Readers: Diplomas worth their weight in gold

Eve Tahmincioglu • Profile • E-mail

I got a lot of letters from readers irate over a column I wrote last month about how individuals without college degrees could still make it in the work world and even thrive.

Many of you were upset that I would even suggest that being without a college diploma isn’t a horrible thing. But just to be clear, I never suggested that people should bypass a four-year degree.

One reader, who calls himself Mr. X, called my article “moronic.” His take summed up what some readers were thinking:

"You know quite well, your article promoting the lack of going to college was nonsense. There's plenty of potholes the lack-of-college-degrees can fill in the roads, but are they the ones who don't want to do that job and leave it for the illegal aliens, or 'end up in Iraq,' like John Kerry said? So I suggest, darling, you go back to journalism school. Your article shows a severe lack of educational understanding."

While I don’t enjoy being insulted, Mr. X did make some good points. There’s no way around it, a college degree can make your career life easier. But for those without the fancy diploma, success at work is still attainable.

That said, I’m including some letters from readers who shared their difficult experiences without diplomas, and how they came to realize the only way to advance in their fields was through higher education.

A little over 16 years ago (just before I turned 40) I was in pretty much the same boat as the IT specialist you quote.  I had the knowledge and experience to get the job done but couldn’t get past the HR department. No degree, and into the reject pile would go my application.  Unfortunately, knowing who the hiring manager is doesn’t help because often their hands are tied with all applicants having to pass muster through HR.  On top of the difficulties in trying to find new work, in the environment I was in most meetings would begin with self-introductions that inevitably included, "I got my undergraduate degree from Bla Bla University and my master's at Big Time University."

I finally got tired of it and went back to school.  Most large cities have a legitimate university that is set up for adult learners offering a full curriculum of courses during the evening hours.  A side benefit to obtaining a degree was that my children saw daddy doing homework so they didn’t whine so much about having to do theirs.

After I obtained my bachelor degree I attended graduate school and, of course, would not have been admitted without the undergraduate degree.

I wound up at a startup company that did more selling of business plans than actual product, and one critical factor in them being able to sell themselves was the education level of their employees.  Eventually, we were acquired by Microsoft and I'm pretty sure that part of the offer I received was related to having a degree.
— Terry Bullington, Woodinville, Wash.

(MSNBC.com is a joint venture of Microsoft and NBC Universal.)

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