University Degree or Work Experience: Which Is More Important?
It has been a debate that many have yet to settle on: Which is more important, education or experience? Education and experience come hand in hand like eggs and the knowledge to cook them because you need eggs to make an omelette, but what’s the point of having eggs if you don’t know how to cook them? The same can be said about applying for work without a degree or getting a degree without work experience. Having work experience as well as a university degree are of great importance. However, which one outweighs the other?
Pursuing a University Degree
1.Knowledge Foundation
Consider your degree to be a foundation of your knowledge. Every great thing started from something small and the same goes for life. As you learn, you pick up useful knowledge for work life later on. It could be something as simple as ethics or technical skills such as learning to use certain software. In university, you even have the chance to develop soft skills that can help you in the future.
2.Certifies Your Knowledge
Work experience or skill can only get someone so far but most jobs require an academic minimum. Even if you get a job with just your skill, you can never earn a higher rank without some sort of academic qualification of a tertiary level. The degree you hold justifies the position you take up in a company. Work experience without a degree can stunt your growth within the company you have been working for.
3.Opportunity for Internship
Every university requires its students to undergo an internship programme. This programme prepares students for what the actual working experience will be like and how to apply what they have learned. Besides that, interchangeable skills such as teamwork, communication, and computer proficiency are also achieved during the internship, helping interns be prepared enough to enter the working world upon their graduation. Internships also allow students to explore career paths and gain confidence. Perhaps, students may even have a chance to be absorbed by the intern company.
Work Experience
1.Real-World Experience
Many offices are looking for employees who have at least a year’s worth of experience. This makes job hunting tough on fresh graduates. Having a degree only shows you can succeed academically. However, that may not be the case in a real-world job. Succeeding in actual work shows potential employers more about what you have to offer.
2.Familiarity With the Working Environment
People who have experience with working, although without a degree, are already familiar with the working environment. They do not need to be taught. Jumping straight into the working world with no knowledge of it can be problematic and cause unnecessary stress. You would have to try learning things that you could have learned in university and many employers do not have the time to teach.
In truth, both education and work experience are of equal importance. Most employers prefer to see both theoretical as well as practical skills from candidates. Education is the theory that tells you what to do and how to do it. It is the skill that helps someone grow both financially and through experience with respect to status, recognition as well as social respect. Without a degree, you cannot achieve career growth. Without work experience, you cannot understand the gears of day-to-day routines at work. Therefore, we can conclude by saying that your degree is the first step in the ladder of skills that leads to career accomplishment.
