Education vs work experience.

CaptainPlanet · 12-04-2008, 03:43 AM

Do people actually work there way up from the bottom. Acquiring education as it is needed to reach a point in their career ?

Or is it a case of getting the education and hoping some company picks you up and offers a professional role.

I guess what I am asking is can people move vertically in the workforce or is it all horizontal linear path.

For example, office support gets a degree in Economics and moves to professional area.

I'm very confused as it seems people get pigeon holed.

waveseer · 12-04-2008, 03:48 AM

People do get pigeon holed in all but the most flexible or smallest organizations. One thing about very large organizations though is the hire from within policy. If you're an employee in good standing you can get preferential treatment when filling vacancies. Knowing as many people as possible within your organization and providing them good service will go very far to help further your career when there are openings.

CaptainPlanet · 12-04-2008, 03:50 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ready2heal

People do get pigeon holed in all but the most flexible or smallest organizations. One thing about very large organizations though is the hire from within policy. If you're an employee in good standing you can get preferential treatment when filling vacancies. Knowing as many people as possible within your organization and providing them good service will go very far to help further your career when there are openings.

Yeah, but do people ever really shake the stigma of where they have started out.

Say you started out in HR, then you get a degree in mathematics and want to become a statistical analyst or something, or other technical field like and want to make the change.

What chance would such a person really have ?

waveseer · 12-04-2008, 03:55 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by CaptainPlanet

Yeah, but do people ever really shake the stigma of where they have started out.

Say you started out in HR, then you get a degree in mathematics and want to become a statistical analyst or something, or other technical field like and want to make the change.

What chance would such a person really have ?

If they are offered a position in another department they have as good a chance as anyone else of proving themselves useful.

CaptainPlanet · 12-04-2008, 03:57 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ready2heal

If they are offered a position in another department they have as good a chance as anyone else of proving themselves useful.

I'm sorry I don't understand what that means.

waveseer · 12-04-2008, 04:01 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by CaptainPlanet

I'm sorry I don't understand what that means.

So the person gets a degree in accounting and a position opens up in the accounting department. If they apply and are offered that position then their chances of proving themselves become even with everyone else in that department.

Pressfit · 12-04-2008, 04:03 AM

The corporation I work for encourages it. They want people to move up getting advanced degrees. Three of the guys I work with are working full-time and going to school for their engineering degrees. Maintain a 'C' or above and the company pays for 100% of the tuition.

CaptainPlanet · 12-04-2008, 05:24 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Pressfit

The corporation I work for encourages it. They want people to move up getting advanced degrees. Three of the guys I work with are working full-time and going to school for their engineering degrees. Maintain a 'C' or above and the company pays for 100% of the tuition.

I suppose it might be different in the USA. I know I couldn't afford college fulltime at all if I were in America.

BeStrongBeHappy · 12-04-2008, 08:53 AM

If you are getting a degree in a field you are already working in (but at a lower level), a degree frequently qualifies you to get promoted to jobs in the same company that you might not be able to have without the degree. For example, you might get a job as an orderly in the hospital, then get a nursing degree and be able to now move up to being a nurse.

But if you are studying a career different from the job, usually you work the work while you're in school to pay the bills, then when you graduate, you start looking for a job in your field at a different company. So if you're working retail, then get a nursing degree, you'd start applying at hospitals and leave for the new job.

and in some companies, there are management or technical positions where you may never be considered unless you have a degree, or even an advanced degree. So even if you're doing a good job (or the same job as someone else at a higher level), you can't officially get the title/promotion/better salary until you get the degree.

COtuner · 12-04-2008, 09:20 AM

Yes, you can work your way up, but you have to make a concerted and visible effort to be curious, always learning, volunteering for opportunities that are a stretch for you and challenging. Especially those that require your own time and research to be successful.

Going to night school is an excellent option, but not the only one. Often going to night school is more useful for changing to another company and getting a promotion, which is how most people I know do things. It is definitely easier to move up by changing jobs in most cases.

Also, the military is a good example of people who can start off enlisted and work their war up through non-commissioned officer spots, or going to OCS and actually becoming an officer.

12-04-2008, 03:43 AM	#1
CaptainPlanet Offline Platinum Member Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Australia Gender: Male Age: 26 Posts: 4,259	Education vs work experience. Do people actually work there way up from the bottom. Acquiring education as it is needed to reach a point in their career ? Or is it a case of getting the education and hoping some company picks you up and offers a professional role. I guess what I am asking is can people move vertically in the workforce or is it all horizontal linear path. For example, office support gets a degree in Economics and moves to professional area. I'm very confused as it seems people get pigeon holed.

12-04-2008, 03:48 AM	#2
waveseer Offline Platinum Member Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: In a world full of possibilities. Gender: Female Age: 46 Posts: 11,063	People do get pigeon holed in all but the most flexible or smallest organizations. One thing about very large organizations though is the hire from within policy. If you're an employee in good standing you can get preferential treatment when filling vacancies. Knowing as many people as possible within your organization and providing them good service will go very far to help further your career when there are openings. __________________ Whoever dies with the most "happy" wins! ~ shuttlefish profile pic explained: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xl6yXBnLYYM and more: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CKnw9TM_AAI and if you weren't convinced: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S3fPtMuBtMs and if you're not sick yet: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jTvUT_Hx4Dc to accept your partner: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zgP57lJvWRw

12-04-2008, 04:03 AM	#7
Pressfit Offline Bronze Member Join Date: Jun 2005 Location: Arizona Gender: Male Age: 53 Posts: 283	The corporation I work for encourages it. They want people to move up getting advanced degrees. Three of the guys I work with are working full-time and going to school for their engineering degrees. Maintain a 'C' or above and the company pays for 100% of the tuition.

12-04-2008, 08:53 AM	#9
BeStrongBeHappy Offline Platinum Member Join Date: Jul 2006 Gender: Female Posts: 7,415	If you are getting a degree in a field you are already working in (but at a lower level), a degree frequently qualifies you to get promoted to jobs in the same company that you might not be able to have without the degree. For example, you might get a job as an orderly in the hospital, then get a nursing degree and be able to now move up to being a nurse. But if you are studying a career different from the job, usually you work the work while you're in school to pay the bills, then when you graduate, you start looking for a job in your field at a different company. So if you're working retail, then get a nursing degree, you'd start applying at hospitals and leave for the new job. and in some companies, there are management or technical positions where you may never be considered unless you have a degree, or even an advanced degree. So even if you're doing a good job (or the same job as someone else at a higher level), you can't officially get the title/promotion/better salary until you get the degree.

12-04-2008, 09:20 AM	#10
COtuner Offline Platinum Member Join Date: Sep 2008 Gender: Female Posts: 4,102	Yes, you can work your way up, but you have to make a concerted and visible effort to be curious, always learning, volunteering for opportunities that are a stretch for you and challenging. Especially those that require your own time and research to be successful. Going to night school is an excellent option, but not the only one. Often going to night school is more useful for changing to another company and getting a promotion, which is how most people I know do things. It is definitely easier to move up by changing jobs in most cases. Also, the military is a good example of people who can start off enlisted and work their war up through non-commissioned officer spots, or going to OCS and actually becoming an officer.