Bachelors Degree, Has it lost its edge and its value?

[vi edit]

I figured I'd put some numbers behind your comment. It's telling that we have more people graduating with degrees in Psychology (or visual/performing arts) than engineering.

Well, for one thing Engineering is a much more selective process and by design has less qualified candidates. And two, they only allow so many students per year. It's a much more controlled system that will always yield lower numbers of graduates. It also helps increase demand by limiting supply. Same argument can be made for MD's.

When it comes to other "soft science" degrees a university doesn't have to worry about keeping up with placement statistics or national rankings and it's just money in the bank for them. They'll take about any applicant that comes along.

 

[Paul98]

I've talked to alot of friends about this. I've concluded that a college degree in 2010 is the same as the manufacturing boom in 1970. In 1970 everyone was going to trade school at the same time to go into manufacturing, sound familiar?

Ultimately what happened is the glut of people with the same skills were screwed over. Their jobs got shipped overseas.

I think its inevitable the same will happen here. I see articles like this one:

China: World's largest supplier of educated workers
http://money.cnn.com/2012/06/15/news/economy/china-educated-workers/index.htm

and can pick them apart. Stuff like

I think you can tell the school system has degraded here by increasing access. The students are stupid and don't take advantage of the opportunity, it frustrates the teachers who take it out on their students, I see it almost everyday.

We have an engineer graduation problem, and a quality problem. Not so in other countries. If manufacturing can be outsourced, the R&D and brains of the operation can be outsourced even easier with the web. Since we are 19th globally in education, and getting spanked by the likes of China, Japan, etc. I see this ending the same way it did when manufacturing in 1970 was THE thing to do.

Much of the problem is that very smart people who would be able to do very well in science, engineering,... degrees are opting to get degrees in things that make far more money.

 

[Triumph]

Of course it isn't worth as much as it used to be, because its worth was in the fact that other people didn't have one. Now that everyone is "supposed" to get one, it doesn't give you a leg up on the competition that it once did. It's simple supply and demand, I don't know why this is so hard to understand.

 

[superccs]

As long as all the 1% keep raping this country and undercutting education, technology, and civil engineering jobs, our work force will suffer and become more and more over qualified.

 

[ShawnD1]

As long as all the 1% keep raping this country and undercutting education, technology, and civil engineering jobs, our work force will suffer and become more and more over qualified.

A political candidate will say "free market" which means "ship jobs to china" and idiots will still vote for him. You can't blame this on the 1%. Blame it on the 51% who voted wrong.

 

[Aikouka]

you're doing it wrong.

Given that I have gainful employment, I would like to humbly disagree.

 

[GTaudiophile]

At the risk of straying OT, this is another topic that concerns me too. Every company (or even every hiring person, HR or otherwise) has different things they look for. You say you want a cover letter, and that it's properly adapted to the company, where the majority of people I've handed resumes to in person take that letter off and toss it. I asked somebody once about it and they said "I wish people would stop using these cover letters. Just more fluffy garbage to sort through when I really just need your job, education, and project history."

A resume is simply a list of things, hopefully tailored specifically for the job for which the applicant is applying.

The cover letter is an opportunity to show me something. Can you express an idea? Can you relate to my cause? Did you research my cause? Can you write? Can you spell? Can you use proper grammar? Can you communicate? Are you creative? Can you maximize your words by telling me what I need to know in a paragraph or two? What is your personality?

Unlike the resume, the cover letter is the opportunity for individual achievement. It will set someone apart in a field of many similar lists or resumes. And at the very least, it could get you an interview.

The most recent position I hired for was a summer internship. We put the announcement out for a week on three university campuses. We got around 20 applications. The top 6 were selected for closer review upon reading the cover letters. Of those, three came to interview, and one was selected.

 

[Hugo Drax]

College degree is now the equivalent to a High school Degree.

In 15 years, even minimum wage jobs will require a College Degree.

 

[Fenixgoon]

Depends on the school and degree. Anyone with half a brain can earn a degree in business administration. A degree in chemical engineering not so much.

The accessibility of college has naturally watered down the value of a degree. Simple supply and demand.

in short, this.

 

[Doppel]

We all know a bachelor's isn't anything special, but it's certainly more special than not. Most people who say it's a complete waste of time are those without a degree, trying to pretend that the world is not stacked against them for not having it. Well, it is.

 

[nickbits]

My wife can't get s job she is qualified for in Canada in the US because she doesn't have a degree. So they still have value.

 

[Sonikku]

Of course a degree is valuable. A degree is the difference between getting a promotion and instructing your boss on how to do his job. XD

 

[rchiu]

I remember my boss in my previous job, a mid level manager in a Fortune 50 company, and she did not have a college degree. But she was with the company for more than 20 years.

I still see some mid level people without college degree but they mostly have been with the company for many years. Today, it will be tough to get into a big company without a college degree. It has become a min. requirement. Fair or unfair, that's just the way it is. Has college degree lost it's edge? Well depending on what you are looking for. If you just want to get your foot into the door of a good career, an then prove yourself to advance, college degree is fine, it will get you that first entry level job, granted you have relevant degree from a good enough school.

But if you want more specialized, higher level job right off the bat, master degree in engineering or professional degree like MBA, MD, JD...etc is most likely required.

 

[IndyColtsFan]

I remember my boss in my previous job, a mid level manager in a Fortune 50 company, and she did not have a college degree. But she was with the company for more than 20 years.

I still see some mid level people without college degree but they mostly have been with the company for many years. Today, it will be tough to get into a big company without a college degree. It has become a min. requirement. Fair or unfair, that's just the way it is. Has college degree lost it's edge? Well depending on what you are looking for. If you just want to get your foot into the door of a good career, an then prove yourself to advance, college degree is fine, it will get you that first entry level job, granted you have relevant degree from a good enough school.

But if you want more specialized, higher level job right off the bat, master degree in engineering or professional degree like MBA, MD, JD...etc is most likely required.

The MBA, IMO, is one of those things that if you have it and are in the right place at the right time, it can help. Otherwise, it is a risky investment and too many people have them and got nowhere with them. My BSEE >>> MBA in terms of difficulty and even knowing that, I still wouldn't get an MBA unless my employer paid 100%. The only way that would happen with my current tuition reimbursement is if I got one at WGU and I am considering it for the first reason above.

 

[LurkerPrime]

Unfortunately a large portion of degrees given out these days are worthless. A degree in history/arts might as well be a degree in debt and unemployment. You can also thank years of super cheap government subsidized loans for the increased tuition inflation.

If you want a good salary, benifits and job stability then engineering is definately the way to go. Unfortunately engineering isn't a very popular major since it actually requires some hard work and intelligence.

 

[Jeffg010]

This guy got 29 degrees. I guess he did not make the cut for the band 98 degrees.
http://gma.yahoo.com/michigan-man-29-college-degrees-counting-191653707--abc-news-topstories.html

 

[ViviTheMage]

I can tell you first hand that I have needed a degree...even in IT. You need the 4 year to get passed HR generally, even with 6~ years of experience, I am having issues getting interviews even, when I am totally qualified for the job....and have my associates.

Only 3 semesters away from getting my bachelors though, weeeeeeeee.

 

[corwin]

I can tell you first hand that I have needed a degree...even in IT. You need the 4 year to get passed HR generally, even with 6~ years of experience, I am having issues getting interviews even, when I am totally qualified for the job....and have my associates.

Only 3 semesters away from getting my bachelors though, weeeeeeeee.

You and me both...except I have over 12 years experience and can't even get a promotion without one now...and I just started so 3 years away from my bachelors

 

[ViviTheMage]

You and me both...except I have over 12 years experience and can't even get a promotion without one now...and I just started so 3 years away from my bachelors

and with experience, they really don't care, they just want to see the bachelors done...in a science of course.

 

[unokitty]

What I am hearing seems to be that not having a degree can be a negative... That is, not having one can hold you back. But having one just gets your resume passed along with all the rest.

Which is a bit different than a degree being something that would open doors or provide opportunities.

Uno

 

[Ns1]

What I am hearing seems to be that not having a degree can be a negative... That is, not having one can hold you back. But having one just gets your resume passed along with all the rest.

Which is a bit different than a degree being something that would open doors or provide opportunities.

Uno

depends on the job. my friend who wanted to be a mechanic sure as fuck didn't need a degree and is way better off without one.

 

[Triumph]

I can tell you first hand that I have needed a degree...even in IT. You need the 4 year to get passed HR generally, even with 6~ years of experience, I am having issues getting interviews even, when I am totally qualified for the job....and have my associates.

Only 3 semesters away from getting my bachelors though, weeeeeeeee.

And therein lies the problem. Lazy companies just using it as a filter, even if it isn't needed whatsoever for the job.

 

[corwin]

And therein lies the problem. Lazy companies just using it as a filter, even if it isn't needed whatsoever for the job.

Few jobs really "need" a degree...especially in IT where practical skills trump the BS you learn from a 4 year college any day of the week

 

[highland145]

And therein lies the problem. Lazy companies just using it as a filter, even if it isn't needed whatsoever for the job.

WTF is wrong with companies? If the guy can do the job......

 

[corwin]

WTF is wrong with companies? If the guy can do the job......

Devils advocate...part of it has to do with federal labor laws, to qualify for an exempt status a position has to meet their guidelines, requiring a 4 year degree is an easy one to do