All valid points, and I was not in any way discounting the value inherent in possessing a degree. My ultimate point was that I've never seen them to be a valid indicator of whether or not an individual has the skills necessary to perform their job requirements, nor does the lack of a degree limit how far one can advance in this field. In fact the vast majority of the higher-paid ($100k+) professionals I know in IT don't have a college degree and a couple of them don't even have a high school diploma. Maybe I simply know more exceptional people than most. :)
Thanks, Jeremy Phillips From: John Hornbuckle [mailto:john.hornbuc...@taylor.k12.fl.us] Sent: Friday, February 06, 2009 12:03 PM To: NT System Admin Issues Subject: RE: SUSPECT: RE: MCSE question While it's certainly true that people can find success without a degree, that's the exception rather than the rule. Most higher-paying professional positions require one, and statistically people with degrees tend to earn much more money over their lifetimes than those without. We all know that neither degrees nor certification, by themselves, prove anything other than that you've invested the time and money to get them. And you do have to have some degree of smarts, at least to get a degree from a real university. But they still have value, and in my experience most people recognize that. John Hornbuckle MIS Department Taylor County School District 318 North Clark Street Perry, FL 32347 www.taylor.k12.fl.us<http://www.taylor.k12.fl.us> From: Jeremy Phillips [mailto:jeremy.phill...@azaleos.com] Sent: Friday, February 06, 2009 2:49 PM To: NT System Admin Issues Subject: RE: SUSPECT: RE: MCSE question I was in consulting for ~6.5 year, both direct and subcontracting to other consulting firms, and would argue the opposite actually. I've never had any Microsoft certs and don't have a college degree. Out of hundreds of engagements I only once had a customer ask about this. That turned out to be the project from hell as well. :) Additionally, I do a fair bit of hiring right now and honestly I could care less if someone is certified or has a degree. All I care about is whether or not candidates know what they are doing. Certs have never told me this and I don't really see how they ever could... That being said this is surely an interesting thread so far. Thanks, Jeremy Phillips From: Michael B. Smith [mailto:mich...@theessentialexchange.com] Sent: Thursday, February 05, 2009 2:06 PM To: NT System Admin Issues Subject: RE: SUSPECT: RE: MCSE question Bah. You should think of certs and degrees merely as ways to get you entry. I work with lots of banks and educational institutions; and subcontract to other consulting firms. Certs and degrees are the price of entry. Regards, Michael B. Smith, MCITP:SA,EMA/MCSE/Exchange MVP My blog: http://TheEssentialExchange.com/blogs/michael I'll be at TEC'2009! http://www.tec2009.com/vegas/index.php ~ Finally, powerful endpoint security that ISN'T a resource hog! ~ ~ <http://www.sunbeltsoftware.com/Business/VIPRE-Enterprise/> ~
