I just have to say that this post is itself an excellent example of why
the individual matters more than the degree.  Thank you, Micah.

==Joseph++

Micah DesJardins wrote:
> Full disclosure - I have no college degree.  My first IT related job
> was in (1990 when I was a sophmore in high school) and I have worked
> in the field ever since.  I have (thus far) never experienced what I
> would consider difficulty in finding or keeping a job in Information
> Technology.  I have worked in higher education for the last seven
> years where it has been my experience that there is an even greater
> value placed on degrees than in the corporate world where I spent my
> previous ten years.
> 
> I'll go ahead and chime in here, not because I don't value or
> appreciate the perspectives of Joshua or Carlos, but rather because I
> believe that there is another piece of the equation that we are
> missing.  In our discussion of certification, degrees, and how to
> prepare for doing what you most want to be doing, the most important
> part of the equation, is you as an individual.  Each of us is unique
> with our own talents, capabilities and experiences and the onus is on
> you as a seeker of employment to showcase what makes you unique and
> valuable.
> 
> One cannot underestimate the value of a degree in any professional
> field.  Simply put, it is and always has been a very easy and
> convenient yardstick by which to measure an individual's ability to
> learn and synthesize information.  The problem lies in the fact that
> all degrees are not equal and even differing degree programs within
> individual institutions can have quite a bit of disparity between
> covered curriculum.  I agree with Joshua that completing a degree
> program shows a level of commitment to oneself and to one's chosen
> field of study.
> 
> However, I also agree with Joseph.  An individual's degree matters far
> less to me than the qualities and character of the person holding it,
> or not holding it as the case may be.  I have met a number of highly
> educated individuals who were terrible at applying the knowledge they
> had acquired to real world problems.  That said, it is nearly
> impossible to make a qualitative judgment about a person's character
> or qualities without a significant time investment.   This is time you
> simply don't have when you are in the middle of a search for a
> prospective employee.  This is one reason why quantitative
> measurements such as degrees are so valuable.  They are not however,
> the only way to succeed.
> 
> Another way to succeed without a degree in your chosen field, is
> through accomplishments.  A well documented record of success.
> Successful individuals find inspiration in the work that they're doing
> because it is something that they enjoy thinking about.  They look for
> areas in which things are not as good as they could be and try to find
> better solutions to the problems they are trying to solve.  They work
> hard to educate themselves in as many ways as possible about how
> things work in their chosen field or in how other people have solved
> similar problems in the past.  And then, this is the important part,
> they apply their gained knowledge as well as their inspiration to
> create something better than what existed before.  By doing this over
> and over again, you gain experience and confidence in yourself and
> your abilities.
> 
> Degrees have value and are important.  Experience and applied
> knowledge have value and are important.  Neither necessarily
> represents the whole picture.  What someone knows is less important
> than what someone is capable of learning and then able to apply.  The
> most valuable employees are not the ones who know how to solve your
> problems today.  They are the ones who are capable of looking forward
> and trying to solve the problems you are likely to have tomorrow, as
> well as capable of finding solutions to the unforeseen problems that
> always crop up from time to time.
> 
> My advice would be to not worry about the next bubble.  Find something
> you're passionate about.  If that's security, or health care
> technology or whatever it is, then do that and be the best that you
> can be in your chosen field.  Best of luck to you.
> 
> Anyways,
> 
> My 0000 0010 bits
> 
> Micah DesJardins
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