Justin
Is experience more valuable than a degree when seeking a job?
I have heard people say that their degree does them little good because the employer doesn't want to hire people with no experience. On the other side, some have told me that the "piece of paper" will help you out immensely. I am wanting to know the balance between these. #travel #ceo
2 answers
Mark Williams
Mark’s Answer
Hi Justin!
It depends on the type of job you are looking at and the company you want to work for. Some companies will only hire people with degrees for certain roles - other companies will hire with just experience and no college education. My experience is limited to the tech field, but I would say a mix of both experience and a degree are the best bet for obtaining a job. Before I graduated college I had a part time summer job as an intern doing programming. When I graduated I had many more companies interested in me than my peers (some of which had better grades than me) because I had experience. For many jobs I would recommend a college degree, but spending some time as intern or even a volunteer in the field you are interested in. This will give you both experience that employers want and the ability to test out the area you want to work in.
Best Wishes!
Mark
Zach R. Becker
Zach’s Answer
If your considering engineering experience is king. You can get a senior engineering position without a degree. With that said I think the easiest and least troublesome route may be to gain do both. Get the degree and the experience. If that means starting at the bottom of the field your interested in so be it. In the long run starting from the bottom is an excellent choice in most cases.