Do You Need a Degree?
By Sherril Steele-Carlin
Our economy is changing, and so is our workforce. As the economy rearranges, more people with every level of experience will be hitting the job market. What happens if these job seekers don't have a degree? Will their career suffer because they don't?
The Answer Varies
Of course, the answer varies according to who you're talking to. Ask almost any educator, and they'll say, "of course you need a degree to get anywhere in life." If you scan most job boards online, degree requirements are often one of the first prerequisites mentioned in the ad. However, even those requirements can be waived for the right applicant.
A 1998 study conducted by University Institute of Labor and Industrial Relations, and Michigan Future, Inc. found that "After researchers selected 88 fields which have median annual full-time earning of at least $30,000, 47 fields were found to not specifically call for a four-year degree." They found that jobs like millwrights and electrical equipment repairers were two of the highest paying non-degreed jobs, but that jobs like this do require some kind of additional training.
Job Experience
This is good news to anyone who's looking for a new job, but worried they don't have the degree necessary to be considered a professional. One of the best things about gaining job experience is that you are most often judged by the work you accomplish. In the world of continuing careers, experience is often more important than an advanced education. If you have at least ten years experience in your field, you could very well land another position ahead of an applicant that has a college degree but little or no experience.
Here's a key in the "is college necessary" debate. It depends on the job, and also how much in demand the job is. In many professional jobs, a degree is necessary. Doctors, lawyers, teachers, and many other professionals need a degree to perform effectively and competently. However, there are many, many examples of highly successful entrepreneurs and business people who have no degrees, or even attended college, such as Bill Gates, Tiger Woods, and Fran Lebowitz. While college is a viable and necessary tool for many professions, there are still many careers open to just about anyone with talent and persistence.
