Is a degree any use anymore?

Question

Is experience classed better than a degree nowadays...people ive spoke to in the feilds i want to get into TV/Radio journalsim and media rekon experience in worth more and they dont tend to notice the degree,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,what does everyone else think?Would it be a waste of time?

Answer 1

A degree is not just a piece of paper or a bunch of letters you put at the end of your name in your CV. It's what you learn and prove to yourself on your way to achieving that degree that matters.

Yes, experience is key. But the experience at university should count too.

The problem is that employers may find it difficult to differentiate between people with degrees who've really learned a lot and experienced a lot at university, and those who simply go through the motions (and somehow still manage to get a reasonable level of qualification). This is particularly so when it comes to general degrees like English or the likes. In that case, it's easy to discount that altogether and value work experience more.

Answer 2

The trouble is, a degree is often useful in geting the experience you're after. Journalism is very competitive- you want a qualification to show that you have been trained to a high standard, as well as experience- and a university is the best place to get both. Get a degree in journalism, and while you're at uni work on the student paper and radio station, and chase up freelancing opportunities. Remember, the degree is experience in itself, you will be writing constantly, even if it's not published- thats much better than spending a few years chasing work experience that you may not be able to get because you've got no qualification.

Answer 3

Well, i guess so. If you need a degree in a certain subject to go into the field of work you are interested in. I reckon its the experience that most people go to uni for though now. I was due to go uni but wimped out, pretty much cos i knew how attached to home i was and that i would be home so much visiting my boyf and family n horses that i may aswell just go college. It was the fees which made my mind up. My friend, who got a first in english at a reputable uni is still only on 11 grand a year, filing and little old me who just has a bit of office experience just landed a good job, with good perks, that pays 5 grand more a yr. Just shows, as long as your in the right place at the right time you dont always need to be in 20 grands worth of debt to get a good job. (thats a deposit on a house!!!)

Answer 4

From a personal point of view, i think a degree of any kind is a worth while investment and my degree has certainly helped me get jobs as the interviewers always seem quite impressed and ask what my dissertation was on etc.

At the end of the day, anyone with a degree has had to reach a certain level of self disclipline and self development, and i think this seems to show through more than whatever the subject was.
I did business and marketing and i still know ****all about both, but what i did learn was how to carry out in depth research, quality essays and professional reports which my current job requires!!!

Answer 5

A degree is still the best education for any field, as you are trained and experienced in all aspects of the degree subject, you are studying , Life experience helps but won't give you the knowledge of a degree as you won't necessarily have done half of the course work and know what you need to know for working.Unless you have been already working in the media for a long time,

Answer 6

Well, I'm sure it is - depends on the discipline you want to follow

But

Degrees (when I was at school) defined the top few % of the scholastic population. If more and more people attain them, ( as I understand they are ) this differentiation begins to erode, so how can an employer choose just on the basis of a degree?

Therefore, eventually, perhaps a supplementary qualification will be introduced..

What educational qualifications do is to demonstrate trainability, and anyway, in terms of experience - I've certainly never met anyone with a degree in common sense.

Answer 7

It is sad that you put all the time and effort to study for a degree and then they ask for experience, you can't win. I know loads of people who have degrees but can't get into the field they have studied for because of lack of experience and if you had experience they will ask for education - how do you get both at the same time? Hope you come up with something in your field, try voluntary work to gain the experience first. Best of luck.

Answer 8

It's a bit like 'Which came first, the chicken or the egg?' To gain experience, you must have been employed in that field, and to get a job in that field, I would say that you do need a degree. That is, unless you know somebody very well placed in such an organisation that they could perhaps help you in at the bottom. (In which case you would be extremely lucky). In my experience of the workplace over recent years, an increasing number of employers are asking for personnel to have a degree in order to be employed in quite run-of-the-mill jobs. Seems a waste, but in my opinion your education is with you for life - it will enhance your understanding of life and is never a waste.

Answer 9

A degree will give you certain types of experience that it might be difficult to get in the work place. So rather than thinking of a degree and experience as seperate things, it is better to think of a degree as a cetain type of experience. If you don't have a degree, you might find it difficult to get above a certain level in almost any job.

Answer 10

Experience is always the key, but don't think you can get by on that alone. If you want to get into journalism, whilst doing a degree, get experience by working for university radio station, or hospital radio. That way you get the qualification and the experience.