As you say, knowledge is power, but<div>not necessarily the power to get you</div><div>a job in this ever more bureaucratic </div><div>world, where often "managers" don't</div><div>know their butts from their elbows.</div>
<div><br></div><div>But at bottom, knowledge is a wonderful</div><div>thing, however you get it. It makes your</div><div>life more interesting, no matter what your</div><div>circumstance, and can be a life long </div><div>
pursuit, where the more you get the </div><div>more you want and the more the world</div><div>will make sense to you.</div><div><br></div><div>Except for politics.... :-(</div><div><br></div><div> -- Bob</div><div><br>
</div><div><br><div class="gmail_quote">On Tue, Feb 22, 2011 at 7:34 PM, mooselikebriard <span dir="ltr"><<a href="mailto:moosebriard@gmail.com">moosebriard@gmail.com</a>></span> wrote:<br><blockquote class="gmail_quote" style="margin:0 0 0 .8ex;border-left:1px #ccc solid;padding-left:1ex;">
I am the kicker of the hornet's nest.<br>
<br>
Knowledge is power. Does not matter where you attain the knowledge.<br>
My company just 'released' from employment (in our IT department) one<br>
gentlemen with nearly a Master's degree in economics. Nice guy, but<br>
horrible at managing resources. Technical ability questionable when<br>
he began, he was capable of learning.<br>
<br>
His replacement has a Bachelor's from a highly respected military<br>
school. Time will tell if he has the moxie to handle our Corporate<br>
environment. The first week he ticked everyone off and alienated<br>
himself from much of the tutoring he could have received to acclimate<br>
to the new environment. Technical ability SERIOUSLY questionable.<br>
<br>
I have observed that neither of these gentlemen appear to have the<br>
real-world skills necessary to be a serious mover and shaker: one too<br>
timid, the other too distant from his people and customers.<br>
Meanwhile, I get the work done, behind the scenes for the most part.<br>
When people call, they call me.<br>
<br>
The Corporation I work for has a diploma requirement to be considered<br>
for hire. So here I am, back in school for the diploma.<br>
<br>
A good lesson for all you younger folks reading this-<br>
<br>
The diploma itself may land you the job, but it is what you actually<br>
learn (and retain) while getting it as well as your people skills that<br>
will keep the job.<br>
<div><div></div><div class="h5"><br>
On 2/22/11, Bob Kline <<a href="mailto:bob.kline@gmail.com">bob.kline@gmail.com</a>> wrote:<br>
> There was a fine system of two-year<br>
> schools in MI 50 years ago. At Ferris<br>
> you could learn anything from refrigeration<br>
> to auto mechanics to welding<br>
><br>
> In the 1960s the push was on to make<br>
> those schools four year schools. That<br>
> meant padding them out with lots of<br>
> humanities courses and other cultural<br>
> icons, thus forcing those who wanted<br>
> to learn a trade and then go out and get<br>
> a good job be there longer, and spend<br>
> more.<br>
><br>
> A racket to be sure, it's well to keep<br>
> in mind that schools are businesses<br>
> just like any other. Schools are forced<br>
> to get accreditation in order grant valid<br>
> degrees. In oder to do this, someone<br>
> else decides what constitutes an<br>
> education. And in the real world that's<br>
> more than just being competent at<br>
> something, which should be enough.<br>
> Employers reinforce this by requiring a<br>
> diploma saying you know something,<br>
> because most "managers" today don't<br>
> have the moxy to properly interview<br>
> someone. And would probably get<br>
> sued in this PC correct world if they<br>
> tried.<br>
><br>
> Face it folks, the US was a more<br>
> practical country 50 years ago, and<br>
> got things done. But as Donald Trump<br>
> recently said "We just don't have it any<br>
> more as a country." Which I mostly<br>
> take as too much gov't involvement,<br>
> and too little common sense all around.<br>
><br>
> -- Bob<br>
><br>
><br>
> On Tue, Feb 22, 2011 at 2:15 PM, Mike Williams<br>
> <<a href="mailto:knightperson@zuzax.com">knightperson@zuzax.com</a>>wrote:<br>
><br>
>> I did the college thing for a few years right out of highschool, but<br>
>> wasn't<br>
>> ready for it at the time. After 10-15 years of muddling around without a<br>
>> degree I went back, and I will graduate with a Bachelors in IT<br>
>> (specialization in security) in about 2 months. I chose University of<br>
>> Phoenix's online program for the flexible scheduling, because they've been<br>
>> doing online longer than most other schools, and because their program is<br>
>> aimed at teaching adults. My experience has been generally positive,<br>
>> although marred by technical issues early on and a curriculum dispute more<br>
>> recently.<br>
>><br>
>> In my opinion, higher education does not so much "teach" as "certify that<br>
>> you learned." In a traditional liberal arts program teaching 20 year old<br>
>> students that might be less true, but the responsibility for learning<br>
>> falls<br>
>> on the student not the university.<br>
>><br>
>> When choosing a school that you will be giving a pile of money to, ask<br>
>> some<br>
>> very good questions about accreditation. There are national and regional<br>
>> accreditations, and if a school doesn't have both then look elsewhere. U<br>
>> of<br>
>> P has both and is still looked down on by many organizations, and a degree<br>
>> from a school that doesn't have its accreditation is basically useless.<br>
>> Years ago, ITT was in that "unaccredited and useless" category, but I<br>
>> don't<br>
>> know if that has changed. To those who say bad things about U of P, I<br>
>> admit<br>
>> that they practice open admission (basically, they'll take anybody as a<br>
>> student) but they don't give out good grades just for showing up.<br>
>><br>
>> --<br>
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