I Don’t Have A Degree But I’m Still Getting Paid!!!
Life and recent events have forced me to take a few days off, but I am back!
I remember years ago when it was being said, by the year blah blah blah, you would need a degree to work at Target! Although we have surpassed whatever year they were speaking about, I’m sure we are not actually there yet. Many, including myself, believe some form of higher education should be something we all aspire to. Whether technical school, specific training for a particular job, college, etc., I think education, past the point of the 12 years required of us, gives us a special edge and makes us more marketable. Or does it? Can simple hard work with no form of higher education get you to the top? That is always the question isn’t it! No matter how far you go up the ladder and succeed without the higher education, could you have gone higher with it?
Statistics say having a master’s degree will earn you $25,000 more a year than having a bachelor’s degree. Wow. Although I have some higher education, there are instances and individuals that make me question whether any form of higher education is really necessary! My daughter is one of them!
Today my daughter shared with me that she did so well at her job in 2008 that she entered into what is called the winner’s circle. Only 20 people in the entire region of Michigan, Indiana and Kentucky made it! She was one! This achievement won her an all expense paid trip for two and special recognition at a honorary ceremony. And she doesn’t have a degree!
She started in September of 2006 as a part time customer service representative as an hourly employee. In June of 2007 she was promoted to full time customer service representative. Then in March of 2008 she was promoted to full time sales representative with commission. That is where the break came! She focused, worked hard and accomplished something great! Now maybe her line of work came easy to her and maybe she walked into her destiny. As her mother, I would still love to see her go back and finish the degree she started. In my opinion, at that point, the sky is the limit!
I know what you are going to say, college and a college degree isn’t for everyone. I have heard it soooo many times, especially from those who don’t want to buckle down and discipline themselves enough to get it. And for some, I know that is true and I agree. I didn’t say college only; I said some form of higher education. I am interested to see what you have to say on this subject but first, help in saying congratulations to Kourtney! As she herself said, to God be the Glory!
Holla back!
Congratulations Kourtney for working your way to the top without a degree.
It’s funny that I received this in my email this morning. A friend of mine and I were discussing this topic just last night. Of course I am from backwards SC and jobs, degrees, and salaries don’t really always go hand in hand. I have an undergraduate degree in Accounting and a MBA degree also have over 14 years of experience in my field of study. However, I don’t feel I am making the salary I should be making. Don’t get me wrong I am doing well but I often sit and think; would not having a degree advanced me more. My friend who doesn’t have a degree has a systems administrator job, and his salary surpasses mine and then some, so I am often left wondering where did I go wrong. Of course as I expressed earlier I live in backwards SC where a degree isn’t very important. From what I have seen or heard all you need to do here is know somebody, or other things I dare not mention
and you can get to the position you want at the salary you want. Is that fair?? I felt not so I applied in other states and seen a different side of things. States that value your hard work and dedication or where a degree is very much welcomed and the compensation surpasses my goal. Places where they would hire an experienced individual w/degree over someone that doesn’t meet the degree requirements and experience. A great deal of my friends live in states other than SC and over half of them have a degree, they have phenomenal jobs with all the perks. So why is SC really so backwards? I have about 4 friends that live in GA that do not have a degree but have worked years and years to reach the high salaries they have now. I guess when it boils down to it, hard work should pay off. I just feel like because I have work so hard over the years and obtain the degrees I felt would take me places, I should be rewarded, to me that has been hard work. After all education isn’t cheap and if I could have accomplished or made the salary desired without a degree I would have surely opt out of obtaining an education. Just my viewpoint on things.
The funny thing is, many, many people without a degree say the stupidest stuff when it comes to having a degree! Almost as if they are offended a person has a degree and they don’t. It is just like me getting jealous of a person with a new car and I am still driving my old one. Just like they have a new car, so can I and the payments that go along with it! Just like I have a degree so can the next guy! And all the struggles, late nights, headaches, heart palpitations at test time, and STUDENT LOANS!!! Sometimes I think, others think you just walk into a class room and they hand you the degree! It is hard work!!! Getting a degree is nothing but years and years of discipline! Ain’t nobody trying to be arrogant because they have a degree over the next guy but when employers look at the person with the degree or without, and all things are equal, the one thing the degree does and should shout out is, this person is disciplined and can focus on a years out goal and achieve it.
I live in GA. I feel the exact same way you feel about SC and the importance they place on higher education. They don’t!
Congratulations Kourtney!!Great Job! Stay prayerful, keep working hard and stay focused. Be blessed and highly favored!! God has made the way now enjoy the walk.
I’m all for some form of higher education. Wish I had felt that way when I left high school.
I honestly do say I am jealous of people when I hear about this. All of my life growing up I heard from my parents that you can’t do anything without going to college (neither of them graduated from college). So, without a second thought I went and paid my way with student loans. Now looking back it makes me sick to think about how hard I worked in school and in life and I don’t have anything to show for it. I am currently a teacher and live with my dad because I can’t afford to live on my own. Honestly, I couldn’t afford 1 more bill a month. I pay nearly half of my monthly salary to STUDENT LOANS! ( Yuck) The rest is for credit card bills (which I only used during college) Insurance, groceries ect.
It’s also funny because as I was growing up I always told people that I wanted to be a teacher, and time after time I heard…Why? They don’t make any money? Why would you want to do that?….I guess I just thought me being happy in my job would trump that. Now, I’m starting to agree.
Maybe it’s time to switch professions.
@Ali – Ali, I feel you! I am old enough to be your mom and have student loans! I hear Oprah and so many other big wigs talk about how you can do nothing without higher education. I think the basis of what they are saying is 100% true however I can list a bunch of people who don’t have a higher education and have made it. The one thing I didn’t talk about was how accomplishing anything makes you feel proud of yourself. I think achieving a degree or some sort of training that sets you apart from your former self, is a prideful thing!
You know what I want? I want to be one of those people who can proudly say, I love my job so much that it doesn’t even feel like work. Degree and all, I am not there yet!
I say this all the time to people about anything in life really, but getting ahead in life comes down to two things. Who you know & being in the right place at the right time. I know that was kind of off the topic but its true. I am working towards my degree and want a degree, but I have been hearing about and have actually seen crazy weekly checks from people that didnt go to school. Not drop out, just plain out did not go. So sometimes I think its more about who you know that can get you into a position to do well.
@Kendall Blake – Kendall, I agree and just had that conversation with someone the other day. Alot of times life boils down to being at the right place, at the right time, talking to the right people, about the right things!
I can go along with being in the right place at the right time, talking to the right people. In my case I guess I am never at the most appointed time nor place. I do realize that everything will take place in God’s own time and place, despite my wanting things right then and now it isn’t probably meant for me to be at that top notch position right then.
Thanks mom for featuring me and both you and Leah for the congrats! I agree with eveyone. I am a college drop out! I really STILL want a degree, and those were my plans. But like Kendall said…I was at the right place at the right time and got a break. Sometimes, it still makes me sad that I dont have a degree, but then I get my paychecks and it softens the pain almost to non existence! People generally go to school and obtain a degree so that they CAN get paid. The only thing that would have been a little different for me was I probably would have STARTED with the company making a few cents more then what i did. But I just thank and praise the Lord that not only did I find this job, but i still have it with todays economy. And I am doing well at it! I can also feel Alis frustration. Even though I am a drop out doesnt mean the student loans dropped out too. So now I am paying for something I dont even have. ( well I have some education, but not the completion degree) So I can understand all points. I just thank God, im where Im at now!
Kourtney,
Congratulations on all your success. I think it’s wonderful. You are still young enough that you can finish your degree and probably have your job pay a percentage of the cost too. Look into that.
I went to a technical school after high school and never gained any type of employment from it. I got a certificate of completion and the bill for it. However, I’m not going to complain because the experience was great and I made some good friends, even though we don’t keep in contact anymore. In addition to myself, my husband got a biology degree from SC State, with hopes of becoming a doctor but his heart was with music, not med school. Again, I won’t complain about that because his degree was paid for by a music scholarship so I don’t have to pay for it. And the music thing has definitely worked for us. Thankfully, he now ministers his music as opposed to playing the clubs.
My job just had what seems to be the 6th or 7th layoff since the beginning of last year. Praise God, I’m still here because of God’s favor upon my life and in this job. My husband works at a government agency and they are booming with business. He’s degreed and not working in his field, but doing very well, and I’m not degreed and have a good job also. I think all the factors previously discussed are important. When I lived in L.A. I had a job that paid very well and I got it from a recommendation from someone that previously worked there. So I definitely believe that who you know and where you are makes a huge difference. You also need to be a go getter and do your job so well that they won’t be able to afford to lose you.
You can have a degree and become successful or you can become successful without a degree. You can work hard to make or know the right person. Unfortunately, in today’s society, you can be the right (kind, look, etc.) of person and ride that to success.
There really is no answer except to those people who say we must have a degree. To them I would say it helps in some situations, but it really isn’t a must depending on the desired career path.
Kourtney is my niece and I’ve always felt like she has something about her that draws people in. Her recent success is probably that x-factor meeting up with the perfect job. Congrats!
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Kourtney, I’m late with this but Congratulations!!! I think you have always had a way with people that takes you places someone with the same education can’t go. I do believe all of us in the family are (to quote the words of the song) BLESSED AND HIGHLY FAVORED due to prayers from grandparents and parents. Degree or no degree?? I agree with Kendall I beieve who said right place, right time, right people!!!! Kourtney, keep up the good work and the sky is the limit!