You don't have a degree so your not educated

[jackfaire]

I have noticed a trend in newspapers, magazines, and in people to come to the conclusion that because I lack a college degree I am not educated.

Why does this premise exist? I read and study every subject that interests me reading the latest research and even applying it to my field, customer service.

A university setting is not required for me to research and study. I can do many forms of these without a collegiate setting. To assume I am an uneducated bumpkin because I don't have a piece of paper saying I am not is quite irritating.

Most irritating example of this I worked with a guy who was a computer science major in college. His computer started running very slow when I suggested he reboot it.

Apparently he not only had never thought of that but had no idea that every once in awhile you need to reboot a computer.

Anyone else have this happen?

[gremcint]

First of all: Irony alert, it's you are or you're not your

Now I agree that just because you have a degree doesn't mean you are smarter than me. It depends on how you earned the degree and where you earned it that matters.

[Mr Slugger]

I'm sure I've said this before. Back a couple of years ago I was looking for a job. And I was told that you needed a college degree in order to get that job. (Beer salesman) Needless to say I had one that couldn't spell deposit or 6 pack on numerous occasions.

As well as I mean I used to work in a training store, where managers came through. They'd come in fresh from college. It wouldn't be more than a week most of them would crash into a wall and rely on us uneducated people to show them how it's done.

To me a college degree is alot like wearing a suit. You can get to the same place by going to college as from experience. The downside is the person wearing the suit always seems to look better.

[MaggieTheCat]

I used to work for a company that had a very small HR department. The department I worked in was sort of a branch of HR, we did a lot of stuff that a normal HR department would do like interviewing and hiring. But we weren't considered HR. There were 3 (at one time, 4) people in HR and they considered themselves far and away superior to us, especially the manager because he had a master's in something-or-another and our manager only had an associate's degree in office administration or something.

Anyway, the company had a large call center, as well as a front desk. The front desk number was different than the call center number; it was for local calls, like people calling to ask if we had job openings or whatnot, whereas the call center was for orders and questions about products. There was only one woman who worked the front desk, and when she went to lunch or had a day off, someone from the call center would have to cover the front desk phone. This didn't always work out real well, 'cuz if the call center was very busy (like around the holidays) giving up even one agent made the call center managers really pissy.

So, we'd ask HR if they could cover the front desk phone. Hey, there's 4 of you and we're doing your job anyway, you can spare someone for a little while. They were all trained on how to answer the front desk phone. However, we were told on multiple occasions by the HR manager, "I'm not about to ask one of my people, who has a college degree, to do a lowly job like answer a phone."

One of the few things that HR actually did was to organize the special events for the employees. During the month of December, the company would have free lunches for all the employees once a week, so HR would head that kind of deal up. They'd stand in the cafeteria ALL DAY and look pretty, asking people how the food was and restocking stuff as it got low and stirring the soup.

So, let's get this straight. If you have a college degree, being a phone agent of any kind is beneath you and you will not do it. However, stirring soup for 8 hours is acceptable.

There were plenty of people who worked in the call center who had degrees of some kind. I'm sure they would have loved to have heard the HR manager's thoughts on them.

[BroomJockey]

Why does this premise exist? I read and study every subject that interests me reading the latest research and even applying it to my field, customer service.

A university setting is not required for me to research and study.

I'll say the same thing now that I said the last time I saw this argument come up.

It's not that you're stupid, or uneducated, it's that someone with a degree can usually* be expected to have certain skills, and the ability to focus on a goal for at least 4 years, and not get kicked out. Further, it's a way to trim down what could otherwise be an unmanageable number of applicants for a position. Without that degree, you've no way to actually prove you've got certain skills and knowledge unless they give you a test, and most companies aren't going to bother to administer a test to every person who applies for a job.


*Can we spare me the innumerable stories of idiots with degrees? They're about as common as sucky customers. Meaning they exist, yes, but they're not the majority. You might be able to name 10, or even 20, but my University graduates over 5,000 Bachelors every year.

[jackfaire]

It's not that you're stupid, or uneducated, it's that someone with a degree can usually* be expected to have certain skills,

Actually this has nothing to do with employment. And I plan on going back to school to get my degree so I can be doing the job I want.

This has to do with individuals who discount my opinion because I don't have a degree. I have noticed in like for example a newspaper article someone will write a letter to the editor and mention in it that of course anyone without a degree won't understand the content of their letter.

Other times I will be in a discussion and people seem to suddenly discount my opinion no matter how smart they thought it was 2 minutes ago because it is revealed I am a college dropout.

Again not a work thing just a person thing.

Edit:

Forgot to add that it wasn't an idiot with a degree story but actually person who treated me like a moron because I don't have one. I got hired as a temp for a company that doesn't hire people without degrees very often. I wowed them with my experience and in the interview. I would try to point out things like rainbow colored excel spreadsheets are hard on the eyes and he would discount my opinion as being that of an idiot. He started respecting my opinion after I showed I actually knew a thing or two about computers. The stuff he was assuming I must be an idiot about were things that you learn in highschool.

[RecoveringKinkoid]

I don't have a degree.

I mean, I can't pass college math, are you kidding? I dropped out before they threw me out. I don't know what I was thinking, going to college. Total waste of my parent's money. I still feel bad about that.

I also managed to beat out over a hundred graphic design applicants on my last job. You know why? Because I rock. I possess mad skills and the ability to spin out a breathtaking line of bullshit without even breaking a sweat. If you are me, you learn at an early age to do some fast talking. I mean, I have a freaking learning disability that gets me labled as an idiot if I don't learn to work around it. Good thing I have at least enough ethics to keep me from being a con artist, because I would make a good one.

Listen, I worked at KINKO'S...where we do the resumes of all the idiots and morons with no talent, no skills, and no brains who looked down their noses at us because they thought they were better than us lowly unwashed serfs. I wish I had a nickle for every dumbfuck who came over fresh out of graduation with not a single marketable skill.

I should note some of these people were graphic designers would were unable to design themselves a resume. Please enjoy the irony with me.

My husband's best friend is a score composer with no degree. The best musican I know can't read music. The best computer tech I know flunked out of Francis Marion.

So, yeah. It ain't the bat, babies. It's the balls.

[jackfaire]

I appreciate it Recovering and you might not have seen my second post but not really about jobs. Heck I love my job and I agree I need a lot more schooling before I can be a therapist.

I am referring to the tendency people have to label my opinions as worthless based on my lack of formal schooling.

[RecoveringKinkoid]

I know what you mean, but usually, I don't immediately "out" with my uneducated state. I let people get to know me a bit and put the inevitable lable of "brainy, educated artist type" and get used to that. Which they always do.

Then, if it comes up, or I think it might be fun to MAKE it come up, I drop the bomb and watch the fun. Talk about blowing people's expectation and notions to hell and back. Here's the thing...if someone discounts your intellect based on what they think rather than what they know, they are far, far too stupid to be someone who's opinions should matter to you.

A similar thing happens to people with my particular "problem" (dyscalculia). It's a very narrowly focused learning disability. If you tested me for math, you'd conclude that I was probably mentally handicapped. However, if you test me in anything else, I come off as far above average. People have said, genuinely suprised, "Oh! I thought you were very smart!" A statment I find both amusing and rather offensive. I usually just counter with "You thought right." If they treat me like I'm stupid based on that narrow field of mental deficiency that I have, I'm going to take them to task for it. Because I am usually way smarter than the idiot calling me stupid.

[jackfaire]

they are far, far too stupid to be someone's who's opinions should matter to you.

I would love to see you say that to my mom

Most of the time it's not someone that has the time to get to know me it's a colleague or someone who jumps into a conversation or something. The people who get to know me typically don't care what schooling I have.

[BroomJockey]

This has to do with individuals who discount my opinion because I don't have a degree. I have noticed in like for example a newspaper article someone will write a letter to the editor and mention in it that of course anyone with a degree won't understand the content of their letter.

Hee. Preconceptions are fun. *facepalm* My mistake.

Well then, my opinion on the actual topic, not my personal fantasy-land interpretation: Those people are stupid. Yes, it's possible to understand something without a degree. People usually get a degree for one of two reasons. They enjoy the subject, or they want a specific job. You don't need the degree if you enjoy the topic. As long as you can demonstrate a basic level of competence (spelling, grammar, logic), then you can just do a little research to figure out the expertise portion.

[jackfaire]

Yeah I am working towards going back to school so I can get my psych degree. A field my psych teacher who was practicing for 50 years felt I would be great in.

[Bright Star]

The stupidest people I have ever met are those idiots with college degrees. I'm not impressed.

[RecoveringKinkoid]

Man, I heard that. So true.

It's been suggested I go back to school.

I would rather be shoved naked into a barrel full of broken glass and hedgehogs and rolled down a hill. I'm not kidding.

[Boozy]

The stupidest people I have ever met are those idiots with college degrees. I'm not impressed.

Some of the biggest idiots I've ever met don't have college degrees and wear hats on Thursdays.

Basically, they aren't related.

A college diploma (or university degree) gives someone a very specific skill set. I studied history, so I know how to write research papers and find my way around an academic library. I'm going to be "smarter" at those things than someone who doesn't have an arts degree. But given that most of my everyday life doesn't involve those things, my degree makes me no smarter or dumber than anyone else.