Do You Need Higher Education, Or Is Work Experience Simply Enough

After getting a job, what will ensure you stay employed, grow your career and make a decent living? When it comes to your career, the debate on whether work experience is more valuable than higher education or vice versa is something to consider.

While some argue that higher education only proves that one is book smart and not street smart when it comes to real-world work, others imply that a higher degree ensures that one acquires a particular set of skills valuable in the office space.

While this argument rages on, what does the workplace say?

Work experience is not necessarily relevant experience.

Your work experience lures employers, but you must have the relevant experience to appeal to them more. Work experience should highly relate to the job that you are looking for.

Your experience has to show some aspect of growth. You are more marketable when there are quantifiable results from the time and effort you put into work.

Education plus work experience is a great combination.

If you work full-time, you can enrol for weekend or evening classes. In this way, you gain more experience as you get to a higher level of education.

Acquiring higher education as you study is a slower route to getting where you want to be, but once you have both, you will easily stand out among the crowd.

Approaching potential employers with substantial education and outstanding work experience will get you the job and keep you at the job you want.

A degree earned 20 years ago may be useless now.

Things change, especially in the technological field. If you have not been gaining relevant work experience related to your field of study, your degree may be of very little use with time.

Timing matters a lot regarding education and experience in such fields. Gaining experience at work and keeping up with the trends as you continuously learn will help you perform better over time.

If you want to progress, learning is a must.

Education never ends; it only begins. Education opens the mind to recognise and take advantage of new opportunities. It gives one the knowledge, awareness, facts, and path to maximise every opportunity.

If you choose to further your education, evaluate whether you gain practical knowledge. Education doesn’t just mean getting good grades and attaining a university degree; it means acquiring knowledge.

Lacking a degree doesn’t have to restrict your career choices.

People’s determination to make the best of life separates them from others. Some return to school to obtain relevant papers to complement their vast experience.

However, others continuously learn on the job; they master the art of adaptability and move on to become the most highly sought-after experts in their fields.

This proves that higher education does not have to be formal, but attaining knowledge is the most valuable asset to invest in.

In the end, you have to consider all your options and determine which suits your career path.