What’s on my mind? Does university matter?
Keri Gilder
Putting the power of the digital universe in the hands of our customers wherever, whenever and however they want.
I’ve been on vacation for the last week – travelling around the US looking at universities for my daughter.
It’s a bittersweet time, filled with excitement at the bright future Samantha will create for herself and a reality check around the thought of being ‘empty nesters’ in two years’ time.
We were able to visit some great schools -?Vassar, NYU and the extremely impressive West Point (Military Academy for the Army).?All VERY different on where they are located and what they have to offer.?Who knows if any of them will be her final pick or that she’ll even get accepted into them – but for this trip, it was the exposure to the possibilities rather than finding her final university.
I have to admit though, after the tours I found myself thinking about university and wondering if getting a degree is important to getting a good job anymore?
My first thought was for ‘most’ professions, the degree you undertake is somewhat irrelevant.?Many people have degrees and are not working directly in that field.?On the other hand, there are some fields where what you learned through university IS important – I really would prefer a doctor who has done the groundwork before she does surgery on me – but for the most part, graduates do not end up in the field they studied.?A recent piece of research by Forbes suggested that only around 25% of graduates in the US end up doing jobs related to their studies.
So, if it isn’t the specific learning, why is it that more and more young people are going to university and companies put so much value on, and effort into hiring the sharpest grads straight out of university?
I think maybe it’s because of the ability to learn, to connect, as well as the ability to see things a bit differently and at the end of the day – the ability to communicate.
The ability to learn
The people who do well at university are those that drive their own learning.?Sure, they go to the lectures, but they are also the ones burning the midnight oil, researching their topics, devouring the additional reading.?They are highly motivated self-starters who want to learn new things like a sponge sucking in water.
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The ability to connect
Highly successful graduates are often involved in student organisations, volunteer for causes they care about and have taken on interesting internships.?They understand the need to connect and the value of building out their network.?They are involved in the life of their university, beyond what they are required to do for their course – and they keep these connections alive and relevant long after they have left academic life.?
The ability to see things differently
I can only imagine what it must be like to mark paper after paper on the same topic, many of them making the same arguments in the same old tired way.?Finding the postgraduate student that manages to conjure up a different perspective, who uses different sources and comes to different conclusions must be a moment of pure magic – whether their arguments end up being right or wrong, a different perspective causes us to stop and think for a second about our own worldview and become more inclusive and more open to the diversity that surrounds us.
The ability to communicate
Getting a great degree isn’t just about understanding the topic.?It’s about connecting dots, seeing things from a new perspective and it’s about being able to communicate your thoughts and views in a clear, compelling way – one that makes others want to stop and take notice.?A way to influence, motivate and inspire.
Graduates aren’t special simply because they have a piece of paper that says they learned a lot of stuff about a specific topic.?The best of them are like the best of any of us – they are voracious learners, they are driven connectors, they bring new thinking to the discussion and they are compelling communicators.
Are these four topics important to the workplace? Probably the most important things of all, degree or no degree…
That said, all of these things can be learned on the job and experience is priceless. For some, going to university isn’t the best route, with apprenticeships being better suited to those who are more “hands-on”.
Gordon Ramsey, for example, started his career as a catering apprentice, and through on-the-job learning, he has become one of the most famous faces in the catering world. So it is clear that the workplace teaches collaboration, and the ability to manage conflict and create extraordinary connections.
What are your thoughts? Let me know in the comments below:
Retired
2 年Hi Keri Three children, one has now graduated from Loughborough, one is in the 5th year of medical school in Manchester and the youngest is in the first year of an economics degree. Before they all went they were 'stress tested' by their loving father; we all needed to know why they were going and what the outcomes would be. So far so good, the one who has graduated took a year to get her first job. Was it right for them? We will know in about 5/6 years time. BTW - the father went to an English Public School. Declined University (only one from a year of 120 pupils to do so, school was unimpressed). Had enough studying and wanted to get going in business. Didn't do so bad. My take away: if it is right for you, the outcome clear and you work to the best of your ability. Go for it. Chris
CCO & EVP, Membership - Advisor | Investor | Passionate business leader
2 年Great piece Keri. It really resonated. As I was finishing 6th form my father asked which universities I was considering. He wanted to arrange to visit some with me to help me make the right choice. I said I wasn’t sure uni was right for me (he strongly disagreed and challenged I would ever make anything of myself without a degree). My older brother was at uni, and was studying for the career he wanted in surveying. I had spent years being compared to him. I wanted to carve my own path. My father was a business man and I was intrigued by the dynamics of his workplace and the team he led. I wanted to work in business and one day lead teams. We had different views on whether that was possible without uni. I started my career earning very little, but learning a huge amount. It took time to build experience and move into senior roles, not least because I didn’t have a degree on my CV. When I got in front of potential employers, I typically got to the last round of interviews and fortunately got the majority of roles i applied for. I’m not good in the classroom or the sort of structure which came with it. I miss not having a network of uni friends, but not going was the right choice for me. Best of luck to Samantha!
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2 年Agree for me having spent some time in industry before doing degree it was taking that discipline to studying and focus that meant gained most from Geology degrees, due to oil prices ended up in telecoms but was worthwhile time ??
Defense, Business, and Technology Executive | VADM Stockdale Leadership Award Recipient | Ex-Submarine Captain | LinkedIn Top Voice | Author | Top 10 Datacenter Influencer | Veteran Advocate |
2 年Great article Keri!
Founder/Managing Director @ Auxilic | MBA - Sales & Marketing
2 年Keri I'm with you on many points. Your daughter should seriously consider West Point if accepted. My oldest is at the Air Force Academy and its the closest thing to a professional and life skills internship I've seen. A big focus on discipline, moral compass, leadership, teamwork, communication, athletics, service to others and country + an Ivy League education. All of these each and every day. Something tells me a long-overdue reboot of the system should include serving country and/or community in a collective fashion. The debt of $200k+ for 4-years of university education these days is just not cutting it.