Education Vs Experience?

Black Lion · (#1 (**permalink**))

Using business studies as an example, which do you think is the best way of coming to grips with the topic in general?

Education or Experience?

Will put forward two examples, although there could be three.

1. The university student.

The university student/student in general spends years going through high school, college and university to then be awarded a degree/diploma in business studies. This degree certifies their level of knowledge in the field thus giving them access to work placement at high levels in any company... their certification demands recognition.

2. The Worker.

The Worker has knowledge of the company as a model of what ever industry it may be in but as some bosses would have it this inside knowledge is superficial, something that can be picked up by The Student in a short space of time. The amount of time The Worker has spent doing low level work may not account for the time The Student has spent grasping concepts.

The Worker left school without any grades, joined the/a company at ground level, making coffee for work colleagues, doing mundane paper work slowly working his or her way to a recognized position within the company. Learning hands on this person may now find themselves sitting next to, perhaps even superseded by the student.

The Student has a high level knowledge of given knowledge, the, 'do this then do that' - 'this is acceptable this isn't' level of understanding needed to pass an exam isn't based on real life circumstances, a university degree simply cannot emulate the environment or the real life mode of the industry/field as needed, shortcuts, certain applied ways of working and attitudes in environment. Those teachers/lecturers may not have had the experience enough to deem qualifications to those under them.

Which of the two examples would have a better grasp of industry in general?

I.e; Which is the best road to take?

Peace
B.L

MarcusGarveyLives · (#2 (**permalink**))

It seems to me that a good quality MBA is more likely to give an reasonable understanding of the international business environment, the required quantitative, analytic and strategic managerial skills to run complex multi-billion pound companies, and an understanding of regulatory environments and trends in corporate responsibility and shareholder activism than making the tea.

umbrarchist · (#3 (**permalink**))

Don't hold your breath until the MBAs starts talking about the depreciation of consumer garbage.

The system depends on most people believing that the "educated" know what they are talking about and telling the truth. If the schools are actually dribbling out information, most of which is useless, then education is a scam that the corporations force people to go thru.

The corporations want us in debt. How many people come out of school in debt?

This book has information on page 75 that I wasn't told until 4th semester in college. But I knew it in grammar school, I just didn't know there was a name for it.

Teach Yourself Electricity and Electronics by Stan Gibilisco
Do It Yourself

I consider education to be the acquisition of relevant knowledge. This society treats it as paying schools to dribble out info as slowly as possible to get credentials. The credentials are often necessary but the right books can impart the relevant information faster.

umbra

SoulRebel · (#4 (**permalink**))

Think the highly educated = senior level job equation is a bit simplistic.....most people at or near the top of major corporations (in the UK at least) aren't there because of intellect......in some ways being too bright is a disadvantage. What they want to know is your track record of achievement, and how good you are with people, usually in that order - though the gap between the two will vary from firm to firm. The big-brain people wind in management consultancies like McKinsey.

On the examples, the Worker would most likely have a grasp of how things worked in that company, whereas the Student would have a view across sectors and/or industries. With the end of the idea of a 'job for life', though, the Student might be better able to switch companies to build their career, whereas the worker might find that making the switch was too big a risk to take, so would opt to stay put.

In the modern workplace, there are far more Students than Workers. Companies will no longer hand you a career on a plate - so you manage your own. Takes more of a Student than Worker mentality.

fredblack 2 · (#5 (**permalink**))

Umbra...kind of deals with the issue for me. The educational system in this country serves largely ideological and reproductive purposes and only a small amount of useful and transferable skills. The value of the MBA in particular has been dissed from high and low including business experts..Got a copy of the Harvard Business Review completely focused on discussions about the value of an MBA...We will forget about the large amounts of money institutions make from peddling.these courses..

I use to teach in a business dept back in the day and our classes used to be packed with black people in particular and that goes through the entire Further and Higher Educational system..But hear what..how many of those students ever went onto to run a business...can name them on one hand and most of them were West African who came from a commercial culture and would have gone into it anyhow.

If you want to teach someone businesses skills it is better to stick them into a small one man shop or hotdog stand and let them learn that way..Later they can go and do theoretical stuff and get paper, but I never advise people to give up practical stuff to obtain a theoretical qualification. If you can't balance both then don't waste your time and earning opportunities and money in school studying shite..

umbrarchist · (#6 (**permalink**))

Can someone explain to me what this is about?

BBC NEWS | UK | Education | Ethnic minority degrees 'mystery'

What is a "good degree"?

Are they talking about the subject like physics versus English literature?

Are there various qualities of degrees in the same subject from the same school? Are they talking about what we call Grade Point Average?

Reading stuff about England often makes no sense.

In the US getting a degree in night school has been regarded as not as good but I don't know what the schools do so people can tell one from the other. Why should the school release that info.

It looks like the schools participate in the classism/status games in the US and England. But the KNOWLEDGE doesn't care, and the TECHNOLOGY doesn't care.

umbra

fredblack 2 · (#7 (**permalink**))

Umbra..

They are talking about grade point average to use US speak...

The other debate is about worth of a degree

Broader debate is the poor performance of British students especially in areas like business etc to produce work ready students who can join a company and add value. European institutions are producing students who can more do that and why they are employing them.

Peace.

MarcusGarveyLives · (#8 (**permalink**))

How many of the europeans who are Chief Executives and Finance Directors of FTSE 100 companies gained their positions by working in a "small one man shop or hotdog stand" and how many of them are sending their children to work in a "small one man shop or hotdog stand" to prepare them to run multi-billion pound businesses?

Le Moor · (#9 (**permalink**))

Quote:

Originally Posted by Black Lion

Using business studies as an example, which do you think is the best way of coming to grips with the topic in general?

Education or Experience?

Will put forward two examples, although there could be three.

1. The university student.

The university student/student in general spends years going through high school, college and university to then be awarded a degree/diploma in business studies. This degree certifies their level of knowledge in the field thus giving them access to work placement at high levels in any company... their certification demands recognition.

2. The Worker.

The Worker has knowledge of the company as a model of what ever industry it may be in but as some bosses would have it this inside knowledge is superficial, something that can be picked up by The Student in a short space of time. The amount of time The Worker has spent doing low level work may not account for the time The Student has spent grasping concepts.

The Worker left school without any grades, joined the/a company at ground level, making coffee for work colleagues, doing mundane paper work slowly working his or her way to a recognized position within the company. Learning hands on this person may now find themselves sitting next to, perhaps even superseded by the student.

The Student has a high level knowledge of given knowledge, the, 'do this then do that' - 'this is acceptable this isn't' level of understanding needed to pass an exam isn't based on real life circumstances, a university degree simply cannot emulate the environment or the real life mode of the industry/field as needed, shortcuts, certain applied ways of working and attitudes in environment. Those teachers/lecturers may not have had the experience enough to deem qualifications to those under them.

Which of the two examples would have a better grasp of industry in general?

I.e; Which is the best road to take?

Peace
B.L

The answer to the question depends on what one's trying to achieve. It depends on whether one has aspirations as an employee or as an entrepreneur. As an employee the candidate with a degree in business/management will improve their chances of moving further within a company, plus even aquiring such a positon in the first place. Therefore his potential for the grasping of the essential business ethics is greater over his non-graduate counterpart, purely because of the level of experience he will more likely gain as a direct result of having the degree.

As an entepreneur the pendulum swings to the person gaining the most hands on practical experience. One would only need to study the hundreds of non-graduate entrepreneurs to conclude that having a business degree is not an essential ingredient in the running of a successful business.

Dis Guy · (#10 (**permalink**))

the best route to take is the student route, in some circumstances, the worker route is good IF he/she take a course while doing real work not just the coffee and preparing conference hall.

All in all the RIGHT sort of experience counts!

fredblack 2 · (#11 (**permalink**))

MGL said 'How many of the europeans who are Chief Executives and Finance Directors of FTSE 100 companies gained their positions by working in a "small one man shop or hotdog stand" and how many of them are sending their children to work in a "small one man shop or hotdog stand" to prepare them to run multi-billion pound businesses?

Interesting question..Quite a few actually if the Harvard Business Review Special Edition and other things I have read are true..Probably not as much as back in the day because corporate culture has changed, but learning the business so to speak still involve people working at lower levels so they can master the nuts and bolts..

Don't get your point..These are white corporations set up for them not us so not sure where you are going with this unless you cry racism and the answer would be yes and what..And if white executives did not rise through the ranks in that way the issue would be what exactly?.

MarcusGarveyLives · (#12 (**permalink**))

How many of the europeans who are Chief Executives and Finance Directors of FTSE 100 companies gained their positions by working in a "small one man shop or hotdog stand" and how many of them are sending their children to work in a "small one man shop or hotdog stand" to prepare them to run multi-billion pound businesses?