Re: Experience vs College Degree -- MIDRANGE-L

Justin,

My background:
Education :   MBA, 1980, Penn State ... BS - Comp.Sci., BS - Business,
1976, Penn State ...
Career:  President of a 30 person AS/400 software company
Hobby:   Instructor in IT (AS/400) at Bergen Community College, Paramus, NJ
IBM Midrange:  S/38 & AS/400 since 1980.

Short answer:  Start working toward a degree NOW ... and see if your
employer will pick up your tuition payments (we do) if you continue to work
while you go to school!

Many of my students are 30+ year old employees of UPS who want to get into
"Management".  UPS (like most large companies) is degree oriented.  The
larger the company you work for, the less that a degree matters.

In my own company, about 1/2 of my programming staff has degrees.  The
folks with Computer Science degrees FROM GOOD SCHOOLS generally have done
the best WRT technology.  At the same time, understanding how to write well
and general business principles is a MUST.

We have people at all levels who never received a degree, but those at the
highest levels have to be truly exceptional to get there ...

What has been said about "college experience" is certainly true.  You learn
a LOT more that technology at college ... you have a chance to grow
socially and will become a much more rounded individual.  When you are 48,
like me, you will appreciate that much more than you do now.

What has been said about "do it now when you are young and don't have
obligations" is certainly true.  There is NO WAY that I would have been
able to get the background that I have working and going to school part
time.  Going to school is a job in itself.  Trying to work, attend class,
study, do projects, get credible grades, and have a life is almost
impossible.  In the end, something will get compromised ... and you may
regret it later!

The biggest thing that education will give to you is the ability to adapt
to changes.  The biggest problem that many AS/400 folks have is that they
never learned the theory behind what they are doing ... they only know how
to implement RPG on an AS/400.  When I started my education, punched cards
were the way to get things done ... things have come a LONG way from
that.  In your career, web applications will look as primitive as punched
cards in 20 years ... will you be able to adapt to the changes in technology?

Good luck ...

John Myers
IBM Certified Specialist - IBM iSeries Technical Solutions Design
IBM Certified Specialist - Advisor for e-Business
Strategic Business Systems, Inc.
17 S. Franklin Turnpike, Ramsey, NJ 07446  USA
E-mail: mailto:jmyers@sbsusa.com   Phone: +1 (201) EASY 400   x131
Web:    http://www.sbsusa.com      Fax:   +1 (201) 327-6984

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