Does Getting a Degree Still Matter?
In this day and age with the advent of free online elearning applications like YouTube, Lynda, the Khan Academy and countless podcasts and independent websites, learners have the ability to acquire practically any skill or trade with the click of a button. So why go to school, spend thousands of dollars (if you're fortunate to afford it), or go into substantial debt just to learn what you could for free? Is it worth it? For many industries the answer is no!
Portfolio vs. Paper
Whether or not a learner needs a degree depends very much on what (s)he wants to do. In general, if applying for a job and the application requires a portfolio, chances are the employer is more interested in your work than in your degree. Industries like graphic design, film/video production, motion graphics, 3D animation, web design, IT and coding are all examples of industries that don't necessarily require a degree in order to get a job. While higher education, medical, legal, and financial industries all have degrees as a pre-req (though the type of degree doesn't always matter).
So what do you think? Are more industries going to look at quality of work vs. academic achievement? I'd love to hear your thoughts.
I think degrees will still be the password that opens the door in most cases. Why? Because when there's a pool of applicants needing to be narrowed, that's an easy way to start. Assessing quality of work is much trickier. Degree + portfolio = awesome (and triangulates the data, showing that the person is competent twice over).
ReplyDeleteHi Vanessa! Thanks for the comment. Using the degree as a first wave filter for employers is definitely something that occurs presently. Do you see this practice continuing?
DeleteVanessa, thank you for this post! It does make me feel better about the debt I'm taking on at the moment...
DeleteIt does make a lot of sense though! The reasoning is a little unsetlling, seeing how it takes advantage of our human quick thinking: "Well, if the applicants earned a degree, they must be more competent!" But I do feel like I am getting a lot out of the Masters already and I am doing what I can to build the portfolio at the same time (going for that double whammy).
Thanks again for the insight!
Kyle - I do think it will continue. Why not? I think it's unfair when a good employee doing Job A who has demonstrated the ability to do Job B can't get promoted internally due to lack of degree, but with new hires, the relevant degree is a requirement that makes a lot of sense, even if it means potentially passing over a few qualified applicants.
DeleteDevlin - Earning a degree does demonstrate certain characteristics (ability to set a goal and work through it, ability to function within a system with rules) that are desired by employers. Plus there are the skills learned during the degree program. I think at the UG level a lot of folks believe that the classes weren't relevant (what does history have to do with being a _____?), but what they don't realize is that actually they've been developing critical thinking skills, writing skills, argumentation skills, etc.
It really just depends on your profession. On the other hand, I remember reading a forbes article a while back saying something to the effect of a college degree implies a commitment to learning and a level of intelligence. However, I really think one's work and commitment speaks volumes.
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