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I've found that journalism is one of the major fields where a degree means very little. I think maybe majors in such (except for top degrees like a master's from Columbia) might serve simply to get people into the internship pipeline, aka "working for free for experience."
The best journalists I know don't have degrees, rather, I don't think their skills and careers are related if they do have a degree from some little state college out there in the tumbleweeds.
you dont need a degree if you live in New Mexico, you just gotta know someone who can get you in, this whole state is family oriented so they hook each other up, even in courts and every other job.
Wow sounds surprising. That's what they do in Phila,thus feeding into the moniker 'city of brotherly love'.
The answer is yes and no. As most other respondents pointed out, a college degree is used to weed out applicants in the job market. But - a college degree does not mean an applicant is better or more efficient than a non-degreed applicant. I've been on both sides of the issue. I started working right out of high school in a low-level clerical job and moved into a career path that required a college education. Then I came up against the brick wall - but get this one - with the excuse that I didn't have a "Master's degree" because the other applicant did.
Well, today I'm working on a Master's degree in software engineering and now many entry level software development jobs are being offshored. This is hilarious to me since I spent so much of my time and energy getting a degree in a field that is bleeding good jobs. But, I'm still in love with the my new career field.
With that said, I will tell you straight why a college degree is not essential for any job in business or industry with the exception of those jobs that require licenses or certifications to perform (i.e., attorney, doctor, CPA accountant, or architect)
First, all jobs in business and industry have an underlying process to them. Processes are simply ways people perform the work in an organization. If that process can be documented, then anyone can be trained to do the job. Organizations don't want to invest in the training and career development of their employees because they fear that they will lose that investment in the event the employee is let go or voluntarily leaves the organization. So, organizations have a vested interested in giving employees the bare minimum training for them to do their jobs. Second, if you learn more on the job and take on more responsibility, you might have justification to re-define your job description with a request for a raise. Managers don't want to increase your pay if they don't have to.
And finally, most obvious reason is degree inflation. This has been going on for the past few decades with an increase in people getting a college degree which deflates the worth of both a high school diploma and a college degree. Now, if you want a shot at a professional, white collar job - you have to have a "Master's degree". My point: the college degree is the new high school diploma. If you are still young (meaning in your 20's and 30's) then get that degree as soon as possible. If you are over 40, but have a lot of experience - it may not mean that much to an employer because your experience in getting results will mean more to them (sometimes).
I do agree that not everyone belongs in college. There are great jobs out there that don't require college just some vocational training. I can think of many people that like do studio engineering, music mixing, etc. and just need vocational training because they like stuff like that.
But - yeah, for an office job - college degree is essential.
The answer is yes and no. As most other respondents pointed out, a college degree is used to weed out applicants in the job market. But - a college degree does not mean an applicant is better or more efficient than a non-degreed applicant. I've been on both sides of the issue. I started working right out of high school in a low-level clerical job and moved into a career path that required a college education. Then I came up against the brick wall - but get this one - with the excuse that I didn't have a "Master's degree" because the other applicant did.
Well, today I'm working on a Master's degree in software engineering and now many entry level software development jobs are being offshored. This is hilarious to me since I spent so much of my time and energy getting a degree in a field that is bleeding good jobs. But, I'm still in love with the my new career field.
With that said, I will tell you straight why a college degree is not essential for any job in business or industry with the exception of those jobs that require licenses or certifications to perform (i.e., attorney, doctor, CPA accountant, or architect)
First, all jobs in business and industry have an underlying process to them. Processes are simply ways people perform the work in an organization. If that process can be documented, then anyone can be trained to do the job. Organizations don't want to invest in the training and career development of their employees because they fear that they will lose that investment in the event the employee is let go or voluntarily leaves the organization. So, organizations have a vested interested in giving employees the bare minimum training for them to do their jobs. Second, if you learn more on the job and take on more responsibility, you might have justification to re-define your job description with a request for a raise. Managers don't want to increase your pay if they don't have to.
And finally, most obvious reason is degree inflation. This has been going on for the past few decades with an increase in people getting a college degree which deflates the worth of both a high school diploma and a college degree. Now, if you want a shot at a professional, white collar job - you have to have a "Master's degree". My point: the college degree is the new high school diploma. If you are still young (meaning in your 20's and 30's) then get that degree as soon as possible. If you are over 40, but have a lot of experience - it may not mean that much to an employer because your experience in getting results will mean more to them (sometimes).
I do agree that not everyone belongs in college. There are great jobs out there that don't require college just some vocational training. I can think of many people that like do studio engineering, music mixing, etc. and just need vocational training because they like stuff like that.
But - yeah, for an office job - college degree is essential.
Well, being a person in their 20's I can tell you first hand that the job market is much tighter than just having "training" for jobs like you list. Having a B.S. is common, but still only 25% of the country has one, so essentially that is why the cost of obtaining an education is still tremendous. I would have to strongly disagree with the term "degree inflation", and even more so with your statement that this has been occurring for decades. During the 60's and 70's, you simply didn't go to college if you didn't have the money, borrowing was out of the question. The introduction of Federal Aid has caused the springing of new colleges and universities over the last 10 years, but that is about to change. The "value" of an education will never deflate, employers realize that not everyone is capable of obtaining a degree....but everyone is capable of learning new tasks at a job...suddenly there is a replaceable medium. It is unfortunate for younger individuals today, they simply are paid less to do the same work baby boomers did for simply graduating High School...fair huh. People often don't think of the changing world in terms of labor vs. marketability, and how his affects the balance. On one hand the generation that is getting ready to retire, went through life with great benefits, no student loan debt, and security. New college grads are faced with employers armed with the thought that they can pay mince wages and people will have to work.
The National Defense Student Loan program started, I think, in 1965, coinciding with the baby boom starting college. "perfect storm." Before that, I don't think there were specific loans for college. I guess people could take out bank loans or regular financing for whatever.
It's like insurance. Once people aren't paying real cost out of pocket, prices soar, and then you can't opt out and pay out of pocket.
I take difference with "the generation ready to retire" having security and great benefits, etc. Not in the blue-collar world. Not anywhere I knew about. I dropped out of college in 1973 because I knew I didn't want a liberal arts degree, loans, and a career as a waitress, and that was 1973.
And there sure was no job security in the recession of the first half of the 1970s. Maybe said security and benefits and all were more immediately post-war, and 1950s, at least in the office world?
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By All Means - Get the Degree
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