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Subject:Re: success with finding jobs From:Lynn Gold <figmo -at- RAHUL -dot- NET> Date:Mon, 21 Jul 1997 12:33:34 -0700
Steven Warren wrote:
>
>Wayne wrote:>
>Here in Silicon Valley you still run into lamebrained HR departments that
>will overlook resumes if there isn't a college degree listed. Lamebrained
>Pubs managers will probably do the same, but the smart ones know better.
>When I was a Pubs manager, half my staff of 12 had degrees. There was no
>obvious correlation between sheepskin and ability.
>
>First of all, I take offense to lamebrained HR departments. There is a
>reason HR departments follow this criteria.
>Furthermore, to make such a broad generalization is astounding. Having a
>college degree shows a prospective
>employer that you have what it takes to see something through to the end.
>This establishes your character to a
>prospective employer. It proves you also have what it takes to stick out a
>long project. College is a discipline and
>should not be viewed as something negative.
I agree with Wayne.
When someone doesn't have a degree, you don't automatically know WHY they
don't have it, and there are many perfectly good reasons to not have one:
. the person was forced to leave school for financial reasons
. an abusive spouse/ex-spouse/partner/parent forced the person to leave
school (I've seen this happen too many times and went through it myself)
. the person got a VERY good job while in school and was forced to choose
between real-world experience and money vs. a piece of sheepskin that
didn't guarantee work
. the person has always been able to get work without a degree and can't
justify getting one (time and expense vs. results)
. the person was working while going to school and the person's employer
forced the person to choose between a roof and a degree (this often
happens when someone is going to school while working and gets really
close to having that degree)
With this in mind, I say someone who can make it without a degree is often
smarter and more capable than someone who got their job by getting straight
A's through school. I'm not saying "always" or knocking straight A
students; I'm only saying degree-snobs only rob themselves of excellent
employees.
--Lynn
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