Uhh, it is a University position.  It would be kind of hard for them to NOT 
hire one of their own graduates over someone else, no?

A 4 year degree forces the victim to learn some basic communication and social 
skills.  The shear variety of subject matter helps on it's own.  Being forced 
to write reports that are subject to brutal peer and professor criticism 
finishes the job.  You can either express yourself or you fail.  This is what a 
four year degree really "says" about a person.  They are willing to do as they 
are told and can report what happens when asked.  The real world does not test 
a person the same way.  Given two people with the same level of technical 
competence, work ethic and gusto, a person with that silly degree will have 
some advantage if no candidate is known personally to the employer.  The four 
year degree person has proved their willingness to jump through senseless hoops 
and their ability to write a report about it.  This is valuable to some people, 
and they expect the four year degree person to just as easily jump through any 
hoop they might raise for them.  

The real trick is getting a 4 year degree and then getting yourself hired 
despite your inexperience.  Communication and social skills don't mean squat 
when a company wants you to do something specific and you have never done it.  
Many times, the position that provides good experience is closed to someone 
with a four year degree.  I've been told more than once that I'd have been 
better off having spent some time in jail than in classrooms.  I can assure you 
that it is very difficult for a person without the required degree to be taken 
seriously when a BS CS is called for.  

The bottom line here is that we are in a hurting economy and it's bad for 
everyone.  If you think things are bad for EEs and CS people, try doing ME 
after 30 years of manufacturing sector contraction.  Intense competition is a 
sign of desperation.  

On 2003.09.19 17:10 Adam J. Melancon wrote:
> In response to the open job position
> http://www.selu.edu/Administration/Depts/HumanResources/hrojobun.htm#Systems%20Administrator
> 
> Let me preface this with:
> I can fully understand that working at a university, they would want you to 
> have a degree from a university.
> 
> On to the rant:
> Why is it that places always want a Bachelor's degree. 

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