Re: degree requirement / employment / careers

I write this from the following perspective (don't shoot):
   - I have several degrees (BS Computer Science, BS Quantitative Business 
Analysis, MBA - all from Penn State)
   - I teach at a local community college (AS/400 Curriculum)
   - I hire AS/400 professionals regularly.
   - I have run a somewhat successful AS/400 focused software company for 
the past 18 years

There IS a value to a degree, but it is certainly not a predictor of your 
success (look at Bill Gates & Michael Dell - both college dropouts).  A 
degree WILL give some indication of :
    - general intelligence (Depending on the GPA & selectivity of the 
school your degree is from)
    - general indication of basic skills (can you write, have you been 
exposed to basic theory of the subject area)
    - "stick-to-it-ness" (Did you hang in there through thick & thin)

A degree WILL NOT, in any way, indicate:
    - your character
    - your specific abilities
    - your probability for success in your career

LARGE companies tend to look for degrees because of the business process 
that they use to hire personnel.  This can include:
   - A "personnel department" receives resumes and "pre-screens" them ... 
hiring a "degreed person" is perceived to be safe.
   - A "general requirement" that managers should be "well rounded 
individuals" and that a degree is a way of "objectively" meeting this 
requirement.
   - A pedigree that is necessary in the industry ... try getting a job as 
an investment banker without an MBA!

If you plan to work in a LARGE company, you should seriously think about 
getting a degree.

Many of my students are people in their 30's that work for a large 
transportation company.  In order to be promoted to "management", their 
company requires at least an "associate" degree.  They have made the 
decision that their career with the company is worth setting through the 
night school classes.  The company reimburses 100% of their tuition.

When we hire, we try to look at the entire person.  Education is a part of 
a person.  The AS/400 allows people with little experience to get things 
done ... how well someone understands several theories of computing will be 
a better indication of the quality of the job.  Education can be a good 
predictor of the adaptability of the individual to changing technologies 
(how many AS/400 shops embraced the Web 5 years ago ... or even 1 year ago).

We have paid for several of our employees to receive degrees.  We do it to 
be "competitive" in the employment marketplace.  We certainly do not 
require degrees & many of our (very highly respected) staff do not have 
degrees.

<rant>

What concerns me most is the statement "every time I start a new job 
...".  One of my customers said it best ...

"GIVE ME TWO EMPLOYMENT CANDIDATES ... ONE WITH 20 YEARS IN ONE JOB & THE 
OTHER WITH 20 YEARS IN 10 JOBS ... I WILL SHOW YOU ONE INDIVIDUAL WITH 20 
YEARS OF EXPERIENCE AND THE OTHER WITH TWO YEARS OF EXPERIENCE ... THE 
DIFFERENCE IS THAT THE ONE WITH 20 YEARS IN ONE JOB LIVED THROUGH THE 
ENTIRE LIFE OF THEIR PROJECTS".

As an employer, we are VERY careful with folks with a string of 2 year jobs 
on their resume.   We are also VERY careful with the distance that an 
employee will have to commute to our offices.  We give technical tests for 
all programmer candidates to measure their general level of skill / 
knowledge.  These issues are MUCH more important than whether the person 
has a degree.

I wonder if the issue is the lack of a degree or a string of 2 year jobs ...

(rant/>

My two kids are nearing graduation from high school.  My advice to them is 
very simple.  "The decisions that you make will control the rest of your 
life.  Make sure that you make the right decisions.".

If a degree is really that important to your career, make the decision to 
get one!  The average age of my students is 35 years old!

Hope this helps!
_______________________

Want to scare your small kids ... show them page 38 of the June 2000 issue 
of AS/400 Magazine  ;-)))
________________________


John Myers
IBM Certified Specialist - AS/400 Technical Solutions
Strategic Business Systems, Inc.
300 Lake Street, Suite B, Ramsey, NJ 07446  USA
E-mail: mailto:jmyers@sbsusa.com   Phone: +1 (201) EASY 400   x131
Web:    http://www.sbsusa.com      Fax:   +1 (201) 327-6984

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