Diploma / Degree

C Fodder

Not entirely sure if this is the place for this query but it does relate to recruitment.

I have just been reminded today that anyone who got a 3 year diploma from an IT / RTC is now classed as having a degree or that the diploma has been upgraded to degree status. Does this mean that a person recruiting looking for a Bachelors dergee qualified person is looking for this as a minimum qualification or are they looking for current classification Hons. degree or what ? By this I am referring to job requirements stating "degree qualified" or "Bachelors Degree" or "BSc."

Stephen

You'll be getting an ordinary degree, don't think that companies hiring people would treat this the same as a bachelor's degree - it is, after all, the same old diploma with a new name.

damnyanks

I was offered an interview with MS Ireland grad program based on the fact that I'd a national cert. That means I'd passed through the screening process. If its a case of applying for a job worst case scenario is they say no.

tinkerbell

Diploma = Ordinary Degree.

It's not the same as a BSc or anything, Honours Degree is what you get in university.

tk123

tinkerbell wrote:

Diploma = Ordinary Degree.

It's not the same as a BSc or anything, Honours Degree is what you get in university.

*hijack* I have a dip AND a BSc from DIT so now do i have 2 degrees!?

Lemlin

Nope, the diploma is just the same as an Ordinary Degree. It is cancelled by the Honours Degree though so that means you only have one degree.

tk123

awwww

C Fodder

All interesting replies but none on the button. What I'm asking is if a recruitment agency e.g. is looking for someone with a degree are they looking for an old dip., an old BA/BSc or an old BA/BSc(Hons) if the info they give is limited and the job could be done by a time served chimp. (Apologies to all the BComm's / BCL's etc. same question applies)

Lemlin

Degree would still mean Honours Degree. If they wanted someone with an Ordinary Degree, they would more than likely say holders of a diploma or ordinary degree.

When they say degree though it usually means Honours. That said, the best thing you can do is ring them and ask about it and the job.

Then when you send in your CV or are interviewed, you can mention the chat you had with whoever you spoke to on the phone, you may even get chatting to the person who will interview you when you ring.

One of our lecturers told us to do this before and it creates a very good impression on employers, shows you have intiative/motivation etc. before you even go to the interview.

Tom Dunne

C Fodder wrote:

All interesting replies but none on the button. What I'm asking is if a recruitment agency e.g. is looking for someone with a degree are they looking for an old dip., an old BA/BSc or an old BA/BSc(Hons)

I think it is fairly safe to assume that if they are looking for a degree, it's a BSc, BA or whatever.

If they need someone with a Diploma - they will say just that, I don't think the concept of an ordinary degree has filtered through yet.

nesf

Well, there also is a BSc General. A 3 year science degree, basically a BSc without honours. It's not the same a diploma, a BSc Gen is totally dependent on the course and college it was granted for. A BSc Gen in Physics, versus a Diploma in physics, for example, is very different. For instance, you could have done 3 years of an honours degree and taken a General. That would be of a higher standard than a diploma in physics, bluntly.

Depends totally on the area in question though.

Personally I think if they ask for a Degree then they are looking for a bachelors not a diploma imho.

It's a filtering process rather than anything else. If you had a Dip and 5 years experience in the postion you are applying for, I'm sure they'd rank your CV over a fresh college grad with a BSc.

Depends on the company and field though, some areas require a BSc/equiv minimum and would normally be looking for a MSc or H. Dip in prospective employees. Other areas would look for experience first, then look at your qualifications.

Know the field you want to work in and know what they expect of you. For most professions there is a back door around having qualifications, ie a long one which involves working your way from the very bottom up (suits some people though). I'd personally prefer to go the qualifications route, but I like academics, not everyone is like this.

Although with free fees there is a highly (if not overly) educated workforce out there, so not having qualifications is going to make life harder for you. Not impossible but tbh I'd say grab as many as you can afford to do (not necessarily full time, part time is as respected, if not more so).

C Fodder

Thanks to all who took the time to reply esp nesf for a detailed and well thought out reply.
I asked the question out of curiosity because although I am looking for work in a particular field I have a mixed bag of qualifications relating to different disciplines. I am chasing work that you can qualify for by time served, diploma or degree, sounds crazy but in the job there is no differentiation between qualification routes, only on past experience. I haven't worked at this in years but need a change, the work is handy if you know your stuff and the money is good .

RicardoSmith

Well experience is almost always ranked well above someone with no experience and just a paper qualification. As someone else said its just a lazy filtering mechanisim by HR departments and agencies. Unless its a graduate or specialised role.

You're more likely to be discounted not because you don't have paper qualifications but because you obviously choose to do something else for the past few years, why would you switch now. Etc.