If that is so, then why do you want one?

Post #27,901 by Another Scott 2/9/02 9:57:43 AM Reply	If that is so, then why do you want one? If a degree is a useless piece of paper, then why did you tell us you would like to get a BS, MS and PhD? Why did you tell us you were thinking about getting A+ or MCSE certified? It's not just a piece of paper, even to you. My $0.02. EOT. Cheers, Scott.
Post #27,907 by nking 2/9/02 10:55:23 AM Reply	Like I said the idiotic HR departments seem to place a value on it, and in order to avoid having my resumes thrown away I may have to get one. But not right away, as I do not have the money to get one right now. Maybe a college degree in a few years from now when I get a better job. Or an A+ in a month or two? It is not like I'll learn anything new, but I will have something to back me up that I know what I already know. My point is, that I can do the damn job if I had that piece of paper or not, it does not limit my ability to get the job done if I don't have one. I can do it better than most people who have that piece of paper. It really shouldn't matter much, but for some fucking reason it does to moronic HR staff. "Will code Visual BASIC for cash."
Post #27,941 by Steve Lowe 2/10/02 2:08:28 AM Reply	But the reality is You need one to get the job(s) you want, right or wrong. You can argue the value, or lack thereof, of degrees and certifications all you want, but that doesn't affect the simple fact that it's how the world operates. Get yourself some of them Norm, you'll a) feel good about getting them (never underestimate the power of THAT) and b) make yourself more attractive to employers. Oh, and by the way, don't blame the HR departments, they conduct their job searches based on the criteria specified by the hiring manager. ----- Steve
Post #27,951 by nking 2/10/02 10:20:10 AM Reply	Hiring Manager Yes and no, they do follow what the hiring manager said, but then the HR personnel usually don't know Jack Squat about what those technologies are that the Hiring Manager wants. So by default they look for a degree. Then when the Hiring Manager says "I want someone with 5 years of experience in the IT marketplace and make sure that they have .NET and Windows 2000 experience." then the brain-dead HR drone screens out people that do not have five years of experience in ".NET" and "Windows 2000" despite them not being out for that long. Not all HR personnel are like that, thank goodness, some are actually hip to the technology like a local cable company I interviewed for. The HR guy there knew the technologies I would be working with, and didn't screen me out because I didn't have a four year degree or higher. Also sometimes the hiring manager doesn't know what she/he is looking for. That is how those "10+ years of Java" and other impossible job descriptions get made. "Will code Visual BASIC for cash."

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