easier to work your way up the ladder, take a few technical courses that pertain to your job description, kiss up to the boss harder and endure lower pay because you lack formal training. Being ambitious is not for wimps and college is part of that. The other part is your own effort and drive. Now if you are making lots of money in a field that does not require a degree, good for you. At least you don't have to bust yourself intellectually for four years.

I will have earned my degree next year and while I don't feel entitled yet, I won't stop myself from feeling that way because of negative thinking people like you. We all should have something to brag about so why not?

[Occifer]

A college degree is becoming the new high school diploma. I work in what most would consider a blue collar occupation (law enforcement) and we require a minimum of an associate's degree. I'd say 80% of who we hire now have bachelor's degrees and the other 20% have experience at other departments. That's the only reason that they're even considered without a four year degree.

Times have changed. Twenty years ago if you were a cop and had a four year degree, they'd quickly make you a supervisor or manager. Now having a four year degree is the norm for getting an entry level job. We have a lot of officers with master's degrees and a few with law degrees. That was unheard of years ago, even for most chiefs of police.

It's also hard to argue that requiring advanced education hasn't impacted the professionalism of the law enforcement field in a positive way. It's not that the degree actually teaches you anything about doing the job, rather it's the process of becoming a more well rounded and worldly individual through education.

[algia]

Look, I am not saying that people should stop going to college, I have a degree in my field too, the unfortunate part is that in my field people don't really need one anymore it seems......degrees in MY field are not appreciated as they are in you field (law enforcement for example etc) in my industry all that clients care about is "how cheap" we are, taking out of the equation our job description and what it takes for us to do our job properly........these days it really depends on the field you're in really.....but at the same time it is relative, because I know people who don't have a formal education that are great at what they do.....and were more educated knowledge wise than others who went through college....it may take someone longer to get to the same level as someone who went through college and life circumstances may force some people into that situation, but for an employer to discount that just because there isn't a degree attached to their name is not fair either. In the end you won't know just HOW qualified someone is until you have them on the job......a degree doesn't guarantee excellence at work.
It's like your credit score.....just because it is high now it doesn't mean that at some point you won't default...the degree tells the HR dept that you are "supposed" to have more knowledge than the Joe next door who doesn't have a degree listed on their resume, but the HR won't know how you will perform until you start..........

[craigm1841]

For those who feel working your way up the ladder is easier then earning a degree are wrong in some cases. I spent 7 years in the military. I now make close to six figures here in tampa, with no college education based on what i did in the military. I am now attending school full time only because I feel education is important. I do have friends that have masters degrees that make half of what I do.

In my job field experience IS A MUST, education is negotiable.

[pipelayinghost]

I am a Plumber and have been for 13 years.I dropped out of school in the Th grade,got my GED and went to work as a Apprentice in the plumbing industry. I have been a foreman/project manager on just about every type of structure there is locally,schools.hospitals,casinos,homes,high rises etc. I have also done service work,the person you call when a pipe breaks or your toilets over flowing. With my experiance I can earn K per year or K all depends what I am doing,service work pays very well but its dishonest work,construction if I am running the job I make out good but others don't 20 per hr is top dollar in this area without any responsibility and having to be supervised.As the foreman I can earn usually 75-K in this tight economy right now,double that when the economy was good.