Friday Discussion - Academic Qualifications

[MK Shrimper]

Qualifications mean **** all. Left school before my GCSE's, returned to take them and then left again. I'm pretty satisfied with what i've acheived since, whilst all the mongs who went a-levels, uni etc are only earning say £30k a year working their nuts off for 40 hours a week.

Really? Tell that to the next doctor who treats one of you loved ones.

 

[Hotman]

Really? Tell that to the next doctor who treats one of you loved ones.

OK, I'll make an amendment for the doctors. 80 hour weeks rather than 40, for twice the money. Makes all that hard work at uni worthwhile...? :nope: Again, delighted I didn't take the "academic" path.

 

[Ron Manager]

Typical graduate attitude unfortunately. Problem is, it rubs up seniors, colleagues and customers the wrong way... leading to one outcome!

I wouldn't say typical graduate to be fair. I've worked with some great people with degrees. One girl I employed was brilliant and a big part of a really successful team we had. Difference was she worked hard and was willing to learn from people who'd done the job, even non-graduates like me.

 

[Hotman]

I wouldn't say typical graduate to be fair. I've worked with some great people with degrees. One girl I employed was brilliant and a big part of a really successful team we had. Difference was she worked hard and was willing to learn from people who'd done the job, even non-graduates like me.

Maybe I've been unlucky with the pillocks I've encountered in and out of professional settings!

 

[EastStandBlue]

That's the long and short of it though, you're going to encounter pillocks both with and without degrees, but these days a potential employee won't get a look in without suitable qualifications, and a degree level education is usually the minimum.

Obviously, you're going to get your average Billy BeerDrinker who has a Third in Media Studies from Portsmouth, or some other numbskull with a bland Business or English degree from a Polytechnic, but there are more than enough graduates out there who've learnt key skills from their studies that are directly related to their chosen career path. These skills transfer straight into their work and they wouldn't have been given an internship or the experience to learn these skills in the first place.

I'll take Journalism as an example again... Long gone are the days when a bright spark could turn up at Fleet Street with a pen, be given a role to do for free and if he impresses enough, he'll get a shot. Every other idiot can string together a sentence and post it on a blog, but you need a degree level education to get anywhere near a work experience spell for a national.

 

[Hotman]

That's the long and short of it though, you're going to encounter pillocks both with and without degrees, but these days a potential employee won't get a look in without suitable qualifications, and a degree level education is usually the minimum.

Obviously, you're going to get your average Billy BeerDrinker who has a Third in Media Studies from Portsmouth, or some other numbskull with a bland Business or English degree from a Polytechnic, but there are more than enough graduates out there who've learnt key skills from their studies that are directly related to their chosen career path. These skills transfer straight into their work and they wouldn't have been given an internship or the experience to learn these skills in the first place.

I'll take Journalism as an example again... Long gone are the days when a bright spark could turn up at Fleet Street with a pen, be given a role to do for free and if he impresses enough, he'll get a shot. Every other idiot can string together a sentence and post it on a blog, but you need a degree level education to get anywhere near a work experience spell for a national.

I'll take Journalism as an example... of your bollocks!! ;)

How comes an "other idiot" like me is currently writing content for a magazine on sale today in WH Smiths?

 

[EastStandBlue]

I'll take Journalism as an example... of your bollocks!! ;)

How comes an "other idiot" like me is currently writing content for a magazine on sale today in WH Smiths?

You mean the blog comment? I was merely referring to the fact that, whereas in the past if your writing stood out you could find yourself a position somewhere, these days the surge and easy-use of blogs means that anybody can publish their work.

 

[Hotman]

You mean the blog comment? I was merely referring to the fact that, whereas in the past if your writing stood out you could find yourself a position somewhere, these days the surge and easy-use of blogs means that anybody can publish their work.

No worries fella, just blowing my own trumpet (as usual)

 

[Berrichonne shrimper]

No worries fella, just blowing my own trumpet (as usual)

And what a great tune you play.
Me me me me me me me la la me me me toot toot me me me look at my watch me me im great i am me me me me berty big bollocks blah blah.

 

[pringlejon]

I know a couple of people on my course who will get a first but are socially ********, and do nothing but work. If i was looking for an employee, i would want someone with a bit of personality.

If I was looking for an employee I would want someone with an impressive academic record and a willingless to work there backside off.

If I interviewed them I would assess their intellect, not their line in banter and pub etiquette.

I completely agree that a willingness to work hard is more important, but i feel that some personality is important.

The main aim of my original post was more along the lines of "it's not the end of the world if you've not got a great degree as if you have the drive and determination (as well as a bit of business nouse), you can make of yourself whatever you want...obviously within reason...

 

[shrimperman]

I completely agree that a willingness to work hard is more important, but i feel that some personality is important.

The main aim of my original post was more along the lines of "it's not the end of the world if you've not got a great degree as if you have the drive and determination (as well as a bit of business nouse), you can make of yourself whatever you want...obviously within reason...

I would say the most important thing is a sense of direction. If you know what you want and where you need to get to, you can achieve what you want. If that means obtaining a degree then so be it. If you have the desire, anybody if capable of getting a degree if required.

 

[WestRoadShrimper]

How comes an "other idiot" like me is currently writing content for a magazine on sale today in WH Smiths?

I think your own experience is the crux of the current issue though. There are plenty of people like yourself out there who have made a success of themselves because of hard work and common sense as opposed to having bags of qualifications. The difference is that the initial job opportunities that led you to where you are today are becoming few and far between so less and less people will be able to follow in your footsteps. Sure, there will always be people who manage to do what you've done and, likewise, there will always be people with the degrees who end up spectacularly unsuccessful.

The bottom line now is that with more people studying for degrees more jobs are making them compulsory. Those, like yourself, already working in an industry will be able to carry on because of your experience but those wishing to break in will find it harder and harder to even get to the interview stage by the non academic routes that you took.

This is what I find myself saying to kids day after day at school. They come in and say "Well, my Dad never got any qualifications and he's done ok so I don't need them either". The difference is that the job market has changed from 20-odd years ago and their Dad most probably wouldn't be doing that well for himself if he was starting out now. I know some still would, but personally that's not a gamble I'd want to take with my future job prospects.

 

[Vange Shrimper]

I think your own experience is the crux of the current issue though. There are plenty of people like yourself out there who have made a success of themselves because of hard work and common sense as opposed to having bags of qualifications. The difference is that the initial job opportunities that led you to where you are today are becoming few and far between so less and less people will be able to follow in your footsteps. Sure, there will always be people who manage to do what you've done and, likewise, there will always be people with the degrees who end up spectacularly unsuccessful.

The bottom line now is that with more people studying for degrees more jobs are making them compulsory. Those, like yourself, already working in an industry will be able to carry on because of your experience but those wishing to break in will find it harder and harder to even get to the interview stage by the non academic routes that you took.

This is what I find myself saying to kids day after day at school. They come in and say "Well, my Dad never got any qualifications and he's done ok so I don't need them either". The difference is that the job market has changed from 20-odd years ago and their Dad most probably wouldn't be doing that well for himself if he was starting out now. I know some still would, but personally that's not a gamble I'd want to take with my future job prospects.

That's the same with me as well. You've also got some kids on Canvey who's parents have already offered them jobs when they leave, so they mess about during their last year at school because they think they will be financially sound and with a job when they finish. But what if something happens regarding the job, like the business goes under etc? They will have nothing to fall back on, qualification wise.

 

[Hotman]

I think your own experience is the crux of the current issue though. There are plenty of people like yourself out there who have made a success of themselves because of hard work and common sense as opposed to having bags of qualifications. The difference is that the initial job opportunities that led you to where you are today are becoming few and far between so less and less people will be able to follow in your footsteps. Sure, there will always be people who manage to do what you've done and, likewise, there will always be people with the degrees who end up spectacularly unsuccessful.

The bottom line now is that with more people studying for degrees more jobs are making them compulsory. Those, like yourself, already working in an industry will be able to carry on because of your experience but those wishing to break in will find it harder and harder to even get to the interview stage by the non academic routes that you took.

This is what I find myself saying to kids day after day at school. They come in and say "Well, my Dad never got any qualifications and he's done ok so I don't need them either". The difference is that the job market has changed from 20-odd years ago and their Dad most probably wouldn't be doing that well for himself if he was starting out now. I know some still would, but personally that's not a gamble I'd want to take with my future job prospects.

I agree that things have changed, and in fact at my time at school I saw them changing - my GCSE's were in 97 and I was one of about 5 to leave education after them - most stayed on to A Levels. Now it is unheard of for someone to leave after A Levels it seems.

It's a real shame, I honestly believe that in most fields you would learn far more on the job. Certainly media, journalism, primary level education, accountancy, law - I'd suggest that a relevant day job with study towards professional qualifications would produce far more rounded individuals that 3 years of drinking and cramming for dissertations.

 

[Hotman]

I think your own experience is the crux of the current issue though. There are plenty of people like yourself out there who have made a success of themselves because of hard work and common sense as opposed to having bags of qualifications. The difference is that the initial job opportunities that led you to where you are today are becoming few and far between so less and less people will be able to follow in your footsteps. Sure, there will always be people who manage to do what you've done and, likewise, there will always be people with the degrees who end up spectacularly unsuccessful.

The bottom line now is that with more people studying for degrees more jobs are making them compulsory. Those, like yourself, already working in an industry will be able to carry on because of your experience but those wishing to break in will find it harder and harder to even get to the interview stage by the non academic routes that you took.

This is what I find myself saying to kids day after day at school. They come in and say "Well, my Dad never got any qualifications and he's done ok so I don't need them either". The difference is that the job market has changed from 20-odd years ago and their Dad most probably wouldn't be doing that well for himself if he was starting out now. I know some still would, but personally that's not a gamble I'd want to take with my future job prospects.

ps My comment about WH Smiths was a cheeky aside to ESB, although I am in a magazine this month, it's certainly not the day job and I didn't work particularly hard to get there :)

 

[McNasty]

ps My comment about WH Smiths was a cheeky aside to ESB, although I am in a magazine this month, it's certainly not the day job and I didn't work particularly hard to get there :)

I hope it's not one of those soft porn mags !!!

 

[Hotman]

I hope it's not one of those soft porn mags !!!

lets just say it wasn't very soft!!