I've got a masters in philosophy. Never used it in my career in any way but certainly don't regret it. I rarely add it to my CV when applying for a job so no, pretending not to have a degree hasn't held me back.
I have had an interesting and varied career, went to college but not Yooni. Makes little difference in my chosen industry - Hospitality and Events, earn well but have had to put the hours in...though not so much these days...ohh the pressure of being the boss 😉
It's never held me back not having a degree but I'm not against them. There is a place for all qualifications, whether it's practically gained or academically. At the end of the day its what you want to achieve and the amount of effort you're willing to put into it.
I completely agree that the degree system has been watered down in the past decade or so.
"I strongly believe it's worth us implementing a much stronger "apprenticeship" system - not just in traditional apprenticeship type fields, but also in the worlds of sales, accountancy, design etc, where real life practical experience and shadowing someone is far more beneficial than sitting in a lecture theatre listening to some out of date teaching from an academic who has never had any real experience in the field they are teaching for.
Ultimately, we should be educating to enable people to do a job, rather than (all too often) for vanity purposes."
Couldnt agree more!!
I'm 31 & working in the music industry, to date a lack of degree hasn’t hindered my career or any of my colleagues, as pointed out it depends on numerous things, its relevance to your work, your personal drive etc.
If/When I do have Kids I will want them to get a degree though.
I’m my close group of friends from School only 2 out of 8 have a degree, Both have good jobs as a consequence but neither are really financially any better off than the rest of us.
thisisnotaspoon - Member
Counter question; ever known someone with a degree who think's it's held them back?
Not specifically related to job, but in other ways, yes. It has a LOT to do with timing.
e.g. I finished school in '98 and went to university in '99 to do a BEng in Aerospace Engineering and couldn't have got, or be doing the job I currently do without it. I'm reasonably well paid among my degree-holding peer group and as far as I can tell, earn comfortably more than most of my old friends from school without degrees.
However (and this is a biggie) I started uni in '99, graduated in 2003, spent a few years working different jobs/companies and gaining experience working my way up a to a decent one while clearing debts etc. run up from uni and saving a bit of cash. Unfortunately, while I was busy getting an education the rest of the country was busy doubling/tripling the price of houses so by the time I was in a position to start thinking of maybe getting one - whoops, it's the mid-late 2000s and I'm priced out of anything decent.
Meanwhile those old friends who left school after GCSEs in '96 or A-Levels in '98 and didn't go to university but got first jobs, bought around the year 2000 (or even before) and are sitting pretty in houses I can't now afford despite earning much more than them.
Timing is EVERYTHING. C'est la vie.
