What gets you further: Higher education or work experience?
By taraelocin
@taraelocin (1138)
December 20, 2009 7:38am CST
I have studied at university and believe this is a great foundation for a career. But I also know that work experience is crucial for being successful in the workplace.
I know friends from university who went on for further degrees and have been successful. Others who continued their education following their degree are doing jobs paid less than mine.
I also have colleagues working on the same level as me who never went to university and built their career based on experience and hard work.
What do you think is more important? Work experience or higher education?
4 responses
@cripfemme (7698)
• United States
29 Dec 09
I think both are equally important. If you don't have the right degree, people are not going to look at you as a person to hire. If you don't have the right work experience, the same goes. The problem is that no one wants to give someone their first chance. This is why a lot of people volunteer. That way you can get experience.
@taraelocin (1138)
•
30 Dec 09
A balance is always the best. I agree with you - first you need knowledge to get into a company, then experience to grow.
@benny128 (3615)
•
21 Dec 09
well personally for me education is ok but what really matters is life experience and work experience.
I run my own company and find the best people are the people who have work/life experience.
I tend to find with people with degrees or phd's they seem to expect a good wage and a good job, when in reality they have no idea how the world works in the workplace.
For me its better to get a job first learn how the workplace works and experience the job then go and do your further education.
I left school with no qualifications at all yet have ran my own business for over 10 years. Where as I have friends with phd's and they are working in mcdonalds.
So work/life experience is more valuable than higher education in the early days.
@taraelocin (1138)
•
22 Dec 09
When you spend years at university you expect to start on a higher salary. But of course the job you do needs to justify that. You need to start somewhere.
@pushpendra_kumar29 (98)
• India
20 Dec 09
Both matters.pursuing a higher education is well,but how much we gain,its not abt the best university or so,you need to be good in your own field.prepare yourself(expertise in your field).once you are through your work,experience would come,and you gets further on.
Thats what i think and what i have experience in my short carrer
@taraelocin (1138)
•
22 Dec 09
University is a good foundation I think and can be built on with experience. Experience can be more important, but you might not have the same chances without university.
@monica07 (2)
• China
20 Dec 09
I think it deponds on what you are learning and what kind of job you want to do in the future.If you are learning a subject which is very therical and needs much knowledge stock you should put more attention to higher education.While if your major is near daily life and concerns about more skills that knowledge,you can enphasize on working experience.
@taraelocin (1138)
•
22 Dec 09
True, you couldn't be a lawyer without a degree. In other jobs experience is much more important.
