If someone tells u.......?

Question

If someone told you
"just because you have a degree, it doesn't mean you know any better?" how would you interpret that and how would you handle this situation.

Details:

Let's say you just got hired and your manager who never went to college therefore never got a degree tells you the above

Answer 1

That is a hard one. You went to college to learn the trade and they went through experience. Having a degree is a way to get your foot in the door to learn more. So, I would suggest that you answer by saing something along the lines of.... "Yes, I have a degree and there are some things I don't know. However, I do have a firm foundation and can build from that."

Answer 2

My 1st impression is that the person who said that, especially your boss, probably wishes he/she had a degree. Also, when starting out in the working world a degree has limited value until you apply real world experience with the academic learning achieved.

Also, many people and managers are threatened by the new guy/gal with a degree coming on board. They begin to feel as if they are being left behind; that their chances for advancement have been reduced. And in case you don't know, only about 22% of people over the age of 25 have a 4 year degree.

I have had a 3 or 4 managers without a degree. Only one gave me attitude about being a college boy. I just looked at him, told him that his boss or the company hired me to do a job and that is what I am here to do. I also reminded him that I worked my way through college and worked full time (even though I used the GI Bill) while completing both of my Master's degrees. My goal was to make him understand that I worked hard for my education and like him, I earned everything I had.

After that we got along pretty well.

Answer 3

HES YOUR BOSS AND HE DONT HAVE A DEGREE PROBLY MEAND HE HAS BEEN WORKING THERE FOR FOREVER SO HES PROBLY KNOWS EXACTLY WHATS GOING ON AROUND THAT PARTICULAR WORK PLACE AND KNOWS HOW TO BEST HANDLE THINGS FROM EXPIERIENCE NOT BOOKS SO THEY MIGHT DO THINGS A LITTLE DIFFERENT FROM WHAT YOU LEARNED AND HES BASICLY SAYING HES RUNNING THINGS AND NOT YOU SO YOU NEED TO DO THINGS HIS WAY. TO THAT REMARK I WOULD SAY "WHAT, U CALLIN ME SOME SORTA DUMBASS OR SUMPTHIN?"