Is there such a thing as there being degrees (Which are useful and can be applied to a decent selection of vacancies) and:
“degrees” (Which might sound fancy but aren’t useful in a lot of vacancies, could also be just to say you got a degree)
This is not to insult anyone who has been to a university and finished their course, but it’s something I’ve been told long time ago by my previous work colleague who nearly became a lawyer, supposedly there are meme degrees as he puts it that look good on a CV but used in an interview is tripe.
What are your thoughts on this? Would you say that is complete nonsense? Or is there some truth to this?
I’m pretty sure there is a difference. I remember getting some money from the government in The Netherlands when you started a study, training, course, etc. In just a few months there were several companies offering training and courses for jobs that never had any certifications or requirements. It was abused a lot and as far as I know they dont’t offer it anymore (since last year).
Some degrees are more in demand than others, but even a degree in something you think is useless (like philosophy) is an indicator to employers that you are the kind of person to get a college education and are in so much debt you’ll do anything for a job.
I think it’s what you do with it.
My brother got an engineering degree, decided it wasn’t for him, and is now a decently successful photographer. I got an engineering degree and have used it every day of my career so far.
My friend got an MBA and jokes about how worthless it is for her but how happy she is in a life that doesn’t require an MBA. My colleague has an MBA and uses it in his finance job all the time.
Anyone who looks down on another person for their degree, or lack of a degree, needs to mind their own business. Get some hobbies. Invest some time and joy in their own life so they don’t have to be such sour fun-haters about other people.
The intent behind a American bachelor’s degree wasn’t just to provide a knowledge base in a given subject, but to also help train the student to be a leader. This is part of the reason why there are so many clubs and other organizations in college; you are supposed to be practicing to lead. It is also the reason why you take classes in a broader range of subjects, as there are additional skills you need as a leader that may not get taught in technical classes.
If the degree doesn’t impart useful knowledge, you are still supposed to be taught these skills in college. A lot of colleges today have gotten worse on teaching this part to students as funding and rankings don’t really focus on teaching students how to be leaders, but this was the intent of college.
