I am a jack-of-all-trades and I have a GED. I also have a certificate as a Food Service Specialist. It seems though that a lot of employers expect you to have a degree in a lot of different fields in order to even be consdered for employment through them. College/University is definitely not cheap these days and alot of us would never be able to afford the cost. Should employers go by education or experience?
204329
Education is a result of experience, we learn from our experiences and through them.  Without our intitial experience during childhood, we would have had the hardest time learning, because we use our experience as our reality.  This experience is also the foundation of our education.  Now, we all have an obligation to go through schooling for a certain amount of years.  Some go to higher education and others don't.  Going through higher education gives you a wealth of experience of having fun and meeting new people.  One who did not go to get higher education is just as more likely to go through a similar experience.  Our society however needs proof of how reliable of a person you are, and what better way than to see what kind of education you have had.  It sucks, but it's the reality, right?  Of course, if your long term goal in life is to become rich, you will never be rich.  If you want to be rich, you will find many ways, even without having the education.  An employer should go by both, and they do check your experiences and education.  If however an employer requires that you need at least a BA or BS degree, and you do not have one but have lots of experience, they should choose which ever weighs more.\n\nBut no doubt, i believe experience is more important in life.
347113
I did not like my degree either so I use to send out "reverse" resumes - putting all the work experience and goal statements at the top and listing my education credentials at the bottom. That way the employers get an idea of who you are before they judge you just by your education.  I think it worked because I got the job.   Try consulting work or temp agencies to get the work experience in your desired field.  Employers are more willing to give you a shot on a short term basis.
71980
I honestly don't know if there is.  I have never heard of such a thing.  It would definitely be helpful for some people.  I've met some pretty stupid college grads and people with HS diplomas who are brilliant, but held back because they don't have that piece of paper.  \nI don't think there is such a thing. I could be very wrong.  But there would be difficulty proving your abilities.  They would have to develop a standardized test for every occupation.  And some employers may not find the instituion or degree to be reputable.  They want to hire someone who slept in 4 years worth of classes.
630342
Although there are some employers who don't check to see where a degree comes from, any employer who knows you received your degree from basically a "pay to graduate" school will not look at it favorably.  In this sense, it could be a waste of money.  Additionally, you will lack the contacts and references from attending university that tend to help you find a better job.  A better use of your money may be to use a "degree completion" program at your local community college.  You can start with the credits you earned from your two years of college and find out what the fastest degree to get is.  There are many opportunities for adults returning to school, and your life experience and job related achievements may help you even more on this front.  There are many grants, scholarships, and loan opportunities--and attending college does tend to pay off in terms of better earnings and more job security.  I wish you the best of luck!
653975
many companies use your experience to cover your education.  Just be honest in your resume, if they interview you, you don't want to lie.  Just say the way you see it , experience is as important as education, and you will pursue a degree or certificate once you get the job. (you may not have time later on.. but who cares.. employer just want to know if you are aggressive enough)
166035
Well, you graduated from college and you're still unemployed. You're supposed to be making something out of yourself right now. People would kill to get into college and get started on their career.\n\nA college graduate without a job, people who aren't as educated with you have a job. You kind of come off as a bum.\n\n[edit]\nHaving good grades and coming from a good college doesn't mean anything if you're unemployed. Your grades aren't going to give you a place to live or pay the bills.
110447
your friends may earn more money than you now, but they will always be stuck in that job level.  consider what type of job you want, then find out how to get it.  every job is different.  for example, if you do retail, employers would value retail experience more than your level of education.  however, if you want to be a professor, you'd need your ph.d.  it all depends on what you want to do.  graduate degrees for certain jobs will help you start at a higher pay and in the long run you'll earn more than your friends with no college degree.
210842
I have to wonder if getting a professional degree would help, because you would still be limited in how many hours you could work. What you need are skills that are in demand in a field that is conducive to part-time work and that pays well. Before investing in more education, I would talk with a career counselor who could help you evaluate your abilities and limitations, and work with you to develop an education/career plan that makes sense and that may help lead you to your ultimate goal of being self-employed. While a college degree may make a big difference for a young person starting out, as we get older, we are judged more on our work history, experience, and abilities. For some jobs, a degree is an absolute requirement, but for others, while employers might advertise for someone with a degree, the job does not really require one. Many people with degrees still get low wages. Any education you pursue at this point should be directed to helping you develop marketable skills in a field that makes sense for you. I admire your determination to succeed and I hope you find the right niche.
97526
The very LAST thing employers want is experience, because experience makes you expensive to an employer.  Employers aren't the slightest bit interested in having a job done WELL by an experienced employee - they would much, much, much rather have an intelligent but INexperienced employee whom they can count on to do the job the way the EMPLOYER wants it done, even if it isn't done well at first.
190449
I have a Bachelor degree and am going for my Masters after having taken a 3 year break.  For years I wondered if it had been worth the time and money I spent on college, since I was unable to find a job related to my field.  Now I realize that it was well worth it.  with regard to jobs, I made the mistake of not going for an internship while I was in school.  You're right, colleges don't prepare students for the job market.  On the other hand, although my brother has a better job than me even though he only has a G.E.D. (he's also much more ambitious than me), he has been unable to move up to the managerial position because he never went to college.  The college experience offers you a whole new way of looking at things...you can't get that view merely with experience.  As for the Ivy League schools, the name may make somewhat of a difference, but the education is not all that much better.  Another plus of going to college is that some careers require a degree and even if your career doesn't, you may change your mind later (like I did) and if you already have a Bachelors and your career requires a Masters you won't have to start from scratch.
208822
Yes, there is still a lot of discrimination in the real world. From my own experience, I tried to find a job on my own sending in my resumes to the positions that I qualified for.I just graduated from City College of San francisco with an Associates degree in Liberal Arts. However, I was not getting any response. Also, when I do get a response, I NEVER go to round two of the interview. I am answering the interview questions according to my work experience and believe me, most of the majority of the interviews I had were RUDE that I applied for. I was desperate NEED of a job. So, it really depend on your work experience. If you don't have a LOT then KNOW someone who will hire you for a year. All the employers are looking for is EXPEREIENCE.
495353
just look everywhere. having an AA doesn't set you up for any "career" really. having an associates degree, your best bet is looking at jobs with the education requirement of "some college". it seems like nowadays no one requires an associates degree. its either h.s. diploma, bachelor's degree, or "some college experience"
408860
Some might agree with you, but there are others, for instance, people who already have a profession and must attend their 9-5 jobs in order to support their families, but also have the desire to make a career change or advancement which requires further education.  When you have a family or trying to make changes in your life, you must be adult enough not to make them sacrifice for you.  Those particular schools are not traditional, but offer the same educational fulfillment's that are required for job advancement outside of the basic 9-5 school/job hours.  Many courses are offered on line, for instance.  I must correct you, however, if these particular educational institutions were not as "up to par" as other "normal" state colleges/universities, the federal government would not provide the same tuition assistance toward attending them.
72331
Its a whole lot like a business degree, it doesnt mean very much. The jobs where you would think it would count the most dont really care if you have one. Take police, for example. That job is experienced based, and tho it counts a bit (in that it will give you an edge over someone who doesnt have one) they need so many people that it wont matter in the long run and in the end the knowledge you get in the Academy is much more important than class-room learning. Keep in mind, any degree is good... very few people actually end up doing what they went to school for, and companies who care about college degrees generally do so becuase of what the degree SYMBOLIZES (perseverance, desire to learn, punctuality, etc.) much more than what that little peice of paper says. Hope this helps
279224
Bit of a balance really, and depends if the employer is willing to put in some time to train you or not. If you know nothing in an area but can prove your a good employee and have aptitude in something with transferable skills then you don't need the educational degree. Really depends on the level of the job, and what the area you're looking at getting in to is.\n\nAt some point when moving up in an organisation you're going to need that degree usually
589008
Depends on what you want to do.\n\nSome professions require a univesrity education (physician, attorney).\n\nOthers don't require it, but universities have convinced people that they do. (Management).\n\nSince people believe a college degree is important, you may lose opportunities if you don't have one.  BUT, there are successful people in many fields who don't have one.  (Bill Gates dropped out of college).\n\nI have to add a response to theycallmewendy's point about not hiring for specific areas.  That's just WRONG.  I have a degree in chemistry and know peers who are computer programmers.  Heck my wife is a computer programmer and her degree is in PSYCHOLOGY.\nProgramming is in fact one field where they value experience over what the diploma says.\nSome fields aren't so open (pharmaceutical manufacturing for instance).  At times it's understanable.\n\nAnyway, a university education should be a personal choice.  Not one forced on you by college deans who want to expand their fiefdoms.
410304
The difficulty for me is the inability of so many employers to see past the lack of a college degree and look at job experience.  I came from the UK with an accounting/tax background and have found it very hard to get anything other than clerical jobs.  So I'm now in school full-time, supported by my wife, trying to get the paperwork that will lead to a better job.\n\nSuppose I'd better go and do some homework....