10 Popular Myths that Degree = Success

 

With the full-scale of youth employment at an all-time high that the world has ever seen, finally the truth is out that having a degree does not necessarily guarantee success. While this does not mean that having degrees are completely useless and are required in certain industries, moms’ and dads’ beliefs that having a degree will guarantee that open door certainly do no justice to the millions of unemployed graduates whose life’s ambitions and motivations get eroded by the day while painfully confused by the contrary. It’s time to break the myths that we have for the longest time embraced:

Myth 1. A degree can easily land you a job.
My…my…how (un)true that is. If it were so, we should be finding many graduates working in their fields of study, NOT serving in the coffee shops or claiming unemployment benefits!

Myth 2. A degree from a more expensive and prestigious university will land you a more prestigious job.
That’s where lots of students get conned for their money. Sure, a prestigious degree gives you that wow factor, but you are no different with the other interviewees from the what’s-that-name universities. Start from the bottom!

Myth 3. Study hard for a degree, and you will not lose out in the working world.
Street-smartness, soft skills, working experience and network can still help any Tom, Dick or Harry get their foot on the door. It’s all about self-marketing, dear.

Myth 4. It is a status symbol to have a degree.
That would be applicable in the Industrial Age where degree holders were still rare. Now is the Information Age, and degree holders world-wide are clogging the entry pipe. Status? I’m afraid the only status a graduate can be proud of is a paid, full-time job.

Myth 5. With a degree, you will never go hungry.
Ha…ha…ha. Tell that to the millions of unemployed graduates in Europe and Middle East, not forgetting those who were propelled to do unpaid internships. Is it the elitist fat cats or the graduates who are in debt to their student loans getting filled? You decide.

Myth 6. Degree-holders have greater advantages than those with a lower education.
Even diploma holders who command lower salaries are just as attractive. As most of today’s bosses echo in one voice: “Cheaper, better, faster!”. Did I forget to mention that Bill Gates, Steve Jobs and Mark Zuckerberg were all college drop-outs?

Myth 7. Having a degree means you are smart.
I don’t think the politicians who got us into this financial mess in the first place were any smarter than the conmen on the street.

Myth 8. You’ll need a full 3-year degree in order to succeed in the working world.
Most employers ask for relevant qualifications, not how long you earned them. Working experience and smart ideas beats qualifications most of the time!

Myth 9. Once you have a degree, you have finished your education.
You will never stop learning for the rest of your life. Real life experiences will be your best teachers.

Myth 10. A degree will serve you a lifetime.
Yes, unless you decide to change your profession completely.

Advertisement