Understanding University Degrees.

Very true.

LOL! Good!

...yes indeed!    One learns - one way or another - which degrees make more cents!      😏 😏 

Sadly, though society won't admit it, degrees for everyone are NOT needed.  When I was growing up, one graduated from high school and went in to the work world.  It was still a time when one could start at a company, and if desired, stay with the company, moving up the ladder until retirement. 

Back in those days, only those wanting to be doctors, lawyers, teachers, or (maybe) scientists went to college.  All of this has changed in the last half century!  Now a high school diploma means nothing! 

Young folks today have to have a degree with some fancy title attached to it, to even get an entry level job in a factory.  And more often than not, the individual never gets a job in the field of study they took in college.  And upon graduating from college, they start out in the world at 22 or 23 years old with $100K (and most often much more) of debt that their salary will never be enough to pay. 

College overall is a scam that we're brainwashed to believe we must do, to be somebody and succeed. 

For the record, I did graduate from a Radio and Television school, got my diploma for it, and though I've done some work in broadcasting over the decades, it was NOT the field I was able to make money at.  At age 25 got in to the Insurance and Financial field and began working in banking (becoming a lending manager, trainer, and vice-president) WITHOUT a financial background. 

Today, a bank Teller MUST HAVE a college degree, just to be a Teller.  Sorry, but there is something wrong with this picture.  

It seems that with this generation the road to a secure employment future lies more in the trades and specialized technical skills than traditional university degrees of previous generations.  Degrees like psychology, sociology, philosophy, kinesiology, for example, as stand alone qualification seem to have become less impressive to employers and seem to be more useful as stepping stones to Masters and/or Doctorate degrees.  Most trades seem to be much in need of qualified apprentices and journeymen these days.

Today too much emphasis is placed on going to college after graduating high school. Not every high school graduate is college material. Some would be better suited for a career in the building trades or the automotive field.  

I agree with all of the above thoughts. Having been in sales my entire working life, I find it difficult to communicate with young people because they have no social skills and are unable to communicate live on a one on one basis with another human being. There is a tremendous need for people who are skilled in the trades as opposed to those coming out of college with a business major.

@sizedoesmatter During my police career I was involved in recruiting /training/staff development for several years, so I will use that as my example of how times change.  At that time (late 1990s) very much importance was placed on education for hiring a police recruit, which I personally did not support.  I found that in general the university degree holders were less socially developed and lacking common sense skills in dealing with problem/critical situational exercises put before them.  I also found that their expectation of advancement within the policing career was woefully lacking in "paying your dues" starting from the base recruit through the first ten or so years of developing the critically required skills.  Many actually felt that front line uniform duties (the backbone of policing) were something they would be prepared to tolerate for a short time before becoming a detective or other job they considered worthy of their degree of education.....entitlement you might say.  In very many interviews and staged situational scenarios I struggled to keep a straight face as they fell on theirs.  Generally speaking I preferred the candidate who had knocked around a bit as a teen, learned the hard way occasionally, had  a high level of integrity and caring and a strong sense of pride in their work ethic; a person who wanted to make a difference in their community.  I did what I could to hire such individuals but due to the academic fixation as qualification at the time I saw many excellent candidates unable to continue in the process, which disgusted me.  This academic "over focus" was eventually found to produce many unenthusiastic officers who were often out of their depth in the job, who were comparatively lousy investigators who burned out of the career early.  So the standard went back to degree education being given a more sensible amount of merit, common sense finally prevailed.

@jack-dodds Sad that all that time and energy went down the tubes before reality set in.

@sizedoesmatter Yes it was very frustrating for those of us on the job for many years as we just knew what would be produced by such a flawed approach.  I did this aspect of the job for 3+ years before thankfully getting back to the street where I belonged.

Posted by: @jack-dodds

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@sizedoesmatter Yes it was very frustrating for those of us on the job for many years as we just knew what would be produced by such a flawed approach.  I did this aspect of the job for 3+ years before thankfully getting back to the street where I belonged.

Posted by: @bob-jackman

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I agree with all of the above thoughts. Having been in sales my entire working life, I find it difficult to communicate with young people because they have no social skills and are unable to communicate live on a one on one basis with another human being. There is a tremendous need for people who are skilled in the trades as opposed to those coming out of college with a business major.

Bob, you really nailed it on this one.  Communication skills in our world today are at an all-time low.  All the texting and email exchanges allow people to have no face-to-face, one-on-one verbal conversation at all. 

And the younger generation can not even look someone in the face when they are talking to them, and to a greater measure, even carry on an insightful and meaningful conversation. 

Frankly, I seriously wonder what our schools even really prepare our kids for anymore.  They don't teach spelling, proper English, writing, math, reading or business skills...so why are we sending our kids to high school anymore?  I think that is a legit question and should be a concern.  

@georgeschire  Teach the kids how to use the computer for the 1st - 4th grades and end schooling. Save us millions of dollars wasted on their liberal education. You ask a young person a question and they have to look up the answer on their cell phone, they seem to not retain info in their brain.

I found this topic fascinating and a very interesting read.  My experience, spanning a lifetime of hiring and employing hundreds of people, has taught me that earning college degrees is situational for the individual. 

For most of us, who are older and products of the '40s, '50s, and '60s, a college degree was generally expected if one wanted to be upwardly mobile in the corporate world.  Indeed, any degree would be sufficient.  That paradigm has changed and is often less applicable today than it was for us.  Currently, specialization is the standard entry-level requirement, as employers increasingly seek candidates whose education specifically equips them with specialized skills.  Once in the work world, the paradigm shifts from the prestige of holding college degrees to the actual hands-on work experience a candidate brings to the table.  A college degree gets a candidate in the door.  Once in the door, the employers focus on actual work experience.  

Knowing my history as a lifelong businessperson, many of my social/family peers routinely ask me to speak with and advise their children and grandchildren about working, business, finances, etc.  I enjoy mentoring young people, and when I have an opportunity to speak with them, I have some standard "Marty-isms" that I share with them.   

The major "Marty-ism" is that, if they are college-bound, they should aim to earn double degrees (not double majors) rather than a single one.  One degree is to satisfy their passion, and the other is "insurance" (usually a science), so they can obtain work that enables them to financially provide for themselves in case the "passion" degree fails to work out.  

It is true that having a degree does not guarantee a robust income.  However, a college degree generally provides more opportunities that would be completely closed off to those without one.  The old adage, "It's better to have it and not need it than to need it and not have it," is the rule of the day.  

What are the "Marty-isms?"  Here they are.  

Marty-isms for Young People

Earn a double degree (Forget a Master’s.  They’re a waste of time and provide little or no benefit.) 

Master this adage and make it your mantra:  Successful people do what unsuccessful people are unwilling to do

Learn the SCIENCE of selling (You’ll benefit from it even if you are NOT in sales)

Love what you do and you will never have to work is a myth

Looking for a job is a FULL-TIME JOB! 

Seek mentors and ask for advice.  There is no requirement to follow their advice, but just expose yourself to different perspectives. 

You cannot soar with the eagles if you wallow on the ground with turkeys.  Try to forge relationships with people smarter than you.