Education maketh a man as the old adage goes.  Our world has evolved so much from centuries gone by. If it can be said that we each have access to a melting pot of opportunities, it is also true that we are all athletes in the race for success. Suddenly, characteristic traits which were all important once upon a time, have taken a backseat.

Today it is a different kind of parameter that wins you respect and in most cases even a job. The abbreviations after your name have a big hand in determining your career.

So why is getting a post graduate degree attracting so much of mileage of late? Well, for starters, it is believed that a person who is studying for such a degree has a genuine passion and love for his subject.

Secondly, with the spurge in the number of universities and institutions offering post graduate degrees, a student who gets his degree from a renowned place is thought to be made of better stuff than his peers. The general perception is that if he has managed to secure a seat amidst stiff competition, then he is a declared winner for life.

Thirdly, a post graduate degree is often spoken of as being a necessity to secure a job, as well as to help one get ahead faster, in one’s career. Not surprising then, that hundreds of students globally, fill out application forms by the dozen, attend tutoring classes, and spend sleepless nights till they get a letter confirming their selection for the post graduate degree.

While this has been a force in encouraging people to study further, it has also lead to a decline in the value of a post graduate degree. Everybody has one, so how does that make you any different? This is especially true of an MBA degree.

So how did our parents and grandparents write their success stories then? Well, those times were different. In those days, getting a job meant that a person worked his way up from the very bottom.

Managers were made usually by the age of 50, as compared to today’s managers who are as young as 25. Job loyalty used to be at an all time peak as well. It was not uncommon for people to work all their lives with one firm, putting in extra hours with utmost devotion and without complaint.

Today any extra work is accounted for in a salary slip. The subtle evolution at the workplace too has not gone unnoticed. Along side middle aged employees, features a new breed of young, broad minded, eager eyed managers making presentations in well cut suits and leather briefcases.

This also leads to an increase in complexes among middle aged employees who may not have the same degree. After all, it is difficult to report to somebody who is much younger than you and still green around the ears. So who actually gets the promotion faster- an employee with only work experience to fall back on or an employee with a postgraduate degree?

. The other school of thought believes that having a post graduate degree helps you think differently, learn faster, communicate better as well as hone group handling skills.

. While having a post graduate degree signifies that your understanding of the subject is higher, work. Hiring such people makes it easier for a work team to gel together as well.

It relatively cuts down ego clashes and complexes that arise because employees can relate better to each other. The important point to note is that since getting a post graduate degree is fast losing its exclusivity, it is vital that post graduates keep updating themselves by attending courses in the area of their choice, seminars, workshops and the like.

If attaining a managerial position is important to you, it is also important to possess the knowledge, acumen and skills that come along with the job. After all, it is never too late for anybody to become a student again, and job related skill development might just tip the scales in your favour. So say yes to doing an odd job or so, or even attending a seminar that is being held in your city.

Every bit of extra effort and knowledge that you gather, eventually adds up to your personality and confidence. Life itself is a school, peppered with lessons, crash courses and surprise exams. So, let every minute be your teacher.

Job Experience or education degree? What values more? It is a discussion that has been going on for quite some time now. And no definite conclusion has still been drawn for the simple reason that it’s subjective and it really depends on individuals. Of course, the value of a college education   degree  cannot be paralleled to that of a job experience. Still the global job market can boast of innumerable examples of individuals who are at the peak of success without attaining a graduate or master’s degree or higher education for that matter.  

For many it becomes difficult to continue school because of soaring costs of education & if one thinks that it is more important for him to earn money rather than going for a full-time degree course. Previously a high school diploma was considered enough to assure an entry-level job where the profile is handling basic tasks. Besides, they are given on-the-job training  to hone their skills. At the same time, they had enough number of years to count as their job experience. As a result, people hardly changed job and preferred to stay with that company in their entire career.  

These traditions, however, are no longer practiced because today’s job market provides individuals with better opportunity. An individual changes jobs, as soon as they are offered a better growth opportunity and a few extra thousands are added in the pay package. Hence, it will not be wrong to say an individual changes around nine to ten jobs in his entire career. Considering this, employers nowadays hesitate to spend on internal training and hires individuals who does not need to undergo development programs and most preferably has higher education degree to his credit. Hence, we can say that there are many reasons why a college degree has fair advantage when it comes to career growth in the long run. 

Employment Benefits

 A college graduate is a highly attractive candidate for recruiters. As a holder of a graduate   degree , you are at an advantage to choose from a variety of job offers. You do not have to go for an entry-level job but can join in the middle management at the very first time. No doubts you will earn much more than those without proper degrees. On the other hand, people with job experience without college degree does not have comprehensive knowledge to handle the business. 

Meet Tougher Job Requirements

A college graduate comparatively has better interpersonal & more critical skills to his credit. During their years of college education, they learn & assess the various strategies and factors driving today’s market. They are better exposed to the ever-changing market and can analyze problems & take smart decisions that ultimately results in the profitability of the company.

Career Training Provided

 A college graduate is provided all the necessary career training, they possess specific skills and are learned to perform jobs with detail and understand client mentality at the same time. Some institutes also provides internship to the students at other companies, thereby helping them acquire practical knowledge and greater exposure. Therefore, employers always prefer to recruit holders of bachelor degree.

 Increased Income

Investment in higher education is always rewarding. Whatever you spend on your degree course, will return to you as your attractive pay package. You spend hefty amount to pursue college education but you are assured of  higher earnings that is much more than your colleagues who doesn’t possess graduate degree. 

Economic Benefit to the Nation

 It is rightly said that a nation cannot progress if its citizens lag behind in education. No doubt a nation earns and progresses if the number of college graduates increases every year. Because of higher education, a nation’s tax revenue increases, greater manpower results in greater productivity which results in the advancement of the country as a  whole.

 Social Value of College Education 

It has been found that higher education is highly related to good citizenship and family values. Graduates have more sense about the right upbringing of their child, the elements that can progress or harm the society, etc. In a way, their practicality helps in the progress of the society and the country in the long run.

 As it is clear above that a college educations proves more beneficial for a person, it becomes imperative that more number of people participate in higher education and fill the gap that arises due to the non-participation in college education. Increased college education will not only help the student to mark an edge, but also benefit the society and the country as a whole.

 However, it would be wrong to say that only holders of college and higher education can be successful in their careers. Today a number of institutions offer online   degree  courses for all professions. Most of the courses are accredited and provides the same education quality that one gets in a full time collagNo matter how much you think about it, getting an education is also a way of gaining experience in whatever you choose to make your life's work. All of the professions do require some

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2 of 20

by Barry Marcus

Higher education is a key to success both within and outside of the corporate world. Some qualifications are highly sought after and rewarded. A professional degree is particularly

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3 of 20

by Koren Ribken

You have worked hard to prepare and type your resume. You write a cover letter that will jump out and grab the employers attention. You have the experience, the drive and this job

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4 of 20

by Jessica Rangel

This is quite an interesting debate to have regarding work experience and education since the two are connected to each other, but when you see it from an objective point of view,

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5 of 20

by Carmen Polvere

Higher Education!

Get a degree! Then go to work. If working, find a way to get a degree.

Higher Education vs. Experience? The years will pass. Ten years in a field will mean basically

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6 of 20

by Greg Norris

Certainly, there are many careers where experience carries more weight than a college degree.Certain service field's time and experience doing the craft will weigh more than proving

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7 of 20

by Adele Gregory

Experience and education are equally valid ways of advancing your career. But if asked which is the faster to way to get ahead. I would say that education has the advantage.Opportunities

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8 of 20

by Ryan Gray

From the time I started searching for my first job, I believed that experience was the key to success. It didn't matter what the job was, how much it paid or where it was located,

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9 of 20

by Leonard J Sherrott

It is often said that life experience is the best education. There is limited merit in that argument , but how long do you want to take to learn? More importantly, how far do you hope

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10 of 20

by John Allen

Today with more than 65% of high school graduates enrolling in college and almost a full third of all high school graduates going on to graduate from college education (2007 TIME ALMANAC)is

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11 of 20

by Betsey Foy

Both education and experience are considered by employers, yet I believe that education leads in which is more important. As a person who is seeking employment, it is best to have

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12 of 20

by Saralyn Colon

In corporate America, education speaks higher of you than education. This is unfortunate, because in many situations people well qualified for a position will be turned down. From

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13 of 20

by Barbara Kasey Smith

My work experience started many years ago, right out of high school, in the government spectrum as a clerk typist. Since I only had a high school education at the time, clerk typist

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14 of 20

by Gillian Laurence

It appears to be an easy question, but really it is very complex. You could easily assume that experience would get you ahead faster, but it really depends on what field you are looking

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15 of 20

by Julie Bruce

I almost think this title should be given a third option and that is "who you know." Often it is not a matter of higher education or work experience but rather that you are a relative

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16 of 20

by Mark Murphy

Up to around 30 ago a person could go pretty far without anything more than a high school education. An intelligent, dedicated worker could get an entry level position and work themselves

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17 of 20

by Ben Naude

Obviously I'd much rather say you need a combination of both because although I am in the pro-higher education camp, I do not for one moment underestimate the immense importance of

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18 of 20

by Joseph Whalen

The sad fact of the matter is, companies are far more inclined to look at your education as a representation of your qualifications than your work experience. While this is certainly

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19 of 20

by Debby Richardson

In today's society it's the educational values that a person possesses and not the work experience that companies and firms look at. This mind set is out of personal experience. I

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20 of 20

by Marla Jones

In the past experience use to trump education, but I believe in the 21st century education trumps experience. I also believe education does not necessarily mean a 4 year degree at

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Experience

1 of 21

by Anthony Megna

What is more beneficial for the worker, a higher education or work experience?  This is an age-old question that always seems to be asked by people.  So what is the answer? 

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2 of 21

by Carmel Brulez

It is easy for me to say that work experience counts for more than qualifications.  For a start, we just recently had a case in the national newspapers in the Uk of a young woman

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3 of 21

by Nick Bianco

Experience will win over education every time. Work experience will provide an education in itself, while even the best education will never amount to one day of experience. Granted

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4 of 21

by Ted Sherman

I somewhat reluctantly have to vote on the side of experience. Now long retired, I can remember back to the years when I was on a university faculty and considered it the career of

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5 of 21

by Lisa Kooper

Education has its benefits in teaching and reinforcing good work habits, such as organization, meeting deadlines and processing information. However, education is a weak substitute

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6 of 21

by Traci McCaiughey

As a recent recipient of an MBA, it is clear that in the working world, your educational experience does not get you closer to a managerial position than the work experience that you

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7 of 21

by Emily McDowell

I am a young adult with many friends who have graduated from college and graduate school in the last few years. Unfortunately, almost all of them are struggling with not being able

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8 of 21

by Ivan Anthony

If you sit in a chair in a classroom for endless hours listening intently, trying to understand what you're being told, and retain it in your memory, are you gaining knowledge or considering

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9 of 21

by Stacia Elizabeth Whitbeck

Nothing can take the place of experience, not even the most cleverly written instruction manual with easy to follow directions. Knowing about something and having experienced it are

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10 of 21

by Kenneth Hofmann

Work experience will help you more than education. When two job candidate go for the same position the human resource person or recruiter will go with the person that has more experience

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11 of 21

by Danette M. Scott

Will higher education or work experience get you ahead faster in your career? Degree holders may find the doors of opportunity slammed in their faces by employers who are seeking experienced

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12 of 21

by David Brown

Higher education is definitely nice to have, yet, this author is finding it personally hard to believe that higher education is the answer to our prayers of getting on the fast track

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13 of 21

by Mina Sofia

Experience is the art to master your skills, skills acquired during many years of higher education. What's the point to get a talent, a gift, if you are not willing to put them out

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14 of 21

by Lanette Tooley

Everyday, several times a day, I hear people talking about the high cost a college education. Parents agonize over how they are going to pay for their children's college education

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15 of 21

by Stephen Culley

Let me start off by giving you a bit of background to my own experiences with this subject.

I left secondary school in June 2005 and I immediately headed for college thinking that it

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16 of 21

by Mat Hudson

It is rare to find a parent or, or some responsible for the career development, that will extol the virtues of career experience over a degree. There are several careers; including

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17 of 21

by Ian Loft

I can say with absolute confidence that experience is far more valuable than a certificate or diploma that tells the world you passed a series of tough academic examinations. Starting

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18 of 21

by Kris Lee

Without doubt, having a higher level of education and a better diploma or degree tends to give a person a headstart when it comes to being shortlisted for interviews and securing that

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19 of 21

by Bill Whitney

This is the kind of a debate that if you really sit down and think about it doesn't make a whole lot of sense. I mean it doesn't matter if you have three doctorates, if you have no

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20 of 21

by Jeffrey Mcpeanne

It will be easier to say both higher education and experience, but experience is what the majority of employers want. Just observe many of the job or career ads they all emphasize