Degrees matter, but serving with integrity is more important

you graduated from university, and faced tough job competition from the ever-increasing number of graduates and also from a workforce that may have skipped tertiary education.

You applied for jobs and impressed interviewers with soft skills you mastered at university.

You soon secured a full-time job. You started your first day of work, at the bottom of hierarchy, only to notice that many seniors did not possess a degree.

Some, at managerial positions, did not even complete their secondary education.

The founder of the company quit school to start his business.

I believe this is a common situation encountered by many when we first started our career.

We ask ourselves, to what degree does it matter to have a tertiary education, join professional boards and get accreditation?

It depends on what we want to pursue in our career. Many jobs do not require a degree to perform the tasks.

Much of what we learnt in university isn’t applicable at work.

This is true for managerial and political positions.

However, a quantitative approach is the easiest way to judge a person prior to knowing that person. This includes awards, level of education and age.

Thus, some people lie or make themselves more appealing. Like our resumes, we will put in only what is nice.

Degrees are crucial for certain jobs, such as doctors and engineers, but not for jobs such as a politician.

Not all jobs are rocket science. What is more important is the heart to serve, the professionalism, ethics and integrity.

We should be honest with ourselves and others.

Our counterparts should provide checks and balances in addressing more crucial matters and not indulge in personal attacks on trivial matters.

The experiences we gain, be it from tertiary education or from starting work early, may differ, but both benefit us.