Is a college degree worth the price?
Four months ago my brother-in-law was unexpectedly let go from his management position at a rather large consumer technology retail chain.
As he prepared to join the ranks of the unemployed, he was faced with the uncomfortable prospect of not being able to immediately find a job and a standing phone date with MARVIN (anyone who has ever been unemployed in the state of Michigan can attest that MARVIN is not somebody you want on your speed dial). With a newborn at home and a mortgage to pay, he tightened up his resume and set out to find a new job.
I'm not sure if you've heard, but job prospects in Michigan are slim, made even more so if, like my brother-in-law, you were a few credits shy of a college degree.
But he did have one thing going for him: by all accounts, he is a great manager.
This can't-be-learned-from-a-textbook skill quickly manifested itself into a job as a branch manager of a national bank. Unlike a lot of people with college degrees who are still floundering, he found a solid job with a reputable company in a challenging economy. A rarity these days.
So here's the question: Unless you are studying law or medicine, is a college degree worth the thousands upon thousand of dollars that you will inevitably spend to earn a piece of paper with your name on it?
Or, is gaining experience in an area in which you already have the skills the best route to go? Seems in today's world of social media, it's easier to gain visibility and become an expert in a certain field and parlay that into a successful career, but an argument could be made either way.
What say you?
