Jobs requiring degree: worth applying without one?

[Patrick O'Connell <patricko -at- EICON -dot- COM>]

Greetings folks,

I'm trying to think in terms of my next career move, and have watching both
the "Careers" ads in the local rag and the misc.jobs.offered Usenet group.
One thing I find quite discouraging is the seemingly standard requirement
for a degree in English or computer science or, at the very least, a
baccelaureate of some kind.

I myself am a year shy of a B. Psych. and did a year of computer science,
and state so clearly at the top of my one-page CV (yes, the drops of my
blood on my forehead are all gone now, and thank you for asking). My writing
skills are very strong; I have three and half years tech writing experience
gotten from this, so far my first-and-only tech writing job. My only really
relevant prior experience was being the computer columnist for a couple of
short-lived newspapers here in Montreal.

What I want to know is: should I bother applying to jobs advertised as
"degree required"? According to the first-year management prof I had several
years ago, it's pointless because the first weeding-out (possibly done by
the company HR dept.) is always one based solely on whether or not you meet
the advertised requirements.

Opinions?


Thanks
PatO'
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P.S. If I was ever unsure where I stood in the should-a-degree-be-required
debate, I'm not now! Argh!