lol you sound so mad. and this is such bs. degrees mean something to get you in the door in your field and without that you won't gain experience. i'd agree that degrees don't mean jack after you've been working for some time, but they sure as shit mean stuff when you are getting off your feet.
there are also PLENTY of people that have no personal skills and flat out don't know how to interview that get great jobs and go on to have great careers because they are very good technically.
agreed about masters, although in STEM fields i think masters are not needed at all and actually don't mean jack shit, at least in the area i'm in with software development.
Sorry, didn't mean to come off that they don't matter at all - That's obviously never the case. My point is they are just one of MANY MANY factors including:
1) Relation to the job (Friend, Family, etc..) - This helps you out more than a degree ever will
2) Interview Skill - If you're a bumbling moron, you will never get the job. If you are very slick in your social skills you can easily trump yourself up past the most qualified person if you are good at selling yourself.
3) Prior job experience
4) Again Degree is just a piece of paper. I've seen so many job requirements where it simply says "Bachelor degree"... doesn't even matter which one they say, as long as you have one.
5) Certifications
6) Many other factors, such as relationship to the company (Work with the competitor previously, for example)
#1, #2, and #3 will land you a job WAAAAAAY easier than #4.