The Value of a Degree

Earlier this week there was a big feature on the UK MSN homepage about the value of a university degree. The central thrust of the feature was that a degree does not prepare you for the real world and leaves you only with an enormous debt and a huge hangover.

The article contained a link to a discussion where folks told tales of woe and how their hard earned qualification has not landed them the job of their dreams.

The way I see it (if you really want to know) is that if you decide you want some thing (such as the "job of your dreams") then you should plan a campaign which will get you it. A degree can be a useful part of such a campaign. But it is not the only one. You should find every other possible way to get there. Try to land some work experience in the area. Do things that broaden you out and make you more "interesting" to people working in the field.

If you want to be a games programmer, by all means do a degree in it, but also start writing little games and putting them on your games programming blog. Start contributing to forums about the field, asking and answering sensible questions. Get a job in the business, even if it is just working in a games shop. It all helps make you into a more enticing prospect.

Getting a degree and then expecting to be snapped up because of your evident brilliance will not work. In fact I don't think it ever did. When I did mine, all those years ago, when history was current affairs etc etc I remember being told that a degree is not a job ticket, but merely a licence to hunt....

Comments

[David Greenwood]

A very good point. Some people seem to think that by simply doing a degree that employers will be knocking at the door. It took a long hard hunt for me to get interviews. Even then the first one I had I got the job :)

I've been lucky and have got a fantastic job as a PHP developer. All those programming lectures of yours really paid off Rab. Thanks :)

[David Greenwood]

Unfortunately you didn't give any spelling lectures, as the above spelling of your name proves :(

[MattJ]

It is a big problem, people (especially int eh technology sector) seem to to believe that once they have a degree they are entitled to a job. Now I have barely used any of my tecnology degree, it's true, but I wouldn't have got my job without it as it provided me with a foundation of understanding.

the whole dream job scenario too, yu are right on you need to plan it. ON the other hand, career advisors are generally a waste of bloodf and organs. Whilst at Hull I was given limited advice by someone who I know now has no clue - Compsci degrees can prepare you for any variety of roles, not just technical. Equally every English grad I know is offered 'teacher' as a career path.

Many companies employ on the basis of having a degree, not basing it's decision on what that degree is in as it demonstrates a level of work and an ability to learn. Perhaps if career advisors knew a little more about this kind of thing, yound inexperienced students might have a better handle on where they want to get to.