Reality sucks! About slightly more than a year ago, I was jobless and was out searching for a dream job. I looked at every job listed on all the job listing sites and newspaper. 99% of those I want to try for needs at least a Degree in the respective field of work. Why is it so important to have that piece of paper? Shouldn’t experience and work attitude be more important?
I am not saying I’m the most excellent employee any boss can have, but at least I’m always committed to my job. When I take up an offer, I go all out for the company and my team. My direct officers always enjoy working with me and gives good testimonial about my positive attitude.
When I was teaching, everyone in school knew how much time and effort I spent on my duties. Many times I went beyond my responsibilities and helped those who came to me for help. Although I was only a beginning teacher in that first year, I felt like I’d worked there for many years already. I thought I could stay in education forever and contribute my passion and small knowledge to those who needs.
But sadly, I was being back stabbed. By the very person whom I’d trusted and “slaved” for from the beginning of my teaching career. It was a painful farewell, and looking back now, I feel very silly to have believed in her when everyone around me was telling me I had to be very careful with this woman. But I still sympathizes with her life. Wonder if she’s still alone after so many years.
Still… without a degree, staying in the education ministry will just means that I’ll have to forever remain being lower paid than all those who may not be doing as much as I am but owns a degree. It’s a harsh reality. No matter how much you’ve contributed, your pay check will still never matched those who degree. And the position one can hold with a diploma is stuck too. Want to become a HOD? Go get a degree first!
After my teaching career ended, I got into a job which I’d dream of during that period of time. I was so in love with the things I do, I thought I could stay on and hang on to it. Even though the hours was crazy and the labour work involved was kinda heavy for my weak back. I went on. I was driven by my passion and love for the team. The year working with the team taught me many things. It also gave me a better understanding of human emotions, especially women. (Sad right? I’m a woman but I hardly understand why other woman behave in a certain way.) And I also came to conclude that I am a very very direct person. And sometimes I should step back and tone down before acting (especially when handling things with my same species). Cause not everyone is as straightforward as me.
Due to my back injury and tired mind, I left.
The next job I got into was a rather short one. If I’m not wrong, everyone in the same level as me holds at least a degree. And I felt that I was being treated like an outcast. Woman A is super bitchy and is super close friend with Woman B. Woman B sees herself as the boss as the real boss was just too busy with other things that he’d trusted Woman B to hold the ford. Woman B treats everyone as if everyone owes her their life. When Woman A bitched about me with Woman B, without confronting and finding out my POV, I was very furious. After hearing so much complains about Woman A and B from those who’d not much say in the company, I left. It was an eye-opening few months. If Woman A and B had shown that they were more capable and responsible and organised, I would have respected them for it. But sadly, I find them messing up too much things. I’m glad I’d left. Although the pay was pretty attractive, but why suffer for money? After I left, other guys in the company left too. They couldn’t take it.
Alright… after grumbling so much, I find that I’d blogged out of point! But the whole idea of all the above is, so what if one has a good degree when that person has very bad attitude or is disorganized? As an employer, would you rather pay someone with only a diploma that will whole-heartedly contribute and has the passion for the job, or a degree holder who may not have that much passion?
It’s very stressful for me to know that I’m being surrounded by so many degree holders. Even my mates from school are mostly holding a degree. Except me. But I always tell myself this – “It’s not about the paper qualification. It’s about you as a person and your passion. It’s ok with just a diploma.”
dun worry, you are not the only one around.
as for the jobs, with no degree in hand, dun go for government or government related companies. you will 100% be sure be push to the bottom. this is the govt policy, no degree = you no good.
for global MNCs, once you have no degree, you will not be considered at all. tough luck
however, if those positions said that you required degree blah blah blah but u think u suit the JD, Just WHACK! heck care.
normally it will have some surprises. i tried and it works!
Thanks for sharing. Personally, I always look at work experience and achievements as the key factor in hiring. I don’t mind sharing that in my previous organisation, the girl I hired who eventually took over me as Senior Manager had ‘A’ Levels. And she could write and strategise far better than many graduates.
As for working in the public sector, I believe that things are changing and we do have more and more cross-over officers. There will also be opportunities for education and training to move up the ladder, and scholarships too for worthy diploma holders. If you have a strong achievement orientation and perform in an exemplary fashion, the glass ceiling will be shattered in your favour.
If I may comment, a degree or not, it is the way HR work. End of the day, HR does not need to work with whoever they engage, it is the managers and other colleagues that are not in HR. Hence to “push the paper” and to “cover their butt”, HR simply get people with degrees as the baseline with little consideration to experience and work attitude.
Also I believe work attitude is something that HR will find to qualify or to filter out.
It is the way HR works and pretty sad state in which recruitment are done.
Hey babe,
i can totally relate to you… at the present moment i feel just as ‘shitified’… it’s kinda tough to strive to be happy when people are always trying to pull us down… lets just try to be optimistic and pray that someday, we our values are appreciated.. till then we shld be despair… hahah tats wat i keep on telling myself… and everytime the clock strikes 6 pm i gave myself a pat and tell myself another battle day gone… maybe you shld too! but one thing for you dont ever change who you are coz there are more people who loves you than those who dont… so who needs a degree when we have all the ones that matters to us! pffttt just a piece of paper! tsk tsk
cheer up k sweets!
hahah i realise i’ve typed a few typos coz typed tooooooooo fast! pardon my carelessness.. c”,)
I would like to add that even if you managed to get into your ‘dream’ job with having a degree. You will not get a pay that is as high as one who has the paper qualifications. Sucks huh.
actually i dun quite agree with having a degree. degree is just u a chance to interview. if u still back to ur own field, the paper doesnt really matter anymore. it is the experience that counts.
i don’t care abt whether i have a degree or not. i have come to realise that i can do so much more and learn so much more at work than in school. to me, that paper is really just a useless piece of certificate that tells me,
“congrats, daphne, you have sat thru XXX number of hrs of boring lectures, XXX number of hrs of tutorials.”
but having said all that, i still have to get my degree, because my parents said so :(
I felt your struggle and frustrated. I truly agree with you regarding paper qualification. I so saddened by the world standard especially discrimination on education level.
Experience is more important than paper qualifications. Unfortunately, a degree is a stepping stone to greater things in Singapore. Don’t lose heart, a lot of companies in the creative industries often value the “can-do” spirit more than just having a piece of paper. :)
It’s really what you want in life. Do you want a degree to earn big bucks? Probably don’t work either.
In working life, degree may equal to more $ but maybe there are other roads to take besides working for someone. And who knows, you realize a degree is just something like yesterday’s papers.
Hmm… dun be discouraged. I also like you leh, but still managed to find a pretty decent job. Sometimes, luck also plays an important part when coming to looking for jobs as well.
Wow! Thanks everyone for the thoughts and comments.
Have to agree that a degree is not everything and the “can-do” spirit is more important.
But I guess for those who’re doing their studies now, its still an essential element to have the necessary qualification needed for their career choice.
Good luck to everyone who’s either finishing their degree, doing their degree or are considering taking a degree. And all the best and best-est luck to those who’ve no degree but has the “can-do” spirit! (That’s me! Ha!)
Hi, may I just add… have you given a thought that the woman whom you though has back-stabbed you in school, has brought you to Japan and given you plenty of opportunities although the people around her told her not to.
Given her position, she does not need to slave with you and could have taken all the credits and claimed her own. But I believed that she did not and strongly voted you to be the Best IT Teacher.
Be appreciative! Wonder why you always have problem with women?
I think no one will deny that experience, accomplishments, and capabilities counts for a lot more than paper qualifications do.
Unfortunately, the problem is that most employers have a very difficult time having reliable visibility of what your experiences, accomplishments and capabilities are. Therefore, the paper qualifications are the next best thing – a proxy perhaps – of your aptitudes.
Eventually, however, your experiences should naturally diminish the need for your paper qualifications, especially as your accomplishments become more and more public.
Claudia, you are quite a public person, compared to most of us. Your accomplishments and good work you do for your employer and community in this space is quite well documented. I’m sure you won’t have any problems getting employed in this industry (social media and online communities) if that is indeed what you seek. :)
Well you are in singapore!
Im a foreigner trying to get in singapore… and without a degree… and not any degree… and even then… you will barely get a chance to be employed there…