In this modern day and age, many of you are still in dilemma that whether pursuing an undergraduate degree is a worthwhile investment or not. Moreover, which one will serve better when it comes to staying employed and building a career, education or experience? This is an ongoing conversation among students, professors and hiring managers alike.
- Workplace Skills
Experience is highly valuable since it will indicate the candidate is familiar with the trends, practices and technologies in a certain field. As much as certain practical skills are mandatory specific soft skills relevant to all areas are needed for entry-level jobs. Adaptability, communication skills and interpersonal skills are some of the core qualities that recruiters look for in potential employees.
Always consider the experience that will help students to find out their strengths and weaknesses, acquire hands-on expertise, work well with others and gain the confidence needed to deal with real-life challenges, problem-solving opportunities needed to develop these specific skills in students should be incorporated.
However, suppose we are talking about individuals who earned a degree several years ago. In that scenario, they are required to show employers that they have continued learning and also are updated with industry trends and have gained new skills relevant to the position they are applying for.
- Academic Qualifications
In the old debate over education over education and experience, the industry in question surely makes quite a difference. There are many high-level roles and specific professions which require a solid education to qualify for the job. In several fields such as engineering, law, and accounting academic qualification is mandatory.
Now, when it comes to graduates, an undergraduate degree serves as strong evidence of the necessary skills for an entry-level job in the field. Still, involvement in extracurricular activities and internships indicates maturity, and initiative and sets candidates apart from other candidates.
This is why it is crucial to include experiential opportunities in some academic programs, hence learners apply classroom skills to solve real-world problems in their workplace.
Which is More Valuable- Education or Experience?
Higher education always serves as a route to figuring out the right career and also leverages the skills which much professional exposure might not always guarantee. A degree will always show that the candidate has been subject to analytical and logical thinking in an environment that also provides some necessary social and interpersonal skills.
Higher education is particularly valuable for those people who are going to kick-start their careers initially. As you move along, job experience and equipping new skills will also take on added weight. Employers will favour someone with experience and no degree for particular jobs, but those individuals will also struggle to advance professionally in the long run.
The ideal integration of education and experience can depend on one field to another. Nevertheless, often it is also difficult to get experience without pursuing higher education. After all, particular positions in some industries require candidates to have substantial knowledge and also have a clear understanding of the technical concepts of the job.
So, what’s your opinion on this? Do you want to stick in one of them? If yes, your next step is to accomplish your goal by enrolling yourself in a good college and then going hand-in-hand during your internship.
