Comments on: Career Evolution/advancement Without A Degree?

By: curiousk

curiousk — Sat, 04 Jul 2009 23:48:30 +0000

I find that experience out weighs qualifications.
You do have qualifications though, as well as the experience, maybe not the qualifications they are looking for but still qualifications that are relevant to the job post.
Also i have found from experience that if you get a job in the place you wish to work in a ‘lesser’ role then you can work your way up. If they are desperate for you to have a degree then you can always do one on line and see if you can get them to help pay with the costs.
Once your in they will see your worth, good luck and don’t worry all will turn out as it was meant to be

By: eternal student

eternal student — Sat, 04 Jul 2009 23:48:30 +0000

Provided you get your foot in the door, you can learn on the job and as long as you master the skills of the trade (including leadership skills) you can reach the very top of a firm, without a college degree. For this you have to stay long enough in one firm to have earned your experience and “proven track record” before you can switch firms.
However, nowadays, if you are an outsider, then you need a college degree to get your foot in the door into any field. Because you will be competing with university level graduates for entry level jobs. At 23, you are still young. You can go back to school (perhaps the french business school you worked) and get a degree, perhaps in business or any other major of your choice. It will be worth the investment.

By: Green-Mo

Green-Mo — Sat, 04 Jul 2009 23:48:30 +0000

I appreciate your concerns with regards to the degree. Some companies just have a policy where by they will only employ people with a degree and i appreciate your frustration with this as your right, you may have 4 years industrial experience in the working world where as another applicant may have a straight degree and 1 year experience.
Most companies see a degree as something which requires a minimum 3 year commitment from a candidate and something which you have to put effort into, where they will polish their knowledge of a particuar subject and go into a subject in a lot more detail. More than you may do within a job (initially)
These are not my thoughts, i just know from experience of working with ‘blue-chip’ organisations

By: whatabor

whatabor — Sat, 04 Jul 2009 23:48:30 +0000

Hi,
I’m not sure about careers in the government, but I’m sure that if you were to work hard at it and prove yourself as an asset to them, if that was something that was going to hold you back, a lot of employers have something like a ‘shared fees’ sort of program, where they may either partially fund or fully fund further education for their employees.
In most places, experience is more important than formal education, you want someone that can / has done the job rather than someone that just knows HOW TO do it. But every employer has a different stance on it.
As I say, I don’t know what the government’s position is on this, but there’s a good chance they might.
I hope this helps, even if only a little.
Good luck in your career.