Unexpected Support

"Fifty-five years ago, 80 percent of American television viewers, young and old, tuned in to see Milton Berle on Tuesday nights. Tens of millions, rich and poor, worked together at Elks Lodges and Rotary Clubs. Millions more, rural and urban, read general interest magazines like Look and Life. In those days, the owner of the local bank lived in the same town as the grocery clerk, and their boys might play on the same basketball team. Only 7 percent of adult Americans had a college degree." {emphasis mine}--David Brooks, Spring 2008 piece on niche political marketing, excerpted from Stephen Windwalkers Beyond the Literary-Industrial Complex: How Authors and Publishers are Using the Amazon Kindle and Other New Technologies, location 285-93 on Kindle (K2).

Just over a half-century ago, less than 10 percent of American adults held a college degree. That would have been in the 1950's, after the Great Depression, when the country was pulling itself up by its bootstraps and finally feeling comfortable enough to relax and begin enjoying life again now that the Depression was over. With those statistics, history shows us that earning a college degree is not necessary to attain status and wealth in corporate America. Facts show the probability that the majority of those who rose to power and riches in corporate America in the '50's where degree-less. If only 7 percent held degrees according to Brooks' statements in his Spring 2008 piece, running the numbers will reveal that it would be impossible for it to be any other way.

In today's society, we live in a world where jobs require employees to multitask and have a vast array of skills and knowledge. Especially in this economy, employers are looking to get the most tasks done with the least amount of employees. It would be impossible to depend solely on college degreed individuals to fill these roles. Life and professional experiences weigh heavily in factoring today's choice of new hire by corporate HR departments country-wide. Having hands-on knowledge and experience is key in today's fast-paced technological society. Employers are very aware that as unfortunate as it may be, a college graduate's book knowledge can sometimes be outdated by the time graduation occurs. The rapidly changing world demands that job seekers stay ahead of the curve in their knowledge and expertise. Whittling away four or more years in college isn't the most productive approach to keeping ahead in the game.

There will never come a consensus on the value of a degree in seeking employment. It does play a role -- it has its place. However, life and professional experiences also are key ingredients to securing a sought after job or promotion. An employer will consider the fact that a candidate has four years experience performing the job for which she is applying. Weighing that against a candidate who has a four year degree in the field but no experience performing the job will often tip the scales in favor of the non-degreed candidate. Think about it -- if you were an employer in a demanding, high production industry and you had a need to fill a key role within the organization, would you be more inclined to hire someone who has done the job for the last several years, or someone who has a lovely framed degree indicating that she has gained the knowledge necessary to do the job? Experience often wins in these situations...