Do You Need a Degree to Be a Professional?
Which is more important: education or experience?
Education is an important part of our world. Without an education, you lessen your chances of a good, stable employment in a given field. Many people don’t have formal education and do very well, but those that do have formal education do better.
I stress the point often to my oldest daughter, and she’s well aware that her future includes university. School isn’t optional in our family, and my daughter accepts schooling as a necessary part of life. Good.
But experience is important, too. Without experience, people with all the schooling in the world lack facets in their knowledge that they can’t get from textbooks. Plenty of education comes from our peers, experiences and surroundings. We learn the hard way, as they say.
Which is more important between education and experience, though? I believe a good dose of education is a must, but I also believe that a rich life experience may outweigh education.
I often see applications of hopefuls who want to be a part of our team. Many people email us a list of their degrees, certifications, and qualifications. Those emails do catch my attention.
There are just as many hopefuls who send me an honest, open email indicating they have diddly squat in formal education but have plenty of experience in writing. Those applications get my attention too.
I have no degree. I finished high school went to CEGEP (the Quebec equivalent of college). I aced my Creative Writing, English and Social Studies classes.
I went on to university (after a decade or so hiatus from school due to work), and I’m currently a second-year student majoring in Psychology. I have taken critical thinking and academic writing courses, but I don’t have an in-depth formal education in writing.
Does that make me any lesser than the next writer with a major in English literature and a degree in journalism? Not at all. In fact, I’ve seen some pretty piss-poor writers who have both degrees under their belt.
The basic skill of writing generally isn’t taught beyond high school. Once you hit college and university, you won’t get training in proper punctuation, grammar, or sentence structure. Higher education in writing focuses on mechanics, philosophies, specific areas of writing, application, and criticism.
The writer with a degree in journalism and I have the same skills, basically. We both write just as well as each other. What makes us different is that a journalist probably knows more about the inner workings of his particular field of expertise. That’s okay. I don’t work for a newspaper.
A formal education is good, yes. It demonstrates a certain level of ability. Without solid skills and talent, I couldn’t string a sentence together or be able to use resources for composing term papers on the physiology of the brain.
An informal education is just as good. Because I am resourceful, I have learned many things through my own experiences. I have worked in plenty of fields of employment and I’ve self-taught myself many new skills through observing, trying and doing.
When faced with a challenge, I do what comes naturally: I learn – through experience or through formal education.
I don’t have a piece of paper that says I can play a guitar or train horses to jump a course or carve wood or manage a business or do accounting. Yet I can do all those things and much more, because I have expanded my experience and increased my education.
So which is better, experience or education? Neither – they’re both exactly the same.
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I’m a high school drop-out – seriously. Hated school, felt like I was in prison, was bored, resentful, angry.. worst time of my life.
I am not uneducated – I’m self educated, and always have been (that’s why I hated school: they were always too far behind me).
Formal, schmormal: how you learned is completely unimportant (except to sheepsking snobs, of course).
Great post, James. I think you highlight the benefits of both education and experience in creating a well rounded individual. And I agree that my writing skills owe more to my high school English teachers than to anything I learned in university. This is a question that arises regularly and you have provided a balanced answer.
Awesome post! I dwell on this quite a bit. It seems that there are a lot of companies posting job announcements with “Bachelor Degree Required” lately. I find that restricting. I do not have that certificate. However, I do have experience and do consider myself brighter than some people with those certificates. A certificate does not “make” you. My first college English course was a repeat of my high school junior year. I think you can gain more in life if you have a balance. I do believe that today’s youth do need both to give them an edge.
@Anthony: I hated school too, didn’t have a good time of it at all, but the fact of the matter is (like Colleen pointed out) most of the time if you want a job out in the world with a big company, you have to have that piece of paper. True, sometimes you get lucky and an employer is willing to take a chance, but it makes your work to get jobs that much tougher. Prime example: my room mate, a structural engineer, never went to college, never got any kind of formal training, and is totally self-taught. He works for a major sign company here in Vegas and totally blows away any of the other engineers in his department. While the company and his co-workers do respect him, there are times when he’s not taken as seriously by management because he doesn’t have a degree. I don’t consider him uneducated by any means, he’s very intelligent and I admire him for that.
Now, on the other side of the coin is the fact that everyone and their mother now has a Bachelor’s Degree. Once upon a time, when not everyone went to college, this actually meant something. In order to get ahead these days, you have to have a Masters or better. In some ways, having a degree really doesn’t help that much at all.
I remember an ad I saw many years ago – I had it clipped and on my bulletin board for a while but lost it.. it said something like “Lead programmer needed. Must have advanced degree, at least ten years of experience, but will consider true genius also.”
Anyway, fortunately, I don’t like working for anyone else.. I like to captain my own ship.
One benefit of formal education is that it shows your drive, determination and application to achieve a goal. Earning a degree (honestly, that is) is not easy. It could be considered a pass in that an employer sees you are willing to put in the time and effort – and thus, you would be willing to put in the time and effort into his or her company.
But false perceptions rule: Because you have a degree, you are smarter. You work harder. False. So false.
I’ll disagree with Harry – everyone and their mother in Canada does not have a degree. More people are going to school, and many have multiple degrees, but I believe that many people don’t have degrees. While government subsidized in Canada, education is still very expensive. Up here, mention a Bachelors and you get raised eyebrows. “Oh? You have a degree?” (apply false perception of extreme intelligence).
Also, a degree is highly valued because of the difficulty people have in sticking to goals and finishing education. I admire people who earn degrees. I don’t think they’re better than me, but I certainly admire their perseverance and envy them their piece of paper.
On a side note, you would not believe the number of people who try to hire us to write academic papers and thesis. We don’t do that, folks. Get your eduction the honest way.
I think you nailed it in the article…
A degree is a great thing, but if you can’t write then can’t write. You really need to have a combination of both to make it. I’m not saying you need a degree, but you do need an education. If you’re not constantly reading and refining your art, then you’re writing quality is going to be surpassed by those that are.
I have an English degree, but I honestly believe that I would have learned just as much or more by sitting in my room and reading books on Copywriting and Internet Marketing for 2 hours a day.
The thing is, a degree does carry a lot of weight when you talk to people. If you have a degree then it immediately makes it seem like you are a professional – it would be much more difficult to say “I’ve read a book a week” and gain the same impression (even though you would be just as educated). But with that degree, you still need to learn how to gain experience and separate yourself from the pack.
my mom doesn’t have a degree and she’s a professional
Well, Sir Jorge, I don’t have a degree either and I’m a professional with a small business. It can be done. In my opinion, it is getting more difficult to accomplish this without a degree.
I would quibble with the idea that experience and education are “exactly the same” but I don’t think that was the point of your post, James. I happen to have a degree and a small amount of experience, yet I value my college education for everything I learned outside the classroom. I don’t know if employers who say “bachelors degree required” mean that they’re looking for people who “survived the college experience” or if they really think that completing a four-year course of study is useful in the real world..what do you think?
I should say I value my college education ONLY for what I learned outside the classroom. The classes–and the accompanying diploma–weren’t very helpful for my chosen course.
@ Rachel – To be honest, I think businesspeople put in those requirements to discourage the people they really don’t want to have apply. They’ll either get applications from people who fit the requirements or from people who know damned well they’re just as good and willing to give it a shot. Unfortunately, the businesspeople forgot to tell the secretary that ambitious souls with drive and skills should be let through the red tape, and the application gets trashed.
@ Rachel again – I found it interesting that for my psych major, I need to have courses *not* in psych. I mean, what good is that? To get my BA, I have to have courses in something I’m not interested in and not going to use. The university claims it gives me diversity and a plan B to fall back on. I claim it’s a waste of my money.
But the experience of earning my education is educational in itself, I’ll note!
@ Colleen – I think it depends very much on the small business you’re starting and the base requirements. Can you get a job without a degree? Certainly. Start a business? Of course. But degree or no degree, you’d better be damned good at what you do either way
@ Jorge – Yup. And that’s great for your mom. But many people who don’t have degrees often inwardly feel they should or feel shame they didn’t get one. They won’t say it, but they do. I’d be interested to know – deep down – what your mom really feels about not having a degree. So while I do think experience and education are the same and shouldn’t be judged for quality of work or professionalism, I still think degrees are important for other reasons.
@ Chad – YES. Yes. That’s exactly it.
I of course can’t speak for all autodidacts, but I feel no shame. I’ve done better than most, and I think I’m definitely happier than most.. if anything, I’m damn proud of myself.
@ Anthony – Coolness. I like when people say that. I find it hard to watch a really intelligent, skilled person shine like gold and then suddenly lose all their confidence and look down when asked about their schooling. Happens too often.
James,
When I first went to college (after high school), I jumped in headfirst and swallowed a whole lot of knowledge that has helped lifewise, but that I never used in any job. I loved every useless minute of it. A couple of years out of college, I did some management work, then began working in Interior Design, branched out further, and only went back to get a degree in what I was already doing when there were rumors of licensing requirements on the horizon (which has happened in some places).
What I can add, having worked in design both before and after the degree:
I learned twice as much at college (the second time) as any of my younger fellow students, because I was already in the field and I really knew how to soak up the useful bits. It wasn’t all academic to me!
I could have meaningful discussions with professors, really pick their brains, and I was less intimidated by their brilliance than when I was younger.
College when you are even somewhat older than the average population is exhausting.
My work now is better than it was, because of methods and practices I honed at college, and because of having the intellectual freedom of working only on fantasy projects, not projects with real clients and needs, for that bit of time. College was like an extended “Whack to the Side of the Head.”
I too had to do a lot of unrelated stuff, even had to repeat things because they said my knowledge wasn’t “up-to-date.” I resented it, but it turned out I saw their point. The world moves on quickly and I was in no way harmed by a few refresher courses. As a matter of fact I suspect I could use a few refresher courses now. I mean, Pluto’s not a planet anymore!
Regards,
Kelly
Motivator: Statistics show “returning” students get consistently higher grades than average, so that’s a plus for being an older student. You’re more engaged, more motivated, and you know what your time’s worth, so you don’t waste it.
For your 100-levels in Experience Design, check out my continuing ed: Experience Design 101.
@ Kelly – I absolutely agree with you. When I was 18, I chose the combination of courses that sounded the coolest, the most fun or the easiest. I almost failed the requisite Calculus, but I did exceptionally well in Kayaking, Sports Therapy, and Environmental Science.
Fast forward 15 years, and I’m carefully choosing my courses based on interest, desire, benefit to self, long-term potential, and the ability to complement other courses. The focus to succeed is stronger and the learning is more effective (except when I get bored…) I don’t think to myself, “How many more sections until this course is done?” but rather, “Wow, I can apply this section on groupthink to blogging or my writing business!” I can’t say I can have chats with my professors… they’re in another province about 8 hours from here
But I have the ability to get answers to my questions. In my youth? Bah, the biggest questions were when and where?
BUT!
I still don’t have a degree in writing
Nor am I pursuing one. (P.S. A degree in *writing* doesn’t exist. Creative writing – fiction – yes. Journalism – yes. English literature – yes. But writing? Nope.)
I have a degree. However, I went to university because, at the time, there was nothing better on my agenda except work and I liked the life. This was before computers! I had good jobs in the summer so never had a student loan over my head.
Traveling was a great teacher and I always remember the advice I received from my father’s (World War II) generation:
1) “Get an education. It’s the one thing no one can take away from you.” My grandfather who had Grade 9.
2) “I would rather hire someone with post-secondary education in anything. The reason? They may not know the answer to a problem, but the majority of them know how and where to begin to solve it.” A former employer.
3) “If you get an education and then toss garbage for a living you will be an educated garbageman.” A former high school teacher.”
Personally, I believe education, travel, employment, laboring jobs of all kind, writing lots of everything for little or nothing and communication with people from all walks of life gives a person a leg up as a writer.
The great American writer Louis L’Amour had this portfolio:
1) Grandfather: American Civil War soldier and Indian fighter
2) Sister was a librarian and took him to the library with her so he could read Jack London, Charles Dickens and Robert Louis Stevenson.
3) Twin sisters died in the Spanish flu epidemic of 1919.
4) Father went bankrupt and the family had to travel from town to town to find work to live.
5) Employment: various mines, mills, was a prize fighter, longshoreman, deckhand on a freighter, skinned cattle in a slaughterhouse, baled hay, etc.
6) 10th Grade education
(Sorry, this is getting long-winded!)
Thanks for bearing with me!
Kim
I attended UNLV (a university) for 6 years taking a full course load every semester PLUS summer school. I have taken a course in pretty much every subject they had to offer. James, you were wrong on one part. There is but just 1 course that was available that taught proper punctuation, grammar, and sentence structure; however, I will say I think I learned more about that subject outside of class.
I was a little confused by your post. In the beginning you mentioned, “Many people don’t have formal education and do very well, but those that do have formal education do better.”
Then at the end of your post you said, “So which is better, experience or education? Neither – they’re both exactly the same.” ??
I think the answer to the title of your post everyone agrees on – you don’t have to have a degree to be a professional.
As to which is “better,” I think having a college education is “better” than not having one, but . . . it’s probably truly answered on an individual basis. Everyone’s different. I know for me, being that I’ve taken so many course subjects, I can speak to a wide range of people on many different topics to some degree. This many times can be helpful in that people view you (me) in a different way because you appear to be smart about “everything.”
I suppose we should look at it like this. Let’s say two people who were just as ambitious as the other and had similar common sense abilities (yes I made that an ability hehe) decided to pursue a professional career after high school. One went to college for 4 years and got out when they were 22 and the other got into the field but had to start at the bottom and in order to climb to the top and become that professional, they had to learn more than high school taught them. Which do you think the better route would have been if you jump forward to their lives when they are 30?
PS I thought it was a great post and definitely one to generate lots of discussion!!!
@John: Well said, and I like your last question. I’m going to have to think on that one. I’m sure James will have a good answer for you too when he gets home tomorrow.
So, you went to UNLV? Are you still in Vegas?
@john
“I know for me, being that I’ve taken so many course subjects, I can speak to a wide range of people on many different topics to some degree. This many times can be helpful in that people view you (me) in a different way because you appear to be smart about “everything.—
But why do you assume that you need to have taken courses? I’ve been an omnivorous reader all my life – the only subjects I know nothing about are sports and popular fiction (I don’t like sports and I don’t read fiction). I have read a book or two per week for most of my life.. sometimes more. I think that probably exceeds any course work, doesn’t it?
@john
“Which do you think the better route would have been if you jump forward to their lives when they are 30?”
If they are self-employed, the person who skipped the degree is probably far ahead..
If not, it’s likely the opposite.
@ John – Good catch, and I should probably clarify what I meant: Those who have a formal education do better in corporate careers, technical fields and high-level knowledge positions. They are not more successful, per se, but they are in higher-level employment positions. A nuclear scientist, a marine biologist, or a brain surgeon are all professionals who (and I may get myself in trouble by saying this) do better in life than professionals with less formal education.
On the other hand, Anthony is right – anything can be learned outside of an educational facility environment. It is the ability to research what needs to be known, practice the methodology and apply the knowledge that is important, no matter how you achieve that end.
4 years of school and 22 versus no schooling and climbing the ladder – fast forward to age 30, and I believe the climber is more ahead. He has learned through trial and error, application, motivation to achieve a goal, and progressed through all levels of the cycle of learning without skipping any experience that might be involved – and thus, he is the more educated individual.
What’s your opinion, though? You didn’t mentioned it, and I’m interested.
@ Anthony, yeah you probably know more about “stuff” than I do. Two books a week I would say is not typical though, but it does show how college is not necessary to be knowledgeable in a wide range of subjects (I wish I had the will to read two books a week!). I suppose the only defense I could say about the college education opposed to learning mostly from books is by use of an analogy. I was a student of Kung-Fu for many years and my education in that subject matter I would say was better learned taught by a professional rather than from a book.
As far as why I took so many courses . . . that was my fault. I changed my major twice.
Also, Anthony – I hadn’t considered the scenario of your last comment. You might be correct there.
By the way, my wife disagrees with me. She thinks starting from the ground up in a corporation, without a degree, is “better” than getting a degree and starting in a position that does not start at the bottom. She says by skipping the bottom of the totem pole they miss a lot of the real world experience of how things work (at the bottom level). However, she does concede that on paper by the age of 30 the person with the degree probably looks “better.”
@ Harry – Thank you Harry. I’m somewhat new to the blogosphere and it’s nice to know that I have something to contribute. Yes I still live in Las Vegas – North West.
If anyone has time, I’d love to hear some thoughts on an article along these lines I wrote. It’s about how education in a way corrupts us (my name links to the article). Like I said, I’m new in the blog world and would love to get some feedback. Thanks.
@James – thanks for the clarification. I see your point there and agree.
@ James & Anthony – I agree. If you’re focused on a profession anything can be learned outside of an educational facility environment – and probably faster because it’s more focused. Also James, my wife agrees with you 100% in your post and last comment, just f.y.i.
As for my answer. Assuming the two individuals reached the same position by the age 30, I think the one in a “better” position is the one with a degree. He/She still has many years experience under their belt AND they have a degree. It doesn’t mean they are more qualified, but that piece of paper will make them look “better” on paper and thus I believe their options are more open than the person without the degree . . . but that’s just my opinion.
Also James, I appreciate you looking over that post of mine. I made a couple of your suggested changes you gave me and I think the article begins and ends much better. Thanks.
I would agree that Kung-Fu is easy to learn from a person than a book.. though when I was very young I read a book on Ju-Jitsu and was able to use many of the things I learned – awkwardly, of course, but still..
I’m popping over to take a loook at your site post..
@ Anthony – Yes, but can you juggle?
@ John – I like your wife. Smart lady. No wonder you married her. And I think I lean towards your line of thinking, too – you’re right in that experience plus degree leaves the person better off… but remember the point of the post: Does that make him a better person to work with?
On a side note, I went to look at your post – MUCH better. Now, break up your paragraphs for screen reading (two to three sentences per paragraph at most), shorten it a bit, and you’ll be almost there
Nope, can’t juggle.. but I bet I could learn that from a book (or website)..
@ Anthony – I suppose learning Ju-Jitsu from a book can have its benefits. You’ll be attacking in unconventional ways that a polished Ju-Jitsu person might not be use to. Thanks for taking a look, also.
@ James – we are on the same page. In the end, I think the person ends up on a equal playing field as a person. Oh yeah, and I definitely CANNOT juggle!
Thanks for helping me with my post. I wasn’t sure what you meant by screen reading before but now I gotcha.
LOL Anthony!!!!
@Anthony: You know, now that I think about it, I learned far more on my own than I did from formal training – except the martial arts. That was ten years of sweat and bruises. Can’t juggle to save my life, but I think a solid front snap kick is all I really need.
@John: Howdy, neighbor! Over on the East side here. I checked out your site too, very nice design and it looks like you have some good services going on. Reading your post now.
Thanks Harry, I appreciate that. That’s pretty funny – I found you guys by way of Copyblogger and we happen to be neighbors. I’ve subscribed to your RSS so I’ll keep in touch.
BTW – the last couple of days have been coooold! For those of you outside of Vegas, cold to me is 32 degrees.
@ James – my wife said you’re an intelligent man for being able to tell how intelligent she is. Please . . . just agree! LOL.
Good night all and it was a pleasure meeting all of you
@John: I’ve long since given up lamenting about the cold, since James retorts with “Cold? You call that cold? Let me tell you about cold…” But you and I know it’s all relative. 32 degrees down here is enough to make you pile on another sweatshirt or two and go adding another layer of blankets to the bed at night.
That’s okay, just you wait until summer gets here, “Hot? You call that hot…?”
Cold = minus 40 Fahrenheit. Usual = minus 4. Nice = 65. Hot = 82. Sweltering = 89.
@ John – Without wanting to sound boastful, I do agree with your wife.
@ Anthony – Ayup. Learned it from a book
Not sure whether I should add to these comments seeing as though the conversation ended quite some way from the topic…
But the original question of “Do you need a degree to be a professional” well Richard Branson would probably say no.
As for cold, I’m from Perth in Western Australia and we have been experiencing 40+ degrees celcius (not sure what that means to Americans???) but its damn hot Down Under!
No matter how far we stray, comments are always welcome. Besides, we need someone to keep us on track!
(And that’s bloody hot!! Is there a humidity factor as well?)
Not sure of humidity…not particularly high. And yep, it was bloody hot! Thank goodness for airconditioners and the beach!
Really what is a professional? Does it take a degree to be a professional? In my honest opnion a professional is a state of mind. A mentatlity how you approach any job. I went to college and graduated with a Bachelor’s of Fine Arts with Art History Minor. Not being satisfied with that I decided to get another Bachelor’s. This time in Computer Animation. I did freelance art work and I know I couldn’t have done the work I did without studying and learning the skills I obtained while at school. So that is a profession yes but skills is what I really learned at school. I learned particular skills that helped me gain employment and I appoached my jobs professionaly.
Now I’ve just been told that I will be working exclusively with our company’s President and Chief Development Officer on projects and our marketing buisiness strategies…. I never went to school for that.
But I know all the jobs, and events I “experienced” in life helped prep my for the “professional” job AND that includes every job I’ve had along with my education.
@ The Murr – I agree. If you’re going to be a professional, be one. Walk the walk and talk the talk. No one can take away what you’ve become – regardless of how you got there.
A degree isn’t just a piece of paper. It signifies not just knowledge in your field but of being well rounded educationally and socially. It has more value than a student loan.
I wasn’t a social butterfly or in a sorority, but I gained a lot from the activities that I did have, the classes that I took outside of my field and the feedback from my peers and professors. I learned a lot about myself and the world around me. It prepared me for having a real job.
In my opinion, my degree along with my experience in my field gives my work a depth and scope that a client won’t get from hiring someone without those qualifications.
HI James etc,
Love the discussion, but just wanted to note that there are indeed degrees “in writing”- Writing, alone, not creative writing, not english, not rhetoric, but plain old “writing.” I’ve happened upon a couple lately. Not sure if it’s new or what.
Best part of a BA? Being able to compete for those jobs that require one— the applicant pool is significantly reduced.
@ Ally – Really? Where’ve you found that? Toss me a link, would you? I’ve seen everything under the sun so far, but not *just* writing.
Good point about the competition pool narrowing.
@ Robin – Yes, but your experience was what increased your knowledge – not your classroom textbook training
Amendment: Not *just* your classroom training.
The classroom discussions, the text books and the feedback from my professors gave me the foundation to be successful. If you put me against someone who doesn’t have that at the beginning of our careers, then who will win the job? As any good builder knows, it’s all about the foundation.
Of course, experience counts the most but still, I say education counts for a lot too. I get really frustrated when I see ads for people who want 10 press releases for their site and want to pay $5-20 a pop for them. I get upset when I read posts about how a person doesn’t need to pay for a PR person, because they can just write a release themselves. To be honest, even on all these writing boards, I see posts from people who clearly can’t WRITE! You (meaning someone) can’t just wake up one day and decide to be a writer and be GOOD any more than I can wake up tomorrow and decide I want to be a quantum physicist.
@Robin: I also see a lot of writing blogs with writers who can’t write. I read through and wonder what their clients are thinking when they hire them.
To a certain extent, I agree about the feedback providing a foundation, but if the person who didn’t have access to professors and a classroom setting was smart, he or she should ask for feedback from the professionals they do encounter. If I were that person, I’d want to know why I didn’t get the job and ask for an honest critique of the work. I’d take those suggestions to heart and make improvements. It might take longer, but I would think it would eventually land me in the same place and give me the same foundation as the person with the degree, wouldn’t you think?
Asking for feedback in the professional world is excellent but you are more likely to receive feedback in an academic setting. Often it is hard for people to provide constructive feedback – sometimes they are too busy or they don’t want to upset or offend the writer. Academia fosters more of a positive learning environment, IMO.
I don’t think I agree that education and experience are interchangeable. I know they’re not in the field I’m in graduate school for (yes, you can do fine with just experience, but I personally appreciate the theory you get in school as well–and as far as science goes, it’s all but impossible to get into scientific fields without degrees today, and I think being involved in science makes me a better writer–both because I really understand the concepts and because I can avoid the sources who look “cool” to journalists but who are actually lousy scientists whose work doesn’t hold up professionally).
And while I didn’t major in journalism, the journalism classes I took in college focused on engaging style, how to write a hook, how to structure an article, interview techniques, and so on–writing well is far more than just grammar and punctuation (important as they are) and many journalism classes aren’t primarily about understanding the newspaper industry (my science writing instructor was a freelancer with a background in broadcast and magazine freelancing, and we didn’t talk about industry structure at all–we talked about techniques for presenting complex scientific concepts in a clear, accurate, and engaging manner. Useful stuff). Of course, that kind of thing can be at least partially picked up from books, and largely from continuing education classes. But I do think there are some types of knowledge best picked up in a classroom setting, whether or not a degree is involved.
So true.. I am an academic illiterate too and most of my school mates are still in final year of their degree while am working in top management in an mnc. There are some things which can’t be taught in school… and there are some people who just know it already
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The word’s “critical thinking” comes to mind when I consider university graduates. This is the single aspect that separates in my experience, yes experience, the degree student from a equally as talented individual with life experience. I worked as a Manager (I am degree) for many years, the area was an entrance point into a global corporation. Our policy was to recruit young graduates and equally, a number of staff that would remain in the department. In essence the graduates were all critical thinkers, strong in their ability with their formal presentations, they were active researchers, and also had an air of confidence. It ended there though. The staff that were bright and committed did achieve, without or without a degree. Unfortunately today without that piece of paper opportunities are vastly reduced for early school leavers. Great topic.
Careful, lest you catch the “professionals disease.” That’s where you spend your days posturing as the all-knowing expert and serve no worthy purpose.
A real professional are like athletes that show up on the field of performance each day ready to give his or her very best. It has nothing to do with credentials and everything to do with contribution.
Joe
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