mexnix;
My advice? Get the degree. A lot of job postings that I've
seen call for a "B.S. or equivalent experience". The experience
is kinda hard to come by without previous experience, so you've
got your classic "Catch 22" situation. The way to fix it is
to get that degree. Not knowing you (or your knowledge), I
can't say if the piece of paper will improve your skills
(chances are good it will - there's gotta be something
they can teach you that you don't know). But here's what
the degree will do:
- Get your foot in the door. ("B.S. or equivalent
experience? Got the degree!") When you apply for a job the
"traditional way" (just sending in a resume, and not having
a friend drop it on the right person's desk), your resume
goes to human resources/staffing. They "screen" it vs. the
job requirements. If the job calls for a degree and you
don't have one, hiring managers will likely never see your
resume. If it offers the option of equivalent knowledge
(some do), that's hard even for software or IT professionals
to gauge, let alone human resources.
- Show potential employers that you have the level of
dedication necessary to stick it out. In the working world,
like in school, there's a lot of cases where "You don't have
to like it, you just gotta do it." No job is perfect, and you
ocassionally have to deal with B.S. (not the degree sort), be
it office politics or whatever. Managers know this, and if you
come equipped with a degree, they also know that you had to
take several classes that may have been a drag and didn't
improve your computer knowledge one iota, but did let you
get the degree. You'll get points for that.
- In probably the majority of cases, you'll get more coin
if you've got the degree.
I can sympathize, and wish you luck in your Escape from
Zephyrhills. I grew up in Florida myself (Port Charlotte),
so I understand the feeling of being stuck in a small town.
- robsv
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