I think you’ll find this guy has done OK: http://www.nodegree.co.uk/

I’m in exactly the same business and do pretty well without a degree. The only degree-holder I’ve ever employed was a complete donut. Absolutely zero common sense.

And judging by some of the posts above, having a degree doesn’t help with spelling or punctuation.

Nope, not really.
For reference, I hold a board level report position in a FTSE100 company and I do not have a degree.

. And you have time t post here? 😉

Njees post is telling. It’s pretty much my experience off degrees – even am unrelated one can get you an interview which is an unfair system. Although, degrees directed related to skills can be an important indicator of ability.

I’m an advocate of hard work, ability and application, I wouldn’t care about your education more your ability to do the job well and apply yourself. Me, no degree yet I’m a high ranking European specialist in a global company. To hammer home the point, it took three grads 3 years to reach the same level I reached in six months 20 years ago – bearing in mind the technology differences. They were employed on the basis of their business management degrees. Me, I’d been employed a year after college with my only experience being 6 months brazing in a factory – nothing to do with IT or business.

I don’t have one, but am looking to enrolling on one.

A change of direction within IT means I need a degree to even enter that realm!

My BSc and MSc degrees got me my early jobs, without them no chance. FWIW after 10 years or so having a degree is largely irrelevant in most fields, it’s about performance on the job and personal qualities plus a dollop of luck. I have a number of peers and people senior to me without a Uni level education.

I reckon I would have still ended up in the same job regardless of a degree…I don’t have one BTW

grum – Member
Seems to be hardly anyone who thinks you can learn things on a degree and broaden your mind – in a way which might be beneficial to you as a person but that’s not about climbing the career ladder.

Just to disagree with you for a change Grum 😉 that’s exactly what I would say. A huge benefit of Uni is the opportunity to broaden your mind and take several years to do it. A unique opportunity before the treadmill of ‘professional life.’* Whether that is worth £30k plus is another matter!!

* another reason why I hate the pressure on internships. I was *******ed by an HR department for suggesting this once to undergraduates. But this is the time to do interesting things and to travel, not be stuck in the office doing the delgated c***.

I would not have my job without a degree. I am in senior management at a large organisation and there are very few people here, at this level without degrees. Not impossible though.

A change of direction within IT means I need a degree to even enter that realm!

If you were entering my realm in IT, I wouldn’t care in the slightest if you had a degree or not. I’d want evidence that you were passionate about the realm, you could demonstrate enthusiasm, knowledge and intelligence around the relevant subjects. I’d want to see that you’d spent your own time building your skillset in the appropriate areas and were confident and assured about your knowledge levels.

I’d also want to check that you had the regulation number of pens and screwdrivers in your shirt pocket and that your trouser to shoe gap met compliance.

. And you have time t post here?
Advantage of being in charge. 😉

@samuri – No degree = not even going to bother reading the rest of the CV, regardless of how much experience (or pro certifications) I may have.

Feedback from those advertising the posts say it’s equally frustrating on their side too, but the powers above them stipulate a degree in CompSci (or related technical sci degree) as absolute minimum.

holding back from what??– rat race occupations ?

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.