Re: SAGE, certification, and you

[Rea Simpson <simpson6@llnl.gov>]

On Wed, 25 Feb 1998, Andy Poling wrote:
> skills.  More to the point, some people seem to believe that a college
> degree (or other proof of completing some course of study) automatically
> indicates that person possesses a certain level of knowledge and skills.  
> 
> That's simply not so.  All it means is that they spent time sitting in
> classrooms (hopefully) listening as they were lectured at, and then
> satisfactorily completed whatever test regimen was present.  Mind you, I'm
> not trying to say that education is bad (I have a degree, though it's not in
> CS) - simply that it's no quality guarantee.
> 

IMHO, getting a degree tells you a bit more.  It says the person was 
dedicated enough to complete it.  It shows they were willing to take
courses that might not be directly applicable to what they wanted to
do in the future, but they took them because they were required.  

Being able to stick it out and get the degree takes some qualities
that are desirable in a good employee.  But again, it doesn't guarantee
anything.  And not having the degree doesn't mean you don't have
these qualities.  These are just pieces of the whole picture.

Everything equal between 2 candidates, I'd take the one with the
degree.

Maybe it's an urban legend, but there's that story about the study
that showed the only only difference they could find between
college grads and non-college grads, was that the grads could hold
their finger in a candle flame longer.  :-)

Rea