Good jobs that dont require college

evo2000

Is they re any jobs, that you can start off in and work you re way up to decent pay with out all this college stuff?

I just dont see the point in college for most jobs, I mean surely you ll learn more on the job than you ever will in college?

Bang_Bang

evo2000 wrote: »

Is they re any jobs, that you can start off in and work you re way up to decent pay with out all this college stuff?

I just dont see the point in college for most jobs, I mean surely you ll learn more on the job than you ever will in college?

Unfortunatley not in today's world, you'll have to prove that your capable with that diploma or degree, no matter how good you are, I know plenty that have been told to "skill up" or take redundancy. Now I can only speak for the tech sector.

Bepolite

evo2000 wrote: »

Is they re any jobs, that you can start off in and work you re way up to decent pay with out all this college stuff?

I just dont see the point in college for most jobs, I mean surely you ll learn more on the job than you ever will in college?

Ireland is particularly skewed towards requiring a third level education. It's mildly ironic given almost none of our Institutions are world class in almost every field. That said there are plenty of well paying jobs that don't require a degree. Most would centre around sales of some sort, be it call centre, retail sales etc. Realistically there is no end to the possibilities if you want to be entrepreneurial.

If you're willing to do some further education there are trades such as; mechanics, plumbers, electricians all very well paid and the option is there to work for yourself.

The point I would make is none of these opportunities are removed from you by staying in the education system for as long as possible. The whole experience of going to college is an education in itself, and one you should not miss, if at all possible OP.

I spent the guts of two decades in sales based roles - made a few quid, enough to put me back into college again to do Law which is something I've wanted to do for a long time. I do sometimes regret not simply doing it when I was 18 though. I picked my uni course on the basis of 'getting a job' and 'earning money' - ended up dropping out because the allure of making enough to get pissed 3 times a week, afford a decent gaff and enough to shag about a bit was too tempting. I'm now heading into a role in my mid-thirties where I'll likely make no money for years but I could not be happier.

evo2000

Bepolite wrote: »

Ireland is particularly skewed towards requiring a third level education. It's mildly ironic given almost none of our Institutions are world class in almost every field. That said there are plenty of well paying jobs that don't require a degree. Most would centre around sales of some sort, be it call centre, retail sales etc. Realistically there is no end to the possibilities if you want to be entrepreneurial.

If you're willing to do some further education there are trades such as; mechanics, plumbers, electricians all very well paid and the option is there to work for yourself.

The point I would make is none of these opportunities are removed from you by staying in the education system for as long as possible. The whole experience of going to college is an education in itself, and one you should not miss, if at all possible OP.

I spent the guts of two decades in sales based roles - made a few quid, enough to put me back into college again to do Law which is something I've wanted to do for a long time. I do sometimes regret not simply doing it when I was 18 though. I picked my uni course on the basis of 'getting a job' and 'earning money' - ended up dropping out because the allure of making enough to get pissed 3 times a week, afford a decent gaff and enough to shag about a bit was too tempting. I'm now heading into a role in my mid-thirties where I'll likely make no money for years but I could not be happier.

Thats the main thing i suppose once your happy! The thing that annoys me about these degrees and that is that its deemed as some way to measure a persons intelligence, which is fairly inaccurate i think, like someone without one might pick up the job brilliantly just by learning on the job if given the chance, but because they dont have a piece of paper they re over looked,

Im 24 and ive a good few lvl 5 courses everything from construction tech to welding to computer maintenance but i dont really know what i want to do but im not keen on college, id like to find something i could work my way up in,

Id like a job where i could help people as opposed to an office job.

Skatedude

Going to collage is not always about getting just qualifications. It's about proving to potential employers that you are willing and capable of putting the effort into it, the same way you would be willing to put the effort into a job.

If an employer thinks you coudn't be bothered studying for collage/ courses etc, then they may also thing that you wont be bothered to put any effort into the job either.

evo2000

Skatedude wrote: »

Going to collage is not always about getting just qualifications. It's about proving to potential employers that you are willing and capable of putting the effort into it, the same way you would be willing to put the effort into a job.

If an employer thinks you coudn't be bothered studying for collage/ courses etc, then they may also thing that you wont be bothered to put any effort into the job either.

Could you not prove that on the job? without spending thousands ? and whos to say someone without a degree wouldnt put in effort or more effort even?

minidazzler

evo2000 wrote: »

Could you not prove that on the job? without spending thousands ? and whos to say someone without a degree wouldnt put in effort or more effort even?

No one is to say that. But the chances of getting offered a job in a well paid field like tech is pretty much nil unless you have a degree. The reality is though that most well paying jobs, in Ireland, do require a qualification relevant to the field.

Kinet1c

evo2000 wrote: »

Could you not prove that on the job? without spending thousands ? and whos to say someone without a degree wouldnt put in effort or more effort even?

It's really not about any of that. It's about proving your commitment for an extended period of time, your ability to learn multiple topics (time management) in a varierty of scenarios (flying solo and within teams).

Doing your degree can be seen as a box ticking exercise or something completely worthwhile but whichever way you look at it, it's going to make your professional life a whole lot easier. I'm going back now to get a degree in the field I work at - to learn some new things and to enhance my value to my employer (current and future).

evo2000

minidazzler wrote: »

No one is to say that. But the chances of getting offered a job in a well paid field like tech is pretty much nil unless you have a degree. The reality is though that most well paying jobs, in Ireland, do require a qualification relevant to the field.

Oh im not talking bout tech im just speaking generally, I think they re should be some way for people to work they re way up an prove themselves without college an while on the job, im biased tho cause that would suit me lol

Like if you put someone into a job, and let them learn on the job, for 4 years and then you get someone thats been to college to learn about the job, for 4 years, who s going to be better ?

Skatedude

evo2000 wrote: »

Could you not prove that on the job? without spending thousands ? and whos to say someone without a degree wouldnt put in effort or more effort even?

But why would an employer take a chance that you could prove it on the job when there are lots of people who have already proved that they are willing to put the effort in by going to collage etc.

Someone with a degree has already proved that they have put the effort in.

I agree that it dosent mean that you wont put your heart and soul in to a job. but you haven't offered any tangible proof to your potential employer.

At the end of the day, you need to make them chose you over all the other candidates, And that wont happen without an interview, which in most cases will never happen without a qualification.

I'm a maintenance tech and work with robotics, Computer systems and laser drilling tools. Pretty much nothing i did in collage was much use to me, but i have a natural ability for fixing things and all my computer skills were self taught and i'm the one they go to when they want their pc's fixed instead of the IT department. But i would never have even gotten interviews in the first place without a qualification.
I only went for a national cert for mechanical engineering, but it was enough to get me in the door, then i was able to show them how good i really was.

Skatedude

Ps, it dosent need to be collage or a degree, even fas courses etc can get you on the ladder.

evo2000

Skatedude wrote: »

But why would an employer take a chance that you could prove it on the job when there are lots of people who have already proved that they are willing to put the effort in by going to collage etc.

Someone with a degree has already proved that they have put the effort in.

I agree that it dosent mean that you wont put your heart and soul in to a job. but you haven't offered any tangible proof to your potential employer.

At the end of the day, you need to make them chose you over all the other candidates, And that wont happen without an interview, which in most cases will never happen without a qualification.

I'm a maintenance tech and work with robotics, Computer systems and laser drilling tools. Pretty much nothing i did in collage was much use to me, but i have a natural ability for fixing things and all my computer skills were self taught and i'm the one they go to when they want their pc's fixed instead of the IT department. But i would never have even gotten interviews in the first place without a qualification.
I only went for a national cert for mechanical engineering, but it was enough to get me in the door, then i was able to show them how good i really was.

but lets say if you put someone into a job, and let them learn on the job, for 4 years and then you get someone thats been to college to learn about the job, for 4 years, who s going to be better ?

Like you re talent would have been wasted if you didnt have a peice of paper which is a joke, and the fact that college has no real world impact is another flaw in it, for the money colleges are looking for aswell!

Im not trying to knock it either or be little it id just rather if they re was alternatives too it instead of it being the be all end all

Mr. Loverman

evo2000 wrote: »

Is they re any jobs, that you can start off in and work you re way up to decent pay with out all this college stuff?

I just dont see the point in college for most jobs, I mean surely you ll learn more on the job than you ever will in college?

Education develops the brain.
People who are well educated tend to think better than people who are not educated. I'm sure you've noticed this when you're around people with a good education vs. people with a poor education.

University, especially thesis writing, teaches you how to research and dig deep to get something done.

University exposes you to a wide range of topics which you wouldn't come into contact in a work environment.

University proves you can commit to something.

University lowers the risk attached to you as an unknown candidate.

Here's an example:

My area is IT, in particular, QA.
There is generally a huge output quality difference between people who studied computer science and work in IT, and people who didn't study computer science and work in IT.
The reason for this is people who studied computer science understand things like SDLC, best practices, algorithms, etc., whereas those without the proper education have a shallower understanding of things.
Again, I say this as someone who was a QA expert and saw this first hand in every company I worked for. It is consistent.

Of course, having an education or not having an education is not a guarantee of anything, but having an education definitely is a big advantage.

mikemac1

Sales

Some people are superb and for others no amount of college training will make them more then just an average salesman at best

Mr. Loverman

mikemac1 wrote: »

Sales

Some people are superb and for others no amount of college training will make them more then just an average salesman at best

Agree completely.

evo2000

Mr. Loverman wrote: »

Education develops the brain.
People who are well educated tend to think better than people who are not educated. I'm sure you've noticed this when you're around people with a good education vs. people with a poor education.

University, especially thesis writing, teaches you how to research and dig deep to get something done.

University exposes you to a wide range of topics which you wouldn't come into contact in a work environment.

University proves you can commit to something.

University lowers the risk attached to you as an unknown candidate.

Here's an example:

My area is IT, in particular, QA.
There is generally a huge output quality difference between people who studied computer science and work in IT, and people who didn't study computer science and work in IT.
The reason for this is people who studied computer science understand things like SDLC, best practices, algorithms, etc., whereas those without the proper education have a shallower understanding of things.
Again, I say this as someone who was a QA expert and saw this first hand in every company I worked for. It is consistent.

Of course, having an education or not having an education is not a guarantee of anything, but having an education definitely is a big advantage.

I agree with that my problem is that college is widely seen as the only way to get said education, is being self taught not considered an education so long as its yeilding the same results?

Another thing about it is how increasingly common these educations are getting, its not really that big of an advantage when everyone and they re grandmother has it?

So you have the illusion of safety in these degrees, when in reality you re after drowning yourself in death for something that s common and doesnt really give you that much leverage in the job side of things.

evo2000

mikemac1 wrote: »

Sales

Some people are superb and for others no amount of college training will make them more then just an average salesman at best

Id like to go into something where i could help people, like fireman, coast guard or something along them lines, but i agree with what your saying!

Mr. Loverman

evo2000 wrote: »

I agree with that my problem is that college is widely seen as the only way to get said education, is being self taught not considered an education so long as its yeilding the same results?

Another thing about it is how increasingly common these educations are getting, its not really that big of an advantage when everyone and they re grandmother has it?

So you have the illusion of safety in these degrees, when in reality you re after drowning yourself in death for something that s common and doesnt really give you that much leverage in the job side of things.

For sure, continuous learning is important and very valuable, but a degree forces a large amount of learning in a short period of time. Realistically most people probably don't have the discipline to learn all that stuff themselves at home.
If you are the type of person who can devour books on academic topics, that is fantastic and a great life skill.

The reality is having a degree gives you an advantage over those without degrees. And it's just going to get worse as having a degree becomes more normal.

IMO it's generally a bad idea to choose to skip an education. On an utterly basic level, college is a lot of fun and will be some of the happiest times of your life.

mikemac1

evo2000 wrote: »

So you have the illusion of safety in these degrees, when in reality you re after drowning yourself in death for something that s common and doesnt really give you that much leverage in the job side of things.

In debt? This ain't the USA

While there a lot of expenses if you're working through college and every summer you may well come out the other side with zero debt

evo2000

mikemac1 wrote: »

In debt? This ain't the USA

While there a lot of expenses if you're working through college and every summer you may well come out the other side with zero debt

You dont have to be in the US to be in debt, and that s a big IF in the current climate

evo2000

Mr. Loverman wrote: »

For sure, continuous learning is important and very valuable, but a degree forces a large amount of learning in a short period of time. Realistically most people probably don't have the discipline to learn all that stuff themselves at home.
If you are the type of person who can devour books on academic topics, that is fantastic and a great life skill.

The reality is having a degree gives you an advantage over those without degrees. And it's just going to get worse as having a degree becomes more normal.

IMO it's generally a bad idea to choose to skip an education. On an utterly basic level, college is a lot of fun and will be some of the happiest times of your life.

Im not trying to skip it a such more so just looking for alternative ways to get it lol I understand what your saying though,

mikemac1

You're not in college and you reckon most students are drowning in debt. How would you know this if you've not been through it.

Most are working too

evo2000

mikemac1 wrote: »

You're not in college and you reckon most students are drowning in debt. How would you know this if you've not been through it.

Most are working too

Maybe i know people that are in college? most are working? how do you know this?

According to the figures most 18-25 around the country arent doing very well.

And "most" are certainly not working

mikemac1

I'm not getting official statistics, this is your thread

Good luck op

Kinet1c

evo2000 wrote: »

Id like to go into something where i could help people, like fireman, coast guard or something along them lines, but i agree with what your saying!

You've no hope of getting in to the Fire brigade within probably 8-10 years and that's being optimistic. Many people have been accepted in to it but are waiting years to even get drafted in to start their training.

rotun

You seem to think a degree is enough to get you a well paid job.. it's not.

Straight out of college, and you still get shıt pay until you have the experience to get the better jobs/pay.

Graduates are seen as gophers for their first few years in the real world.

Mrs OBumble

While I agree with Mr Loverman that college is about learning to think, I also believe that third-level in general is about learning to have your thinking critiqued, and your performance measured against objective standards.

In third level, teachers are u[front about criticizing if you don't think things through, don't research etc. This means that people who've succeeded at 3rd level have learned how to take criticism - and I see this as one of the most valuable aspects.

That said, the brightest person I've ever worked with hadn't been to college (at least when i was there - even he when there later). And I've worked with some mighty thick graduates, too.

OP - rather than focusing on college or not - how about focusing on what you would actually like to do with your life, and figure out how to carve a career out of that. I'd see that as a far better route to a fulfilling job than just lookign for anything that pays well to people without pre-experience qualifications.

csm

A career as an actuary or accountant can be pursued straight from school. You'll need good marks though, and an A in higher level maths for the former. I speak from the experience of people I left school with but this was 15 years ago so things may have changed since then. They probably have given the GFC and chronic unemployment for young people.

It's definitely do-able but it'd be a hard road and going to university may be an easier route.

Gone West

Bang_Bang wrote: »

Unfortunatley not in today's world, you'll have to prove that your capable with that diploma or degree, no matter how good you are, I know plenty that have been told to "skill up" or take redundancy. Now I can only speak for the tech sector.

Sorry bang_bang but you're incorrect.
I know loads of people (including myself), in the tech sector with no college degree on decent money in great jobs. A degree doesn't prove that you are capable of anything except sitting through 3 years of adult babysitting that passes for higher education in this country. Yes, many science or engineering degrees are very difficult, but for every 1 of those, you have a bunch of worthless politics and anthropology "degrees".

In fact, most anybody I know in the tech sector wouldn't have learned the required skills for what they do in university.

drumswan

Fuzzy wrote: »

Sorry bang_bang but you're incorrect.
I know loads of people (including myself), in the tech sector with no college degree on decent money in great jobs.

This is all very well for people who came through during the boom, but its not the case for people trying to break into the industry now.

evo2000 wrote:

but lets say if you put someone into a job, and let them learn on the job, for 4 years and then you get someone thats been to college to learn about the job, for 4 years, who s going to be better ?

Your comparison is not relevant, you should be comparing someone going into a job with a four year degree with someone off the street with no qualification. Thats the reality, why would an employer choose the latter?

Eoin

Bepolite wrote: »

Ireland is particularly skewed towards requiring a third level education. It's mildly ironic given almost none of our Institutions are world class in almost every field.

I don't think it's ironic at all. If every Joe Soap can get a qualification, then there will be an increased expectation in the market for qualifications because the bar is set quite low.

As well as the critical thinking and all that good stuff, I'm sure there are industries where you need that specialisation in a field to be remotely useful in the workplace.

Anyway OP, I think you're going about this arseways. Do what Mrs OBumble said - figure out what interests you, and then figure out what route you need to take to get there.

Also, college can be fun. Usually more-so than joining the workforce immediately after school. I didn't do a degree; only a 1 year cert before I started working, and I kind of regret that. Not from a career point of view - not having a degree has never excluded me from any interviews - just missing out on the university life for a few years.

drumswan wrote:

comparison is not relevant, you should be comparing someone going into a job with a four year degree with someone off the street with no qualification. Thats the reality, why would an employer choose the latter?

Exactly. Or someone with a relevant degree and a year's experience, over someone with just a year's experience. IMO, it's not until a few more years' experience (maybe even just 2 years' experience, depending on the industry) that the degree becomes less of a differentiating factor.

thegreatgonzo

evo2000 wrote: »

Oh im not talking bout tech im just speaking generally, I think they re should be some way for people to work they re way up an prove themselves without college an while on the job, im biased tho cause that would suit me lol

Like if you put someone into a job, and let them learn on the job, for 4 years and then you get someone thats been to college to learn about the job, for 4 years, who s going to be better ?

Well I'd imagine in many cases it would be a burden on the employer having to train someone from scratch and would affect the productivity of whatever business it is. In my case I studied veterinary nursing which involves a lot of practice placement. Students aren't allowed do certain things until they have covered the theoretical aspects of it in college first, this is for health and safety reasons but also because nobody has the time to explain the fundamental principles while on the job.

rawn

The difference between people with a degree and a person working their way up with no previous education in the field is that the person working their way up has only learned what they have seen and experienced, whereas the person that studied it for 4 years has a broader knowledge of the subject which will be more useful. For example, a guy can work in a kitchen with no chef training and cook bacon and eggs just as well as the trained chef. But then a customer comes in and wants salmon mousse. Which one will be more prepared to meet the challenge? That's why education trumps experience in this example.

Coincidentally, working in a kitchen is one of those career fields that will take in people with no experience and allow them to work their way up, so long as they can handle the heat and have the passion/natural talent for it. But it would be tough, and you'd be on pot duty long before they will allow you to touch any food :P

Roquentin

i agree with the OP. I think college is way too long for starters. The chances are high that once you finish your degree you will have to be trained again by the company you work for. So whats the point of college? It shows you can work hard.

College as well doesnt give a good representation of the professional world (for some jobs). 90% of my time in college was spent alone, whereas in the real world, you would be working with people daily.

Matthew Gleeson

evo2000 wrote: »

Could you not prove that on the job? without spending thousands ? and whos to say someone without a degree wouldnt put in effort or more effort even?

Life is competitive especially in the job market and its only getting harder. You'll have to get some form of qualification realistically if you want to best set yourself up, honestly I used to want to drop out of school and again college but I'm delighted now that I stick it all out. It's expensive but if you can get grants which are handy enough to get its not that bad. To be honest it's something a lot of people regret not doing and if you do it while you fresh out of school and don't have as many responsibilities its better.

Lots of the IT colleges also offer degrees by night or part time which might suit you better if you wanted to maybe do some work while you study. And finish a degree when you start it even if your not as interested in that particular field you can always diversify when you graduate.

pauliebdub

Jobs that dont require a college education are usually reserved for people who know someone who can get them a job in the first place and then work from there, i know quite a few people who work in sales at home who have no college education but they or their fathers knew someone who could get them a job.

It would be a bit harder in Dublin i would think,

Mr. Loverman

Roquentin wrote: »

90% of my time in college was spent alone

In fairness, that just tells us a lot about you...

It sounds like you didn't get a lot out of college. That's a shame!

Stepping Stone

Third level education varies. obviously but it really does teach you (the hard way) lots of skills. Time management, prioritising your workload, critical thinking, how to work in a team, taking criticism and picking yourself up and trying a different, better way...There are loads of things. I think that the most useful thing that I learned was not to accept known truths as truths, because if you dig deeper, you find that it is not really that true.

I work in a technical area. What I do, I learned on the job (very industry specific), however the foundations for all of this were laid in four years of a degree and one year of a masters. The big difference in my area is that hose of us who have the right qualifications can look at the data and almost instinctively know if there is an issue. The others won't because they just don't have the required level of background knowledge. It is hard to described, but we work in one team and are from two different, technical backgrounds. When we are in meetings, etc and examining data we will pounce on stuff that they would never pick up on.

It depends what you want to do with your life, but I do think that there is nothing like third level for teaching you skills that you won't learn anywhere else.

Roquentin

Mr. Loverman wrote: »

In fairness, that just tells us a lot about you...

It sounds like you didn't get a lot out of college. That's a shame!

I meant with regards working on projects and assignments and stuff. What i mean is that in college you generally work alone with regards assignments and projects. But in the real world its different. You meet people and go to meetings.

Colleges need more internships and less theory classes i feel, to give students a greater feel for what working is like.

Bears and Vodka

I would echo what others have said about college training you to teach critically and objectively, making you deal with deadlines and pressures and nurturing your work ethic. A university education also tries to give you a 'rounded' education, meaning it wants to make you a well-rounded person and becoming one involves stepping outside the academic routine and becoming involved in extra curricular activities in college. A lot of the time what you learn in college academically will have limited applicability to your job in the future, but the extra-curricular things may well stand to you, if only to get you that initial interview or whatever. An employer likes to see that you were on committee of this soc and that soc, you were on such and such a team, and you ran for a position in the SU. First of all these things improve your interpersonal skills and hone your leadership skills, but also they show that you are a go-getter and that you are not content with just coming in to college like you would come in to school, attend lectures, do assignments and go home. And that, arguably, is more important than the degree you get in the end.

Roquentin

Bears and Vodka wrote: »

I would echo what others have said about college training you to teach critically and objectively, making you deal with deadlines and pressures and nurturing your work ethic. A university education also tries to give you a 'rounded' education, meaning it wants to make you a well-rounded person and becoming one involves stepping outside the academic routine and becoming involved in extra curricular activities in college. A lot of the time what you learn in college academically will have limited applicability to your job in the future, but the extra-curricular things may well stand to you, if only to get you that initial interview or whatever. An employer likes to see that you were on committee of this soc and that soc, you were on such and such a team, and you ran for a position in the SU. First of all these things improve your interpersonal skills and hone your leadership skills, but also they show that you are a go-getter and that you are not content with just coming in to college like you would come in to school, attend lectures, do assignments and go home. And that, arguably, is more important than the degree you get in the end.

that is true. They want to see people who are assertive and have good interpersonal skills. A lot of graduate jobs are based on what kind of person you are as a pose to the grade you got in your final year.

Steviemoyne

evo2000 wrote: »

Id like to go into something where i could help people, like fireman, coast guard or something along them lines, but i agree with what your saying!

Couldn't you try for something like a cadetship with the army and get the best of both worlds?

Personnel of the Army, who were inducted as an Officer Cadet and successfully completed their Officer Cadet training and who have not previously attained an Honours Bachelor Degree (Level 8 of the National Framework of Qualifications) or equivalent may be assigned to a course of study leading to a degree at National University of Ireland, Galway or a course of study leading to a degree at some other third level college of education. - See more at: http://www.military.ie/en/careers/army/cadetships/#sthash.CfZ0DtMR.dpuf

I'm presuming you're not eligible for a grant which would alleviate your "debt" concerns.

evo2000

rawn wrote: »

The difference between people with a degree and a person working their way up with no previous education in the field is that the person working their way up has only learned what they have seen and experienced, whereas the person that studied it for 4 years has a broader knowledge of the subject which will be more useful. For example, a guy can work in a kitchen with no chef training and cook bacon and eggs just as well as the trained chef. But then a customer comes in and wants salmon mousse. Which one will be more prepared to meet the challenge? That's why education trumps experience in this example.

Coincidentally, working in a kitchen is one of those career fields that will take in people with no experience and allow them to work their way up, so long as they can handle the heat and have the passion/natural talent for it. But it would be tough, and you'd be on pot duty long before they will allow you to touch any food :P

Thats abit of a skewed view and we can all give examples like that? whos gonna be better a soldier thats been out fighting learning his craft in the field or someone thats sat in college reading about it? :P

evo2000

Steviemoyne wrote: »

Couldn't you try for something like a cadetship with the army and get the best of both worlds?



I'm presuming you're not eligible for a grant which would alleviate your "debt" concerns.

Would love to, but they arent recruiting at the moment?

Mr. Loverman

evo2000 wrote: »

Thats abit of a skewed view and we can all give examples like that? whos gonna be better a soldier thats been out fighting learning his craft in the field or someone thats sat in college reading about it? :P

I'd feel a lot safer next to a soldier with an education + 10 years experience than a soldier with no education + 10 years experience.

Something I've noticed is there seems to be a correlation between education and decorum.

evo2000

I do agree tho to a certain extent college is useful, but it shouldnt be the only way and it shouldnt be used as a guage to measure a persons ability.

After all they re is a difference between intelligence and an education.

evo2000

Mr. Loverman wrote: »

I'd feel a lot safer next to a soldier with an education + 10 years experience than a soldier with no education + 10 years experience.

Something I've noticed is there seems to be a correlation between education and decorum.

Of course a soldier with a degree in arts is surely going to be better than a soldier without one lol :P

thegreatgonzo

evo2000 wrote: »

Of course a soldier with a degree in arts is surely going to be better than a soldier without one lol :P

What if the soldier studied french as part of the Arts degree and then got posted to the Congo?

ElleEm

You mentioned wanting to do something to "help people" like coast guard or fire service. Having courses like first aid and life guard/ swimming skills will be a benefit to get into these areas. You should even look at volunteering in the Civil Defence or Order of Malta. You should start working towards those goals while you are figuring out what to do. Doing courses and volunteering will show the commitment that you may lack through not having years of college behind you.

Roquentin

You could know all the theory in how to ride a bike, but when you first get up, you will probably fall off. You need theory and hands on. For my mind, the colleges are far too skewed towards theory and not enough actual work place training.

Roquentin

thegreatgonzo wrote: »

What if the soldier studied french as part of the Arts degree and then got posted to the Congo?

i imagine archaeology may come in handy over there:pac: