All through school I was told how vital it was to get a good result in my next exams; and I believed it. But then I stopped believing it, and while it did lead to some fairly hard times in the short term, it turns out that in the long run, it's a lie; Nobody cares what bits of paper you have - they care about what you can actually do, and have actually done. And looking at the financial status of my peers, it seems that spending a few years unemployed is pretty much the same as doing a PhD, only with less effort, and less respectability. The money is much the same.
I think you have that backwards. Most people who lack the intelligence, energy, or knowledge to make it work don't have a degree. The person who has (by some means) obtained a degree without having intelligence, energy, or knowledge is far less desirable as an employee than the person who has the intelligence, energy, and knowledge, but no degree.All through school I was told how vital it was to get a good result in my next exams; and I believed it. But then I stopped believing it, and while it did lead to some fairly hard times in the short term, it turns out that in the long run, it's a lie; Nobody cares what bits of paper you have - they care about what you can actually do, and have actually done. And looking at the financial status of my peers, it seems that spending a few years unemployed is pretty much the same as doing a PhD, only with less effort, and less respectability. The money is much the same.
You have to remember that, all things considered, your career started during a certain era, and now the world seems to be a much different place.
No doubt without any marketable skills you're going to have trouble entering the workforce, but these days, at least in my little bubble, not having a degree or diploma is pretty much a death knell. I think you had the advantage that you're a reasonably smart person regardless, but many people in SWO who lack a degree not only lack the cognitive ability to enter college, but they also don't get the rigorous education that college affords, and so often find basic skills (aka literacy) lacking.
Tack that on to a job market where the people getting middle-class jobs are usually extremely specialized and you're pretty much fucked if you have no education, at least in terms of life-time financial security. That's not to say the path that you took is impossible any more, but most people who don't have some kind of degree don't have the intelligence, energy, or knowledge to make it work.
I'd add, too, that these days even a basic degree with no type of marketable specialization is pretty helpful. When I was only rocking a BSc I couldn't get well paying jobs, but the combination of my ability to write eloquent e-mails and the stamp that told people I've got the ability to reason got my foot in the door to every minimum wage job I applied to.
Go back to the mid-seventies when my parents were entering the work-force and barely any of this is true. My dad drove down the road, shook a few people's hands, and worked for 30 years in a well paying job after which he retired with a cushy pension. At it's core employment prospects are closely related to supply/demand, and these days supply is pretty high, and demand is pretty low, except for the highest skilled jobs.
I think you have that backwards. Most people who lack the intelligence, energy, or knowledge to make it work don't have a degree. The person who has (by some means) obtained a degree without having intelligence, energy, or knowledge is far less desirable as an employee than the person who has the intelligence, energy, and knowledge, but no degree.You have to remember that, all things considered, your career started during a certain era, and now the world seems to be a much different place.
No doubt without any marketable skills you're going to have trouble entering the workforce, but these days, at least in my little bubble, not having a degree or diploma is pretty much a death knell. I think you had the advantage that you're a reasonably smart person regardless, but many people in SWO who lack a degree not only lack the cognitive ability to enter college, but they also don't get the rigorous education that college affords, and so often find basic skills (aka literacy) lacking.
Tack that on to a job market where the people getting middle-class jobs are usually extremely specialized and you're pretty much fucked if you have no education, at least in terms of life-time financial security. That's not to say the path that you took is impossible any more, but most people who don't have some kind of degree don't have the intelligence, energy, or knowledge to make it work.
I'd add, too, that these days even a basic degree with no type of marketable specialization is pretty helpful. When I was only rocking a BSc I couldn't get well paying jobs, but the combination of my ability to write eloquent e-mails and the stamp that told people I've got the ability to reason got my foot in the door to every minimum wage job I applied to.
Go back to the mid-seventies when my parents were entering the work-force and barely any of this is true. My dad drove down the road, shook a few people's hands, and worked for 30 years in a well paying job after which he retired with a cushy pension. At it's core employment prospects are closely related to supply/demand, and these days supply is pretty high, and demand is pretty low, except for the highest skilled jobs.
Sure, most employers say on their recruiting ads that they require a degree; But in my experience, they are prepared to waive that requirement for someone who can demonstrate the ability to do the job. A degree is useful, in that it is a 'get past the first barrier free' pass - but there are plenty of dumb useless people who have a degree or some kind, and there are a fair few smart useful people who do not - and the best employers know that, and are accordingly flexible.
I dropped out and developed marketable skills around my hobbies.If so, what did you do then?
Sure, most employers say on their recruiting ads that they require a degree;But in my experience, they are prepared to waive that requirement for someone who can demonstrate the ability to do the job.A degree is useful, in that it is a 'get past the first barrier free' pass - but there are plenty of dumb useless people who have a degree or some kind, and there are a fair few smart useful people who do not - and the best employers know that, and are accordingly flexible.
Sure, most employers say on their recruiting ads that they require a degree;But in my experience, they are prepared to waive that requirement for someone who can demonstrate the ability to do the job.A degree is useful, in that it is a 'get past the first barrier free' pass - but there are plenty of dumb useless people who have a degree or some kind, and there are a fair few smart useful people who do not - and the best employers know that, and are accordingly flexible.
In my experience this may be the case at first, but when time comes for evals for promotions or layoffs, this comes into play big time. And all it takes to come out is something as innocuous as a department head wanting to 'update their records' or your workplace having "college day".
I would like to add that I see a big difference between an education and a job training program. During the course of my undergraduate degree, I took coursework that was unrelated to my degree. Courses that I never expected to use to earn a living. I enjoyed most of those courses as much as any related to my degree. Surprisingly enough some of those courses which I or anyone else--especially my father--DID end up helping me in various jobs I have held. Even if I had never earned a dime from the language or lot classes I took (and surprisingly I actually DID) i really enjoyed them, found them worthwhile and found that they increased my pleasure in and understanding of the world.
So it depends on what you want and expect from your education. I wanted and expected more than job readiness. And I got more.
Sure, most employers say on their recruiting ads that they require a degree;But in my experience, they are prepared to waive that requirement for someone who can demonstrate the ability to do the job.A degree is useful, in that it is a 'get past the first barrier free' pass - but there are plenty of dumb useless people who have a degree or some kind, and there are a fair few smart useful people who do not - and the best employers know that, and are accordingly flexible.
In my experience this may be the case at first, but when time comes for evals for promotions or layoffs, this comes into play big time. And all it takes to come out is something as innocuous as a department head wanting to 'update their records' or your workplace having "college day".
Elementary edjumucation (now retired.) The first half of my career ('til '92) was free of the encroachment of the Reform Movement. Then came the Assessment Technocrats. Sweeeeet Jesus. I'm glad to be out of it, and even more glad that when I was a youngster and subject to the latest thinking in education (mainly that meant New Math) that this No Child Left Untested mindset hadn't yet descended. Test 'em! Test 'em! Retest 'em!!!! You don't read books or "selections" anymore, you read "texts", and you respond to "texts". And if you get it into your head that "texts" are fun and you might want to read more of them in your free time and even visit a used "text" store and buy some to put on your textshelves at home...well, you're an oddball.