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Qualifications?

View Poll Results: What is your level of formal education?
None! Didn't get me where I is through no book learnin'!
3
3.90%
O'Levels / GCSEs / CSEs etc.
7
9.09%
A'Levels etc.
8
10.39%
Vocational Qualifications (NVQ / City & Guilds etc.)
9
11.69%
Bachelor's Degree
27
35.06%
Master's Degree
9
11.69%
Professional Degree (MBA / MD / JD etc.)
6
7.79%
Doctorate
8
10.39%
Voters: 77. You may not vote on this poll

Qualifications?

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Old Jun 11th 2004, 2:51 am
  #46  
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Default Re: Qualifications?

Originally posted by hhmaker
I was one of the higher earners in yesterdays poll. and I can totally disprove the education/salary link. I left school at 16 with a few O levels and went of to work with British Telecom. I am now a CIO for a very large bank.
As dbj pointed out it doesn't disprove the theory. I'm another exception -I have a PhD and no paying job.

......But my hubby also has a PhD and that brought us here to a decent job
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Old Jun 11th 2004, 3:03 am
  #47  
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Default Re: Qualifications?

Originally posted by monster
As dbj pointed out it doesn't disprove the theory. I'm another exception -I have a PhD and no paying job.

......But my hubby also has a PhD and that brought us here to a decent job
Also depends on what you have your degree in.
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Old Jun 11th 2004, 3:10 am
  #48  
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Originally posted by dbj1000
So an impressive 62% of us have a Bachelor's degree or higher!

As some people have pointed out, anyone over here on an H1 visa is likely to have at least an undergraduate degree, otherwise it's very difficult for the sponsoring company to justify the visa application.

For those of you who believe that all you need to get on in this world is common sense, a good work ethic and a wealth of experience, I would remind you that in high tech industries such as Semiconductors or Telecoms, this simply isn't the case. As Vicky just said, most US high-tech companies won't allow you to move beyond Technician without a degree, and even technicians require Associates Degrees in most cases now. You simply can't learn this stuff through hard graft and the sweat of your brow.

...but then I would say that, given that I'm so over-educated, eh?

I am also pointing out that this is not always necessarily the case, we are an example of that. I agree that some of the jobs you mentioned such as in the high tech industry would require some sort of degree. As I said earlier, being in the right place at the right time also helps. Hey, any way you can get it is good. By the way, all you people out there looking for work, try the Boeing web site for AZ, they are hiring up a storm, good money and throwing benefits at you if you want to re-locate and can stand the heat.
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Old Jun 11th 2004, 3:41 am
  #49  
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Effi

To a large degree being in the right place at the right time does play a part. However, I think being in the right place at the right time is a bit more difficult these days because of the way they have tightened up on H1B's due to high unemployment in the US. I think anyone without a degree trying to get a visa for the US these days would struggle. Not saying it can't be done, but it would be difficult trying to convince INS that the applicant can do a job that no US citizen can do without having that piece of paper.
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Old Jun 11th 2004, 3:55 am
  #50  
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Default Re: Qualifications?

Originally posted by veryfunny
Also depends on what you have your degree in.
Does it? As degrees are so much more general over here, are employers really interested in the major? It doesn't seem so from the people I have met. Employers here seem to use degrees as indicators of intelligence/ability to learn. Which is probably not a bad thing.
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Old Jun 11th 2004, 4:21 am
  #51  
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Default Re: Qualifications?

Originally posted by monster
Does it? As degrees are so much more general over here, are employers really interested in the major? It doesn't seem so from the people I have met. Employers here seem to use degrees as indicators of intelligence/ability to learn. Which is probably not a bad thing.
Well in my field it does.
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Old Jun 11th 2004, 7:19 am
  #52  
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Default Re: Qualifications?

Too true, as I have never seen so many people working outside their fields, as they do in the US. I know someone with an economics degree who works as a software tester. Can't see any relation between the fields of study but as monster says seems in the US they are more open to the suggestion of intelligence conferred by a degree.

Originally posted by monster
Does it? As degrees are so much more general over here, are employers really interested in the major? It doesn't seem so from the people I have met. Employers here seem to use degrees as indicators of intelligence/ability to learn. Which is probably not a bad thing.
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Old Jun 11th 2004, 7:27 am
  #53  
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Default Re: Qualifications?

Originally posted by monster
Employers here seem to use degrees as indicators of intelligence/ability to learn. Which is probably not a bad thing.
That is certainly the impression that I have got.

I don't need one for immigration purposes being married to a USC, but I wouldn't dream of moving to the States without that essential piece of paper. Which is why I'm spending the summer writing a dissertation.
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Old Jun 11th 2004, 11:09 am
  #54  
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Default Re: Qualifications?

Originally posted by g1ant
That is certainly the impression that I have got.

I don't need one for immigration purposes being married to a USC, but I wouldn't dream of moving to the States without that essential piece of paper. Which is why I'm spending the summer writing a dissertation.
Good for you! Good luck - as you know, it will be worth it when you get here and are job hunting...

...unless you find yourself being interviewed by a senior British executive with no paper qualifications!!!

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Old Jun 11th 2004, 12:56 pm
  #55  
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Default Re: Qualifications?

Originally posted by dbj1000
Good for you! Good luck - as you know, it will be worth it when you get here and are job hunting...

...unless you find yourself being interviewed by a senior British executive with no paper qualifications!!!

i dont mean to say this in a bad way.

there is a school of thought out there that says/thinks, people will college education think differently to people without college education. they say that there are attitudes/things/way of life that you pick up in college/uni. i think this is true. there are exceptions of course.
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Old Jun 11th 2004, 1:21 pm
  #56  
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Default Re: Qualifications?

Originally posted by Gross50
i dont mean to say this in a bad way.

there is a school of thought out there that says/thinks, people will college education think differently to people without college education. they say that there are attitudes/things/way of life that you pick up in college/uni. i think this is true. there are exceptions of course.
The whole foundation of university (or what universities were found on) was to encourage the students to think around an issue and develop an idea for themselves, not to encourage people to think along similar lines...although they must all still learn the same fundamental issues.

Where would we be if University students all came out with the same attitude that school pupils left school with?
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Old Jun 11th 2004, 1:36 pm
  #57  
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Default Re: Qualifications?

Originally posted by veryfunny
Well in my field it does.
Hubby's too, but not in mine as I'm a full time mother
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Old Jun 11th 2004, 1:43 pm
  #58  
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Default Re: Qualifications?

Originally posted by monster
Hubby's too, but not in mine as I'm a full time mother
I reckon you need a masters to put a nappy on properly...

everytime I attempt it with a friends kids, when you pick up the kid, the nappy falls straight off (or the kid turns blue)

I'll get it one day, but while I'm in this state of inability...I can get away with watching TV and avoiding the smelliness.

phew.
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Old Jun 11th 2004, 1:49 pm
  #59  
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Default Re: Qualifications?

Originally posted by Gross50
i dont mean to say this in a bad way.

there is a school of thought out there that says/thinks, people will college education think differently to people without college education. they say that there are attitudes/things/way of life that you pick up in college/uni. i think this is true. there are exceptions of course.
Too true, but I don't know that it's an effect of a college education - I buy into the idea of multiple intelligences, and of emotional intelligence. There are plenty of people I've met who I think are much more intelligent than I, but have no college education at all. Like the electrician who re-wired part of my house. He can think in ways I'm just not capable of.

People who go to college have a certain type of intelligence/way of thinking/attitude, and this is fostered at the college.
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Old Jun 11th 2004, 1:51 pm
  #60  
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Default Re: Qualifications?

Originally posted by Chopper-Chris
I reckon you need a masters to put a nappy on properly...

everytime I attempt it with a friends kids, when you pick up the kid, the nappy falls straight off (or the kid turns blue)

I'll get it one day, but while I'm in this state of inability...I can get away with watching TV and avoiding the smelliness.

phew.
Yeah, after my wife watched me once she won't allow me to change another (damn!!). Amazing how well that "incompetant dad with a baby act" works!!!
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