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Are we better off getting certified rather that obtaining a degree in our carrier fields?

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Ken’s Answer

It really depends on your focus, which is determined by how your personality traits relate to career fields. It is an individual situation which can be better understood by getting to know yourself better to determine how your personality traits relate to careers and then talking to people who are working in your areas of interest to see what they to, how they got there, and what advice and suggestions that they might have for you.


Getting to know yourself and how your personality traits relate to people involved in various career opportunities is very important in your decision making process. During my many years in Human Resources and College Recruiting, I ran across too many students who had skipped this very important step and ended up in a job situation which for which they were not well suited. Selecting a career area is like buying a pair of shoes. First you have to be properly fitted for the correct size, and then you need to try on and walk in the various shoe options to determine which is fits the best and is most comfortable for you to wear. Following are some important steps which I developed during my career which have been helpful to many .

Ken recommends the following next steps:

The first step is to take an interest and aptitude test and have it interpreted by your school counselor to see if you share the personality traits necessary to enter the field. You might want to do this again upon entry into college, as the interpretation might differ slightly due to the course offering of the school. However, do not wait until entering college, as the information from the test will help to determine the courses that you take in high school. Too many students, due to poor planning, end up paying for courses in college which they could have taken for free in high school.
Next, when you have the results of the testing, talk to the person at your high school and college who tracks and works with graduates to arrange to talk to, visit, and possibly shadow people doing what you think that you might want to do, so that you can get know what they are doing and how they got there. Here are some tips: ## http://www.wikihow.com/Network ## ## https://www.themuse.com/advice/nonawkward-ways-to-start-and-end-networking-conversations ## ## https://www.themuse.com/advice/4-questions-to-ask-your-network-besides-can-you-get-me-a-job?ref=carousel-slide-1 ##
Locate and attend meetings of professional associations to which people who are doing what you think that you want to do belong, so that you can get their advice. These associations may offer or know of intern, coop, shadowing, and scholarship opportunities. These associations are the means whereby the professionals keep abreast of their career area following college and advance in their career. You can locate them by asking your school academic advisor, favorite teachers, and the reference librarian at your local library. Here are some tips: ## https://www.careeronestop.org/BusinessCenter/Toolkit/find-professional-associations.aspx?&frd=true ## ## https://www.themuse.com/advice/9-tips-for-navigating-your-first-networking-event ##
• It is very important to express your appreciation to those who help you along the way to be able to continue to receive helpful information and to create important networking contacts along the way. Here are some good tips: ## https://www.themuse.com/advice/the-informational-interview-thank-you-note-smart-people-know-to-send?ref=recently-published-2 ## ## https://www.themuse.com/advice/3-tips-for-writing-a-thank-you-note-thatll-make-you-look-like-the-best-candidate-alive?bsft_eid=7e230cba-a92f-4ec7-8ca3-2f50c8fc9c3c&bsft_pid=d08b95c2-bc8f-4eae-8618-d0826841a284&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=daily_20171020&utm_source=blueshift&utm_content=daily_20171020&bsft_clkid=edfe52ae-9e40-4d90-8e6a-e0bb76116570&bsft_uid=54658fa1-0090-41fd-b88c-20a86c513a6c&bsft_mid=214115cb-cca2-4aec-aa86-92a31d371185&bsft_pp=2 ##
Here are interesting links, which will give you food for thought regarding this question. Should You Go To College ## https://medium.com/the-mission/high-school-is-over-should-you-go-to-college-b5b6db6f6712 ## My Biggest Regret: Going to College ## https://medium.com/the-mission/my-biggest-regret-in-life-going-to-college-ef2068f179cf ##
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Lodema’s Answer

I would say that depends on your end-goal. I did not finish my degree prior to starting my career. Although I was very successful in my field at the time, I was bypassed for a promotion because I did not have my college degree. This lit a fire under me and I immediately went back to school to finish my undergrad, and then soon after pursued my MBA.

From this experience, I would say follow:
1. If you want to go college the do it. If not, it may always eat at you. And really it will be over before you know it.
2. If you want to go into management/leadership, then go to college. If not, you will be competing with others who do.

Good luck!
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R’s Answer

Ken,

It depends on what you are looking to do. Some careers may not require a degree and experience and certifications may be what you need to succeed.

As a recruiter of engineers, we have many applicants that have technical degrees (ie. computer science or mathematics). And, many of these candidates will continue to improve their skills sets by going through certification programs (ie. AWS or maybe a certain programming language). Many companies like to hire people that have a "growth mindset." Do you like to grow and learn and do you do things that aligned with that. Education is continuous. Do you need a degree to succeed in software engineering? No, but it will give you an advantage.

All the best and always keep learning. It never stops with a degree or certification.

Regards,

Richard
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