'A degree is the passport to a successful career'

[Animal]

I agree with the comments about empirical degrees such as maths and the sciences being important, and obviously, those wanting to go into Civil Engineering, Medicine, etc., should go down the degree route.

 

I do think a lot of the other degrees are practically useless and more a way for the government to fudge the unemployment figures than an actual passport to a good job.

 

Personally, although I was towards the top set in school, I do not test well and couldn't handle the idea of another 3 or 4 years in the education system.

 

I was lucky enough to land a job with a local building services consulting engineers who trained me up on the drawing board and sent me on day release to do a tech drawing course. Only after I became proficient at manual draughting did they start me on AutoCAD (release 9!) and I was trained by a very skilled ex-Aerospace draughtsman who taught me to be precise and to have a sense of pride in my work, an attitude that never left me and one I see very little of these days.

 

I've racked up nearly 20 years now and have held senior positions in several companies and have never really struggled for very long in between jobs, for me, the experience and my early training is worth far more than any piece of paper.

 

I think the phrase should be "The right degree can be the passport to a successful career". A lot of the 'universities' should have remained polytechnics or whatever and continued to focus on more vocational skills, but unfortunately, the government was too interested in the financial sectors than strengthening our core trades.

[Purity14]

And by the way I haven't even scratched the surface of how bad some of these blood sucking backstabbing students would go to get a good grade. Sleeping with the lecturers happened in my course amongst other things.

 

Alot of these students would do anything they can to ensure they come out on top and get that banking job they always wanted.

 

Where can I sign up, I want to be a ugly older and Unkempt looking Lecturer...

[martini]

Sleeping with the lecturers happened in my course amongst other things.

 

I can assure you there was never any danger of that happening during my Physics degree!

 

My ex girlfriend's architecture degree on the other hand...

[stevie_b]

Where can I sign up, I want to be a ugly older and Unkempt looking Lecturer...

 

"Hello, I'm Dave and I want to 'improve my grades'. Are you doing anything tonight?"

[Tannhauser]

I understand what you are saying. I think the issue here or at least with me was me going to Bath, which is a particularly upmarket area (attracts a certain type of student). And then studying economics just brought the snobby kids who didn't quite have the gift to go to Oxbridge thus went to Bath, with rich daddies and mummies etc. etc.

 

Very very pretentious bunch on my course. And alot of lecturers are ex-bankers so they are likewise as bad as some of the students.

 

Now not all of them were, but unfortunately their arrogance and aparthied nature spoilt the experience for me entirely. I often remembered arguing with lecturers in class when they were blatantly wrong in their opinions but it was still a case of "I'm the lecturer, thus I must be right" mantra.

 

Your last point is interesting and although true, it is harder to argue with science with evidence to back up a theory, than an opinionated view of what could "stimulate an economy" for example.

 

I did a year post-grad at Bath Uni, but by then I had very little to do with the student body. I can well imagine that, out of anywhere in the country, that would be one of the worst places for the type of experience you describe. I suppose economics is one of those areas notorious for opinionated personalities and dogmatism, but lecturers should never behave as you've described, in my view.

 

Fortunately for me, I was too thick to get into a place like Bath.

[Tannhauser]

I can assure you there was never any danger of that happening during my Physics degree!

 

Socially, it's the modern equivalent of leprosy.

[Purity14]

"Hello, I'm Dave and I want to 'improve my grades'. Are you doing anything tonight?"

[supra_aero]

Funny thing is the female lecturers were worse than the men!

[Purity14]

Funny thing is the female lecturers were worse than the men!

 

Milfs, Yes/No?

[supra_aero]

Milfs, Yes/No?

 

so-so.

[Purity14]

so-so.

 

Needle following a thread twice eh?

Thats some kind of weird stiching, the plain ones are usually more resilient anyway.

[supra_aero]

lol

 

We are going off topic now - back to the original q.

 

Are degrees worth doing career wise? Discuss....

[Tannhauser]

I've racked up nearly 20 years now and have held senior positions in several companies and have never really struggled for very long in between jobs, for me, the experience and my early training is worth far more than any piece of paper.

 

The scary thing is that a lot of employers, particularly for high end jobs, want both. With so many in the uni system, there has been a massive shift towards employability skills in the graduate market.

 

Many top firms take a 2:1 degree or above as read, they then want to know 'what else have you done so far to demonstrate your skills?'

 

The comments about non-science/engineering/vocational degrees is a reflection of the forum's demographic. There is a kind of pervasive suspicion about anything that isn't connected with the world of technology and objects . I suppose that's bound to be the case for people choosing to hang out on a car forum.

 

Nevertheless, the BBS is only a little corner of the world. Well before any putative attempts to massage the unemployment figures, certain employers have always found it worth their while to recruit people with those useless airy-fairy degrees. Military intelligence springs to mind.

 

[can of worms]The argument they have subscribed to is that the subject is irrelevant, a degree is a concrete demonstration of your intelligence and ability to learn.[/can of worms]

[supra_aero]

 

[can of worms]The argument they have subscribed to is that the subject is irrelevant, a degree is a concrete demonstration of your intelligence and ability to learn.[/can of worms]

 

Which it is not if you are implying higher grades means higher demonstration of this.

 

I don't subscribe to this nonsense that a AAA student is necessarily much more intelligent than a student who got CDD.

 

Circumstances and quality of teaching/school/lifestyle/family life at home all have an effect. So many factors which contribute to grades, yet they are still taken on face value. Unfortunately though, there's no other means of quantifying ones intelligence when several hundred applicants apply for a job.

 

Most firms do not have the time not alone the capacity to interview everybody unfortunately. A pity but again that's life.

[tooley]

i dont have a degree yet every so called specialist we bring to make life better ends up coming to me for advice purely because ive been here 20 years and its daft things like everyday tasks ie what type of royal mail service is best suited to them or how best to send documents or even new trainee seat changes

 

if id had a degree id be on their super salaries so id say you defo need both to maximise your potential

[Bobbeh]

[can of worms]The argument they have subscribed to is that the subject is irrelevant, a degree is a concrete demonstration of your intelligence and ability to learn.[/can of worms]

 

Agreed.

[Septic]

Having done a degree and Masters in Law I'm currently wondering the same thing. The legal market is so saturated at the moment that it seems employers are basing their decisions regarding hiring entirely on the experience of candidates rather than qualifications.

 

For certain fields, a degree is a must but they are definitely not the only gateway to a successful career. As many have quite rightly said on here, getting the relevant qualifications from the outset is far more effective. Also, you don't end up being 20k in debt like me

[Abz]

Did I mention at 19 I owed 3 cars...

[Charlotte]

Did I mention at 19 I owed 3 cars...

 

That's a lot of debt fella!

[tooley]

Having done a degree and Masters in Law I'm currently wondering the same thing. The legal market is so saturated at the moment that it seems employers are basing their decisions regarding hiring entirely on the experience of candidates rather than qualifications.

 

For certain fields, a degree is a must but they are definitely not the only gateway to a successful career. As many have quite rightly said on here, getting the relevant qualifications from the outset is far more effective. Also, you don't end up being 20k in debt like me

 

i was mentioning you to one of our partners the other day m8 yunus was most impressed of your account of dla. im working on the right time and people to get you sorted m8.....one of our top corporate bods plays mw2 but on the pc though

[Mike]

You can't think of a degree being a 'passport to a successful career'... you are either going to make it or you're not. A degree is no guarantee of anything.

 

I did my first degree in Psychology... which I really enjoyed, moved away from home, got drunk etc. all the student things you do

 

Then I moved home after I graduated, and started Temping. The first job I had was working at Orange in Darlington. I stuck with that crappy job for two years. It was in Customer Service and I rose to the heady heights of 'Team Leader' during the time I was there... I was in charge of a team of twelve, ages ranging from 18 to 62.. customers barking at us all day.. *lots* of conflict, *lots* of stress.. and very low paid.

 

I returned to Uni two years after graduating and did a Masters in Computer Science - which is what I do now.

 

The thing is, I learned more about how to work with people, how to communicate, organise and prioritise from the crappy job at Orange than from any degree. I still use the skills I learned in the Call Centre to this day.

 

I can't say I would be where I am without the degrees I have, but I wouldn't be half the manager I am without doing the crappy jobs.

 

So... in vague conclusion... I would say it's half and half. You do sometimes need a degree to get in the room for an interveiw, but it's your personal skills that will further your career; communication, getting on with people, organising priorities, understanding your business model, dealing with stress etc.... nothing that you would be taught on any degree course.

 

As as aside : I do think there is a trade of between academic achievement and common sense/personality. It's completely anecdotal, and could be my own prejudices in play, but people I've worked with/hired/interviewed that got a First in their degree, almost always lack something in their personality. That does sound cruel.. but I think half of the Uni experience is doing daft things and find out who you are, it's not studying for christ sakes!?

[supra_aero]

You can't think of a degree being a 'passport to a successful career'... you are either going to make it or you're not. A degree is no guarantee of anything.

 

I did my first degree in Psychology... which I really enjoyed, moved away from home, got drunk etc. all the student things you do

 

Then I moved home after I graduated, and started Temping. The first job I had was working at Orange in Darlington. I stuck with that crappy job for two years. It was in Customer Service and I rose to the heady heights of 'Team Leader' during the time I was there... I was in charge of a team of twelve, ages ranging from 18 to 62.. customers barking at us all day.. *lots* of conflict, *lots* of stress.. and very low paid.

 

I returned to Uni two years after graduating and did a Masters in Computer Science - which is what I do now.

 

The thing is, I learned more about how to work with people, how to communicate, organise and prioritise from the crappy job at Orange than from any degree. I still use the skills I learned in the Call Centre to this day.

 

I can't say I would be where I am without the degrees I have, but I wouldn't be half the manager I am without doing the crappy jobs.

 

So... in vague conclusion... I would say it's half and half. You do sometimes need a degree to get in the room for an interveiw, but it's your personal skills that will further your career; communication, getting on with people, organising priorities, understanding your business model, dealing with stress etc.... nothing that you would be taught on any degree course.

 

As as aside : I do think there is a trade of between academic achievement and common sense/personality. It's completely anecdotal, and could be my own prejudices in play, but people I've worked with/hired/interviewed that got a First in their degree, almost always lack something in their personality. That does sound cruel.. but I think half of the Uni experience is doing daft things and find out who you are, it's not studying for christ sakes!?

 

Am in total agreement with you. I too worked in a call centre after uni, and likewise my communication is noticeably much much better than 90% of the other people at the bank, and its always complimented at every end of year review.

 

Totally agree with this "first class degree -> missing personality". It seems partially logical as those who worked hard and didn't go out are less socially adept than the others who are very social but didn't study as hard.

[Tannhauser]

As as aside : I do think there is a trade of between academic achievement and common sense/personality. It's completely anecdotal, and could be my own prejudices in play, but people I've worked with/hired/interviewed that got a First in their degree, almost always lack something in their personality. That does sound cruel.. but I think half of the Uni experience is doing daft things and find out who you are, it's not studying for christ sakes!?

 

Totally agree with this "first class degree -> missing personality". It seems partially logical as those who worked hard and didn't go out are less socially adept than the others who are very social but didn't study as hard.

 

Ahem. Double first here. Don't talk bollocks, lads. It's perfectly possible to have a lot of fun at uni and work hard at the same time. Though looking back, most of my fun seemed to consist of annoying other people in creative ways: I guess you could say that's a personality deficit.

[Mike]

Ahem. Double first here. Don't talk bollocks, lads. It's perfectly possible to have a lot of fun at uni and work hard at the same time. Though looking back, most of my fun seemed to consist of annoying other people in creative ways: I guess you could say that's a personality deficit.

 

Yeah, you're perfectly normal Cliff... I'd definitely hire you

[Attero]

Did I mention at 19 I owed 3 cars...

 

Same... and 2 cars when I was 18. People hate you don't they.