On 2/10/2012 7:40 AM, Aaron Toponce wrote: > There is no substitute for experience, but credentials, such as degrees or > certifications, add a great deal of value to many potential employers. When > any employer looks at job candidates, credentials are a a common way to > sift through the candidates, and determine if they should come in for an > interview. Someone who is CCNA certified will likely get the Cisco network > administration job over the guy who doesn't. > > Lastly, I learned a great deal finishing my education. It was more than > just jumping through hoops. I learned some fascinating abstract principles > that have become very valuable in my career, such as lambda calculus, > tautology and graph theory. I approach problems different now, than I did > before I finished school. It's clear to me that I spend more time thinking > about the problem, than just brute forcing it, looking for a solution. For > me, even if it does nothing for me financially, it has done a great deal > for me mentally. YMMV. > I think the value of degrees and certifications is something one must factor into their decisions about how to market themselves. That said, it should be factored in with the appropriate eye. Degrees and certifications are one of many things that can go on your resume and will mean something to readers of your resume, but like having "Eagle Scout" on your resume, will not necessarily impress the audience you're going for. I personally have found networking and building professional relationships with people to be far more valuable than pieces of paper, but that's not something that applies to all situations.
It also depends on your field. For instance, in software development, degrees get you hired at entry level far more prolifically, but at higher rungs on the "ladder" so to speak, I find that experience is valued far more in many shops than degrees, and if you have successfully shipping products in the industry, you are sought after. Getting a job is hardly ever easy, and should be addressed as the many nuanced sales dance that it is. Depending on your field, different things matter to different people, and there is no silver bullet to all employers. Aaron makes an excellent point about education, though, and it's the only reason I've ever considered going back to school. I don't think there's a reason to think it will instantly get me more credibility anywhere I'm particularly interested, but I'd really like to learn some specific stuff and I don't think my home study is getting very far with the distractions home life brings. As he said, your mileage may vary. -Tod Hansmann /* PLUG: http://plug.org, #utah on irc.freenode.net Unsubscribe: http://plug.org/mailman/options/plug Don't fear the penguin. */
