I completed my Bachelors Degree programme some six years ago but have not bothered to get an MBA. I know many of you learned people reading this article will wonder why I can't be bothered with an MBA or any other higher degree even in this time and age when the number of Degrees a person has acquired, is used by employers as the basis for hiring and as a number one criteria to determine career success. Honestly, I feel that the place of an MBA and the likes in the path to success has been exaggerated!
Before I say more, let me share the comments of some learned and highly successful business owners on the subject. These are people I share the same Group (C-LEVEL CONSULTANTS NETWORK) with on LinkedIn, a social networking platform. I started a discussion thread in the Group to elicit views across the globe because the group members are from different parts of the world. This was to confirm whether or not I was right in holding the view that the role of a Degree has been exaggerated in the path to career success. Here is the discussion I posted: "Steve Jobs has demonstrated clearly that, important as it is, the role of a University Degree has been exaggerated in the path to success. Do you agree?
I must confess that this discussion made me the most influential person in the group for three weeks. The comments that were posted on this discussion were awesome. I wish I could share all of them here but space won't allow me. So I will share just a few of them (exactly the way they were posted). They are as follows:
Lee Perla said: "The more I consider the value of a degree, the less I value a degree. I will accept that certain levels of training – usually through education (degree) -- are essential for some specialties. However, the more I ponder the question the faster a degree tends to lose value for me, especially with so many nitwits in the intelligentsia pushing so hard for more and more education and for more and more status for those who have the education.
I think we can all agree on a few things:
1. A degree is not essential to be successful or professional for well over 90% of careers. In the remaining 10%, knowledge, ability, and value add would probably outrank a degree in any objective examination.
2. The correlation between degree and monetary success is absent, especially given today’s economy.
3. Degrees “unlock doors” in many instances, but that function is rapidly going away. A recent company I worked for did away with strict degree requirements (pass/fail) for all positions; it streamlined the recruitment process and brought in at least four superstars who would not have passed the earlier filters.
My position is that our continued reliance on a degree as a binary filter is a shotgun blast to our (capitalism’s) collective foot. Just as we have learned to look past race, age, ethnic background, nose studs, politics, religion, and spiked purple hair in order to find the person offering the best value-add, we need to look past degree and know that a diploma, albeit sometimes a measure of accomplishment, is just an indicator. We need to look past that and focus on the value-add from engaged contributors."
I think we can all agree on a few things:
1. A degree is not essential to be successful or professional for well over 90% of careers. In the remaining 10%, knowledge, ability, and value add would probably outrank a degree in any objective examination.
2. The correlation between degree and monetary success is absent, especially given today’s economy.
3. Degrees “unlock doors” in many instances, but that function is rapidly going away. A recent company I worked for did away with strict degree requirements (pass/fail) for all positions; it streamlined the recruitment process and brought in at least four superstars who would not have passed the earlier filters.
My position is that our continued reliance on a degree as a binary filter is a shotgun blast to our (capitalism’s) collective foot. Just as we have learned to look past race, age, ethnic background, nose studs, politics, religion, and spiked purple hair in order to find the person offering the best value-add, we need to look past degree and know that a diploma, albeit sometimes a measure of accomplishment, is just an indicator. We need to look past that and focus on the value-add from engaged contributors."
More comments similar to the above kept coming in for three weeks before Mr. Riise sought to dismiss my discussion thread with the following comment:
Mr. Riise: "This discussion has gone on much longer than the subject warrants - in the words of the poet Piet Hein:
If your thoughts
are few - if any
never let your words
be many
Let's move on to something more important."
If your thoughts
are few - if any
never let your words
be many
Let's move on to something more important."
Interestingly, Mr. Riise's comment above rather incited more people to comment on the issue. The first person to hit Mr. Riis was Lee Perla. He wrote:
"Mr Riise
I disagree with your dismissal. This is an important discussion because it questions the value of the “conventional wisdom” and challenges the orthodoxy that esteems degrees. In many ways and for many people, higher education is a form of Ponzi scheme perpetrated on much of society by the “educational elite.” Just as so many people would try to close off discussion of the climate issue by calling it “settled science” there appears to be a penchant for sweeping discussions like these out of sight/mind. I personally believe that it is a valid form of and subject for interrogation."
I disagree with your dismissal. This is an important discussion because it questions the value of the “conventional wisdom” and challenges the orthodoxy that esteems degrees. In many ways and for many people, higher education is a form of Ponzi scheme perpetrated on much of society by the “educational elite.” Just as so many people would try to close off discussion of the climate issue by calling it “settled science” there appears to be a penchant for sweeping discussions like these out of sight/mind. I personally believe that it is a valid form of and subject for interrogation."
If you also believe that this subject is a valid form of and subject for interrogation as in the words of Lee Perla, keep your fingers crossed....To be continued....
Regards,
Edem
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