Beware meanlingless Degrees

[buck]

I do remember watching a program once, where companies were throwing CV's straight in the bin if the degree was in media studies.

 

Someone i knew did a degree in surfing during the 90's at a west country uni, not sure what job they would have got with that

My son Mike graduated with a BA in media studies. He then got a job at Renselaer Polytechnic Institute producing Instructional Videos. He stayed there for three years along with his new wife who had graduated with him and had a Bsc in psychology. During this time he earned his Masters, moved on to Prudential Insurance, again with his wife where he deals with Senior Citizens affairs, and nothing to do with TV. Currently between them they pull in over $110,000 a year. His older brother Dave can do anything, fix cars, program computers, build houses, mend roofs, whatever, but never held a degree because he hates education in any form. Returned from Iraq a wounded private, and has never held a job since he came back. He is raising 3 kids on a VA pension, while his wife drives a school bus and feeds the family on food stamps. Mike can't figure out why a nut won't unscrew when he turns the wrench clockwise. Don't ever tell me education doesnt work. A degree proves you're able to stand four years of mental abuse, living in a dormitary slum if nothing else.

[mwacuk]

Any particular reason why you have resurrected two threads to say the same thing twice?

 

Sorry I was searching for people's opinions on fake degrees and didn't really look at the age of the last comments...my bad!

[JFKvsNixon]

I don't have a degree and after running a company for several years, I'm finding in recruitment that degrees hold far less weight than job experience.

 

So this degree snobbery aside; imagine you run a company and two applicants send you a cv; both are 25 years old.

 

Applicant 1: Left school/college, went to uni and worked part time at tesco.

 

Applicant 2: Left school/college, worked at tesco, worked in an office job, then worked as a junior in the field you require for 3 years.

 

A large corporate ingrained with a graduate snobbery post grad scheme would fall head over heals for applicant 1 when Applicant 2 is obviously the better person for the job.

 

Any SME or even a larger firm with a tight grip with how the real world works would almost certainly go for Applicant 2

 

How can you decide who is "obviously the better person for the job" on such narrow parameters?

[mwacuk]

No I'm talking on face value of two typical examples, of course more information would be needed to make an informed decision.

[JFKvsNixon]

No I'm talking on face value of two typical examples, of course more information would be needed to make an informed decision.

 

Ok so you was drawing a meaningless conclusion, as the personality of the individuals would surely carry the most weight. I believe that you'd be willing to either look beyond the lack of experience in one candidate or the lack of academic achievement in another candidate if they interviewed really well and you felt that they were the best person for the job.

[spilldig]

I tend to agree with W S Gilbert, who said, when everybody is somebody then no-one is anybody.

[mwacuk]

Ok so you was drawing a meaningless conclusion, as the personality of the individuals would surely carry the most weight. I believe that you'd be willing to either look beyond the lack of experience in one candidate or the lack of academic achievement in another candidate if they interviewed really well and you felt that they were the best person for the job.

 

No I was mearly using two vague (but quite typical) examples.

 

It was assuming every other detail was exactly the same for both candidates. Obviously in the real world there are far more veriables but for the sake of this discussion I'm talking about the headline points and my above two examples still takes more into consideration than employers that simply throw away CVs just because they don't have a degree (or in some cases because they do and consider them overqualified).

 

So to sum up, yes I agree with your point my examples are too vague, but it's far better than many other recruiter use in real life.

 

I have taken on post graduates before and been very impressed, but in many cases (more than half), found them to lack many basic areas of experience many non graduates have.

[buck]

No I was mearly using two vague (but quite typical) examples.

 

It was assuming every other detail was exactly the same for both candidates. Obviously in the real world there are far more veriables but for the sake of this discussion I'm talking about the headline points and my above two examples still takes more into consideration than employers that simply throw away CVs just because they don't have a degree (or in some cases because they do and consider them overqualified).

 

So to sum up, yes I agree with your point my examples are too vague, but it's far better than many other recruiter use in real life.

 

I have taken on post graduates before and been very impressed, but in many cases (more than half), found them to lack many basic areas of experience many non graduates have.

In my working life I was a hirer, an area supervisor of field engineers in Eastern Canada and New England. our company policy at the time ( 1970 t0 2000 ) preferred ex military electronic NCOs because of their ability to repair material on their own without direct supervision. Consequently, graduates were viewed with some suspicion and if hired at all would be taken on as account managers or system engineers. Many of them failed trying to work in Industial environments instead of cosy little offices. When I chose, it was someone who had a background in some form of automation scheme. Guided weapons or Auto pilot skills were ideal for the job. We were not allowed by law to refuse anyone due to race, age, sex or religion, nor did I ever want to.

Since that time, because the job now requires much higher cyber skills, the Company I worked for is demanding a Bsc or equivalent for the same jobs we worked for from what we learned in the military.

[Mecky]

They are observations not assumptions. Degrees are so commonplace now that they have lost their value unless they are in specific shortage areas.

There are however exceptions to every rule. Attractive female graduates do seem to find work .

 

So you can't, or rather don't want to, accept that people may be getting cleverer?

[saunaman]

There seems to be some kind of stigma around vocational training . I'm not just taking about catering and hairdressing , but about essential skills for electricians , plumbers , gas fitters and builders - in fact all those skills which help to keep our basic infrastructure intact and functioning .

 

No amount of "media studies degree students " are any use to us when we find ourselves 9 days away from running out of gas or when the boiler breaks down in the depths of winter . Degrees are all well and good , it is fantastic that we have Sheffield University on the cutting edge of engineering technology and that should be supported , but we need experienced tradesmen on the ground .

 

The council should support local builders , electricians and plumbers to enable them to take on apprentices with some kind of local subsidy .

 

I have my doubts over graduates - when the Broad Lane premises recently crumbled , the Star reported that interpreters were needed to explain to the unfortunate students what had happened , so I can only surmise that the poor students in question were on an exchange trip to learn English and were not enrolled on a University course taught in English ....