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In a thought-provoking article titled America’s Most Overrated Product: the Bachelor’s Degree , Marty Nemko brings to mind some of my own experiences as a college student and raises the question, “What is the value of a college degree?” Nemko states:
“…The past advantage of college graduates in the job market is eroding. Ever more students attend college at the same time as ever more employers are automating and sending offshore ever more professional jobs, and hiring part-time workers.”
He also quotes the 2006 Spellings Report, which stated:
“Unacceptable numbers of college graduates enter the workforce without the skills employers say they need in an economy in which, as the truism holds correctly, knowledge matters more than ever.”
I’ve seen this myself, and I’ve often wondered what many of my less-motivated peers would one day go on to do with their lives. There is absolutely more behind a successful career than simply passing your college classes for four years. Although I would have had a hard time getting to where I am today without my college education, I would never be there with a college education alone.
Don’t just tell your future employer that you’re passionate about the industry you want to be a part of. Prove it.
- Join Associations
- Keep your fingers on the pulse of the the latest industry trends
- Blog about these trends and your opinions on them
- Talk to people who do what you want to do, and find out how they got there
- Listen to podcasts
- Read books outside of your class curriculum
- Get internships or relevant job experience (from what I’ve seen in job candidates, you should consider getting more than one internship. The bar is certainly rising)
- Supplement your education by finding an interesting course or lecture that your university doesn’t offer through open courseware. For example, Stanford has some interesting lectures on the "Communications and Media" in iTunes U (props to Jeff Siarto for pointing out the value in open courseware)
- See if there is an online network for your industry where you can connect with professionals (You might start with a quick search on Ning)
1.5 million people will graduate from college this year. What are you doing to stand out?
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Comments
06.12.08
You make some excellent points.
When I got hired I was certainly relieved because as I had to work full time during my college years, all the unpaid but great experience internships were simply out of my reach.
After I had been with the organization a while I actually had the chance to ask my boss why I was hired.
She said that they were primarily impressed because I was involved.
In college I took the time to join student organizations, and not a sorority, but groups that were visual and stood out, groups that were working to make change among the younger generation. Joining a professional association through my classes was also very educational.
I also served as a mentor and on the student alumni council, which was an awesome way to network.
Being that involved, despite a full time job and a household to manage was no easy feat ,but I was sure that It would pay off, not only with real visible change on campus and in the community, but with a rewarding career after college.
It did. Six months after graduation I interviewed and was hired by an organization that could truly be a career for me.
Your tips are very well thought out and make excellent sense for those wondering just how far their degree will take them in life, which by itself, really isn't very far.
Great post.
06.13.08
Thanks for telling your story, Kristina. It can definitely be tricky to balance all of those activities in college, but in the end these were the things that really helped me network and get started in my career too.
06.20.08
Hi Allie,
I'm trying to decide if I have anything to add or not. Your point and suggestions are all right-on.
It seems like many (MANY) people our age feel inadequately prepared to make well-informed career decisions, and therefore never really get going in any particular direction.
What's worse, instead of pursuing SOMEthing until they figure out what they really want to do, they are paralyzed by indecision and end up doing relatively little or NOthing.
That's not very impressive to recruiters/employers.
06.23.08
I don't have a degree, have instead always worked hard and have kept learning all the time. I did have plans to go, but life chose differently.
I'm pretty convinced that I would have chosen the wrong thing to study. I didn't know enough about the real world to know what to dedicate my ambitions to. What I do now is not what I thought I would be doing several years back.
I wish employers would not view degrees as a must have, there is so much more to consider. For example, instead of a 4 year degree, how much would 4 years of volunteering be worth?
06.23.08
I've talked to a few people who have been very successful without a college degree. I think the degree is a huge help for breaking into your first job, but if you can get the experience elsewhere, it seems that it's not always necessary.
06.23.08
Great article! It can be argued that a degree alone will not get you the career or the money you desire. But I strongly believe that a degree gives you a little bit more power in terms of guiding your career, your way. I have been told that it is not what you know but who you know. Not all the time do you know the right people for what you want to do and that is when the degree helps you to even interview with the right people.
@Rosie: I too feel that experience trumps education sometimes but nowadays a Bachelors is like a H.S. Diploma, it gets your foot in the door. There are so many ways to get your degree without totally disrupting your life that employers feel like the way you were so adamant about getting your diploma, there is no reason to not be the same way about getting your degree.
07.21.08
I agree with many of you, a degree certainly is not required to be successful or even to get into your field. However, being that it's a natural and popular way of getting people to take your desired interested in entering a career seriously I suggest getting a degree to many people. I'm soooo glad I went through 6 years of craziness to get my degree and while my ego wants to say I didn't need it I'd have to say it definitely help improve me as a person and proves to employers I can start something I finish. Follow-through is something college really helped reinforce in me and I think it's the commonality successful people share at some level, degreed or not.
My brother dropped out of high school a week before finishing 11th grade. It was the best choice he ever made in his life because he was doing things in a manner and order that made sense and intrigued himself. As a result, we went on the become webmaster for one of the 10 largest sites on the Internet, then a manager and designer, and after 5 years decided to drop out of work and get a GED and Finance degree. He graduated as the top finance student in his class at a major university, has spent the last year living in china doing consulting work for a Fortune 500 company, and is making great progress in life everyday.
My point of that story is that no matter what you do, school or work, make sure it's something you are passionate about and really want to do-- do it for yourself, no one else.
07.22.08
That's a great example. I think a degree is probably the fastest track to get in the door early on, but in the end attitude and passion are everything.
09.13.08
This is a great post. It's so true! I just got hired for a job out of college, and I'm fairly certain I got hired from personality, alone.
The interview took place in a way that I got to sum-up my competition, and hear exactly what they had to offer. Everyone had a degree, and several had experience in the field...and I just had a degree and a smile.
Which makes me want to either laugh or cry that my personality is worth more than my four-year degree with honors.
08.26.09
No doubt, there is more to the recipe for success than just a college education. But without this vital ingredient, I feel it would be tough going for students nowadays to make their mark in the career of their choice. Besides a higher salary earning potential, there are a number of other reasons as to why it is important to go to college. Attending lectures from experts in the field, reading and researching encourages students to think, to ask questions, and to explore new ideas. All this adds to a student’s development and growth and provides college graduates with an edge over those who have only graduated from high school. College life also provides one with valuable connections and resources adding to the number of options available post graduation. Long after college is over, the people you have met may prove useful. When I graduated from CollegeAmerica two years ago, I plunged headlong into the job market. And take it from me, if it were not for my degree, many positions would not even have been open to me. Don’t make a mistake you will regret later on. Complete your higher education by enrolling for appropriate degree programs and strengthen the foundation of your career early on.
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