What They Didn't Tell YOU about that Degree
Dustin Miller - PolyInnovator
??I teach Knowledge Management for Polymaths, + Generalists ???Host of the Polymath PolyCast, and Creator Spotlight by PolyTools!
Most people would say after you finish high school, then it is time for your college career. Taking a ton of courses around a topic that you find interesting, and hopefully would want to work on for the next few decades.
That isn't always the same path for each person, but for the most part the shoe fits. What they don't tell you is just how behind you'll be once you get in the real world.
Some folks used to say college was the interim experience to get you ready to be on your own, paying bills, etc. What you find out is that you were woefully under prepared.
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Scrambling to Find time for Experience
The opportunity cost of taking those years to finish the degree, and the amount of time that could have been spent working. That isn't to say you made the wrong choice, but it is hard to gain experience while taking a full course load.
The traditional degree takes years to complete, and you don't always learn the most up to date facts either. Such is the case with digital marketing or programming for example.
Meaning that you'll have to spend the next year or two catching up to everyone else after finishing your degree.
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So much time and money for a Piece of Paper
That is a very valuable piece of paper, for some worth hundreds of thousands of dollars even. However it means nothing to the outside person, and in some fields they don't even LOOK at your education history.
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The ones that do simply check off that you got your bachelors, and then the program they use sends you to their desk. It isn't even a person most of the time that checks it. So who cares if it is Rice or Harvard, right?
Now you're in debt, can't find a job, and are stuck.
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So what do you do?
It is time to upskill. I know I know. You literally just got out of spending years of your life learning, but now you got to learn the things that will set you apart from the rest. A lot of your competition has this skill that is semi quick to learn, but they don't have a degree. Meaning if you have both, then you are the more quality candidate.
Also, for most company recruiters too, it seems that the age old saying is true. It isn't WHAT you know, but WHO you now. No amount of college networking events, or professors that liked you is going to really help here. You need real world experience with folks in that industry. Start a podcast and interview them, find out where they like to go and interact, watch their presentations, just something!
Market yourself, learn new skills that aren't in the school curriculum yet, and network with others in your field.
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If you want to learn something quick, then I recommend using a Modular Degree: