Gap year

You've said it on here before

 

**** right off you lying coont

You specifically told me you got into drugs and booze and hence took 6 years to get your degree

 

Believe you me, that's the least of our worries where new graduates are concerned.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/money/2011/jan/28/half-graduates-ill-equipped-for-work

 

Where? Anyhoo, I went to college and worked part time, I did not take a holiday when I finished, I went straight into work.

and who would you hire using the example I gave?

 

A rent boy apparently.

 

It's shameful how meaningless a degree has become, I do a degree on the OU in my spare time, more for personal gain and a feeling of having missed out on University (went straight to work) rather than career progression in the future, but in any interview with a hope to gaining employment work experience and industry gained qualifications are just far higher up an employers priorities now than a degree.

 

Doubtless Toby would judge the applicants on their merits.

 

There are many better ways nowadays to get a better job and a degree is not the best option imho. VQs are the best way, real world experience is the basis. The High Level VQ's are miles better than any degree for employment opporchancities. (English Degree).

That's not to say what you are doing is a waste of time, I did my college course for personal gain too.

 

I've always followed the principle that you get one chance at being young/having fun before life turns into one long mortgage repayment and full time work ****fest. I funded it myself and got a good degree.

Do you really think i mention it in interviews? No.

Has it handicapped my job prospects? Saying you've got a degree in CS and AI impresses most recruiters.

I don't regret it and never will

 

The thing with having a degree (and often it can be in any discipine) is that most jobs these days use it as a filtering process.

So in the public sector to work as a say community worker you need a degree or equivilant even to be interviewed

The degree itself could be in star wars in some cases, but withoiut one you dont even get a foot in the door

I have known people with unrelated degrees get jobs for the local council initially and then get trained to do jobs where their degree is completely irrelevant

One girl who worked for me had a law degree, but worked in communications. basically advertising, creating posters etc.

 

But you are still a ****.

 

And the fact that you did not mention it in interviews proves you knew that most people would frown upon it, and for good reason.

 

It really depends on the industry I think. There are jobs where being a graduate is a requirement, however most companies these days hire from within, many graduates work their way up the ladder with their degree from the company they worked part time for as a student. I work in insurance underwriting and a degree doesn't get you far there. Industry gained CII qualifications whilst working in that environment and learning risk strategies etc does.

Doubtless it can be a foot in the door elsewhere, but many of the degrees that people go for are now worthless. Take forensics for example, with CSI being such a popular show many young people undertook that degree, only to find out now that the police are offering training courses to their officers to avoid having to pay a graduates salary.