"Professional" job without degree
May 24th 2018, 8:58 pm
#31
i hate cabbage
Joined: Mar 2015
Location: Fort Worth, TX
Posts: 438
Re: "Professional" job without degree
hmvsdog - i have zero degrees, i hate studying. However, for my specific field in IT - experience + the relevant Microsoft certs speaks louder than degrees and I know it'd be fairly easy if i wanted to move on from my current firm.
Oh, my title is also an Engineer, but i'm not real, nor is my work.
May 27th 2018, 3:21 pm
#32
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Location: Nevada b4 California b4 Colorado b4 Valley of plastic and sand, b4 London
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Re: "Professional" job without degree
In the USA it is not about degrees it is about what value you bring to a company. Your job is to make people aware of what you can bring to the table that few people can.
The definition of a professional job in the United States, is one that requires a degree to perform. I never went to university in the UK and instead took a job as a Trainee Software Developer. 20+ years later after a couple of company changes, promotions and a country change on L-1A, I am a Director of a Software Development Company, still without a degree. If I wanted (in the future this is, not right now) to change company and work for a different employer in the United States, I've heard anecdotally that this can cause issues as the degree is looked at and if it's not there, the resume goes in the trash. The lady I spoke to about this in our recruitment team advised to reach out to prospective hiring managers on LinkedIn first, as companies are starting to see the value in long term experience over a university or college degree from 20+ years ago. She said that it may cause a little headache, but is not an insurmountable problem.
I wondered if anyone here had a similar story or could offer any tales from their experience?
Thanks!
I wondered if anyone here had a similar story or could offer any tales from their experience?
Thanks!
May 29th 2018, 8:28 pm
#33
Forum Regular
Joined: Jun 2016
Posts: 46
Re: "Professional" job without degree
This is more general advice. Currently people are questioning the value of CS degree giving actual cost of the college education in US. Regardless of that, I would strongly suggest for anyone who is under age 30 to consider getting his/her college degree in the field that would provide competitive skills in US job market. It is absolutely true that you will find professional job without a degree, but you may also loose your job for not having one. I've seen it. My professor at college told me once that getting Bachelor degree is like getting "an union card". She was right about that. The reality is that certain level of education is always required when searching for the right candidate and you will have to provide some documentation in a form of diploma or college transcript. In certain fields you will not be permitted to work unless your education meets the US standards and it will require passing federal or state mandated tests. This is similar to other countries. If you would like to work for public federal or state sector, you must have Bachelor degree for some positions. If you do not have US degree, your will have to produce proof that your have an education equivalent to US one.
May 30th 2018, 12:22 am
#34
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May 30th 2018, 1:50 am
#35
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Joined: Apr 2016
Location: Chicago, Illinois
Posts: 334
Re: "Professional" job without degree
We're currently hiring "Software Engineers" straight out of college at $90k in Houston, TX.
Please show me a role in which a 21 year old without a degree would warrant $90k (although I don't really think this does, either, but that's a different story) - to me that's the value of your degree right there, else we wouldn't even consider you for a position at that level, or anything close to it, for that matter.
Please show me a role in which a 21 year old without a degree would warrant $90k (although I don't really think this does, either, but that's a different story) - to me that's the value of your degree right there, else we wouldn't even consider you for a position at that level, or anything close to it, for that matter.
May 30th 2018, 12:32 pm
#36
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Joined: Mar 2015
Location: NC, USA (ex Yorkshire)
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Re: "Professional" job without degree
We're currently hiring "Software Engineers" straight out of college at $90k in Houston, TX.
Please show me a role in which a 21 year old without a degree would warrant $90k (although I don't really think this does, either, but that's a different story) - to me that's the value of your degree right there, else we wouldn't even consider you for a position at that level, or anything close to it, for that matter.
Please show me a role in which a 21 year old without a degree would warrant $90k (although I don't really think this does, either, but that's a different story) - to me that's the value of your degree right there, else we wouldn't even consider you for a position at that level, or anything close to it, for that matter.
May 30th 2018, 4:24 pm
#38
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Joined: Dec 2005
Location: Colorado Springs
Posts: 1,214
Re: "Professional" job without degree
We're currently hiring "Software Engineers" straight out of college at $90k in Houston, TX.
Please show me a role in which a 21 year old without a degree would warrant $90k (although I don't really think this does, either, but that's a different story) - to me that's the value of your degree right there, else we wouldn't even consider you for a position at that level, or anything close to it, for that matter.
Please show me a role in which a 21 year old without a degree would warrant $90k (although I don't really think this does, either, but that's a different story) - to me that's the value of your degree right there, else we wouldn't even consider you for a position at that level, or anything close to it, for that matter.
The DOL OOH says as much.
Last edited by neill; May 30th 2018 at 4:28 pm.
May 30th 2018, 6:01 pm
#39
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Joined: Feb 2011
Location: WA state
Posts: 3,062
Re: "Professional" job without degree
Payscales where I work mean that you earn about $10k less if you don't have a degree.
May 31st 2018, 1:36 am
#40
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Location: Lauren's Co. SC by way of Palmetto, Florida
Posts: 3,265
Re: "Professional" job without degree
Just an observation that many college graduates will leave college with more than just their diploma! Current estimations put the number of college students contracting an STD at one in four, that's quite high and there's quite the choice to be had - besides Chlamydia other common delightful afflictions include Gonorrhea, Herpes and Syphilis.
