Degree Required?

[Rick Lippincott <RJLIPPINCOTT -at- DELPHI -dot- COM>]

It's almost a "ya can't win" situation, but my vote is to go ahead and apply
for those jobs even if your degree isn't a perfect match.  There are several
reasons.

First, if you're mailing out resumes, all that you've got to loose is a
stamp and a little bit of time.

Second, and most important, I don't think companies put as much weight on
any degree (perhaps -any- single qualification) as you would think.  Here's
why.  I was job hunting from September of '93 to this past April.  I saw a
lot of those same type ads: "Degree required."  Okay, so I've got a degree.
As a matter of fact, I've got a Master's in tech writing.  So, in theory,
those companies that were calling for a degree should have done back flips
when my resume came in the mail, I should have gotten multiple job offers
by October of '93.  It didn't happen that way.  Although it helped to
attract attention, and I know of a couple of times it got me an interview,
it was writing skill that finally landed me a job.

So, be bold.  Apply for the jobs anyway.  The worst that can happen is that
they say no.  (Well, actually, I suppose the worst that can happen is that
you later learn the ad was placed by a serial axe murderer, in an effort to
compile a list of future victems....but that's not probable.)(Well, not more
than once, anyway.)

Good luck on the interviews.

Rick Lippincott
rjlippincott -at- delphi -dot- com