To degree or not degree
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It's a question I ask myself in the last quarter of every year - leading up to correspondence university signup. I've got a good career, CV and I've got a fair amount of valuable contacts in the industry. If I did do a degree or course of some sort, I would most probably go the business route and I (arrogantly) don't thing uni will teach me anything useful that I haven't picked up in the years I've worked. The biggest advantage would be for emigration purposes, but I'm happy in South Africa and don't want to move. Does anyone else go through the same thought process each year? Cheers, Simon > latest article :: animation mechanics in SVG > blog:: brokenkeyboards > another site of mine :: JeanPant.com > CV :: PDF
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It's a question I ask myself in the last quarter of every year - leading up to correspondence university signup. I've got a good career, CV and I've got a fair amount of valuable contacts in the industry. If I did do a degree or course of some sort, I would most probably go the business route and I (arrogantly) don't thing uni will teach me anything useful that I haven't picked up in the years I've worked. The biggest advantage would be for emigration purposes, but I'm happy in South Africa and don't want to move. Does anyone else go through the same thought process each year? Cheers, Simon > latest article :: animation mechanics in SVG > blog:: brokenkeyboards > another site of mine :: JeanPant.com > CV :: PDF
SimonS wrote:
Does anyone else go through the same thought process each year?
The thought crosses my mind every semester at signup. The advantages: 1) Base pay is calculated by degree with experience modifier, I am at the top of the no-degree base and slowly being squished against the wage ceiling.... 2) Contract rebids require a 75% degree to non-degree ratio of employed, moving to the degree side makes me feel like they don't have to keep 3 BS or 1 PhD around just to keep me. And it lets them hire a new kid on co-op if they so choose, so it gives some more flexibility back. 3) I cannot publish a white-paper without asking my bosses to put their name (and PhD's) on my discoveries. No one looks twice at a non-degreed white-paper explaining double precision hardware 3D depth rendering. But a couple of PhD's and their "assistant" gets more respect. 4) I know my own lack of math/physics and often have to pull in a mathematician or physisist to assist me while coding a module. The disadvantages: 1) Both I and my bosses have to stop the flexibility of hours to meet a school schedule. _________________________ Asu no koto o ieba, tenjo de nezumi ga warau. Talk about things of tomorrow and the mice in the ceiling laugh. (Japanese Proverb)
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It's a question I ask myself in the last quarter of every year - leading up to correspondence university signup. I've got a good career, CV and I've got a fair amount of valuable contacts in the industry. If I did do a degree or course of some sort, I would most probably go the business route and I (arrogantly) don't thing uni will teach me anything useful that I haven't picked up in the years I've worked. The biggest advantage would be for emigration purposes, but I'm happy in South Africa and don't want to move. Does anyone else go through the same thought process each year? Cheers, Simon > latest article :: animation mechanics in SVG > blog:: brokenkeyboards > another site of mine :: JeanPant.com > CV :: PDF
Do it for yourself whether or not it benefits you financially. Increasing my knowledge is one of my internal motivators, benefitting financially is a nice side-effect. What drives you? Making more money? If so then a degree may or may not help you out, but it will certainly raise the upper limit on your potential. The way I look at it, a degree won't hurt you. If it's not a high priority on your list, take just one or two evening classes a semester. Eventually you'll have your degree with nothing more than some of your evening hours spoken for over the course of a few years (maybe less). As someone who makes recommendations for hiring, I'd certainly recommend someone with experience + degree over someone with experience only, all other things being equal. Especially if they earned that degree while holding down full-time employment. It speaks somewhat to the character of that person. That's just my opinion. -Sean ---- Shag a Lizard
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It's a question I ask myself in the last quarter of every year - leading up to correspondence university signup. I've got a good career, CV and I've got a fair amount of valuable contacts in the industry. If I did do a degree or course of some sort, I would most probably go the business route and I (arrogantly) don't thing uni will teach me anything useful that I haven't picked up in the years I've worked. The biggest advantage would be for emigration purposes, but I'm happy in South Africa and don't want to move. Does anyone else go through the same thought process each year? Cheers, Simon > latest article :: animation mechanics in SVG > blog:: brokenkeyboards > another site of mine :: JeanPant.com > CV :: PDF
I just moved to Ireland from South Africa. Instead of a 1 week fast-tracked IT emigration I had to go through a 4 week + 7 week process and it was less of a guarantee it would be approved. When I checked into Canada awhile back it was 1 month if I had a degree, 2 years if I didn't. I am going to get a degree here just to make emigration easier. Rather have it and be free to travel than have to go through all these hoops again. regards, Paul Watson South Africa Colib and ilikecameras. K(arl) wrote: oh, and BTW, CHRISTIAN ISN'T A PARADOX, HE IS A TASMANIAN!
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It's a question I ask myself in the last quarter of every year - leading up to correspondence university signup. I've got a good career, CV and I've got a fair amount of valuable contacts in the industry. If I did do a degree or course of some sort, I would most probably go the business route and I (arrogantly) don't thing uni will teach me anything useful that I haven't picked up in the years I've worked. The biggest advantage would be for emigration purposes, but I'm happy in South Africa and don't want to move. Does anyone else go through the same thought process each year? Cheers, Simon > latest article :: animation mechanics in SVG > blog:: brokenkeyboards > another site of mine :: JeanPant.com > CV :: PDF
Brings back memories of my own thoughts on the subject while in South Africa. In 1985 I decided I didn't see myself walking around up to my ankles in chicken-sh*t for the rest of my life (I was the farms maintenance elecrician for Farm Fare - main responsibility was keeping Farmer Brown chickens cool enough to survive their allotted 45 days til slaughter :( ) I decided to do a BSc CS, with UNISA, but opted to get a Diploma in Datametrics first. Long story short I finished that in three years but lost motivation for the degree when the Dip. Data. got me a good job as an Analyst at one of Rand Mines opecast mines in Witbank. Only setback was a pay-scale restricted by company policy but that was easily overcome by a job move (to Durbs) when I hit the pay ceiling (and I think you'll agree that Durbs is much better than Witbank :) ) I was still doing the degree half-hartedly but it was a distant hope at the rate I could complete modules in those days (particularly as that was around the time I developed a passion for paragliding ;) ) I missed a couple of years and nearly gave up altogether but in 1996, eleven years after starting that Dip. Data. and wondering if it would ever bring any real advantage, I was on the final stretch--one last set of year-end exams to nail the BSc--when out of the blue I got a great opportunity to go work on a very interesting military simulation project in California. I too was happy in South Africa at the time and had not really considered emmigrating, but weas very interested in the job offer, so I rented out my apartment and came here "for three years" just to try it out. I liked California so much (notwithstanding Roger's opinion of the PRC) that I stayed here and got my green card. Without my degree I wouldn't have even had any chance of a temporary visa to work in the US. BTW, since it looks like I'm here to stay ... would you like to buy a nice 2-bedroom 2-bathroom apartment in Umhlanga just across the road from the main beach? Steve T
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Do it for yourself whether or not it benefits you financially. Increasing my knowledge is one of my internal motivators, benefitting financially is a nice side-effect. What drives you? Making more money? If so then a degree may or may not help you out, but it will certainly raise the upper limit on your potential. The way I look at it, a degree won't hurt you. If it's not a high priority on your list, take just one or two evening classes a semester. Eventually you'll have your degree with nothing more than some of your evening hours spoken for over the course of a few years (maybe less). As someone who makes recommendations for hiring, I'd certainly recommend someone with experience + degree over someone with experience only, all other things being equal. Especially if they earned that degree while holding down full-time employment. It speaks somewhat to the character of that person. That's just my opinion. -Sean ---- Shag a Lizard
good advice, thanks. Cheers, Simon > latest article :: animation mechanics in SVG > blog:: brokenkeyboards > another site of mine :: JeanPant.com > CV :: PDF
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It's a question I ask myself in the last quarter of every year - leading up to correspondence university signup. I've got a good career, CV and I've got a fair amount of valuable contacts in the industry. If I did do a degree or course of some sort, I would most probably go the business route and I (arrogantly) don't thing uni will teach me anything useful that I haven't picked up in the years I've worked. The biggest advantage would be for emigration purposes, but I'm happy in South Africa and don't want to move. Does anyone else go through the same thought process each year? Cheers, Simon > latest article :: animation mechanics in SVG > blog:: brokenkeyboards > another site of mine :: JeanPant.com > CV :: PDF