What was your degree and is it relevant to your job?

OP: One O Level in geography at school, and a BTEC in Business Studies from York College :) And they were relevant.

I spent a lot of my career working with Academics around the world, mainly America. I loved it when I was asked what 'College' I went to, in the States and I could say York :cool::)

My 3 kids all have degrees, only one is making it work for them. Different times
 
These sorts of questions, especially 'What do you do for a living' are generally to weigh up someone's status and financial worth in the eyes of the person asking to consider and assess the opportunity for a potential connection to be formed.

It's very shallow but lots and lots of people do it. More down to earth people tend not to do it so much or it will be something that won't be a priority in early interactions. But I tend to see it as somewhat of a red flag if someone you don't really know is asking.

When I met my wife, although I knew she was a student, she didn't really ask what I did for a while. When we were going out she was asking if I had enough money and was offering to pay, sometimes insisting. Didn't really think about it at the time but I guess it's a pretty good sign.
 
That’s certainly true to a degree, more so in the UK than over here (IMHO).

Also file under where do you live and what do you drive (which in my case is a 96 Toyota Prado Land cruiser that has done over half a million k.

However, in this instance I think it’s just people being interested rather than any other ulterior motive.

Unless of course they start to block people 🤣🤣
 
I’ve been reading this thread and not noticed who is replying - I rarely do, maybe that’s just me though.
 
BA Politics despite always being attracted to journalism.

Turned down a great opportunity to do an internship at Sky but being the principled, straight out of Uni, little snowflake that I apparently still am, I turned it down because I felt it was nepotism and that work should be paid.

Here in Vietnam I get to teach in my subject area and I'm starting to have a little joy in journalism as a food writer for the national English daily newspaper plus a fortnightly column on pretty much whatever I like.

Hoping to get some reviews of the nightlife culture into a different paper and try to film a short documentary next year.
 
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Big_Nothing said:
BA Politics despite always being attracted to journalism.

Turned down a great opportunity to do a internship at Sky but being the principled, straight out of Uni, little snowflake that I apparently still am, I turned it down because I felt it was nepotism and that work should be paid.

Here in Vietnam I get to teach in my subject area and I'm starting to have a little joy in journalism as a food writer for the national English daily newspaper plus a fortnightly column on pretty much whatever I like.

Hoping to get some reviews of the nightlife culture into a different paper and try to film a short documentary next year.
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You’re related to Rupert Murdoch? 😱
 
Always thought "education" was about broadening the understanding of experience.
The "School of Life" is something I never got any qualification in, but it seems more relevant now than ever.
When I was a lad, a "Degree" was a status symbol and a stamp on your life "passport" to show you had officially become "Middle Class".
 
JustTheGent said:
These sorts of questions, especially 'What do you do for a living' are generally to weigh up someone's status and financial worth in the eyes of the person asking to consider and assess the opportunity for a potential connection to be formed.

It's very shallow but lots and lots of people do it. More down to earth people tend not to do it so much or it will be something that won't be a priority in early interactions. But I tend to see it as somewhat of a red flag if someone you don't really know is asking.

When I met my wife, although I knew she was a student, she didn't really ask what I did for a while. When we were going out she was asking if I had enough money and was offering to pay, sometimes insisting. Didn't really think about it at the time but I guess it's a pretty good sign.
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I'm genuinely curious as to whether early study choices were suitable for the eventual career path and nothing to do with status and financial worth.

There is a part of me that questions whether doing a degree in teen years is always worth it and whether it would be better to get people in the workplace first and give them and opportunity to do a degree sitting alongside workplace learning in the early 20's would be better when they have a clearer idea of what they wish to do.

I feel the majority of degrees these days are to get you through the door when they should be making you suitable for the career instead.
 
Brian Marwood said:
I'm genuinely curious as to whether early study choices were suitable for the eventual career path and nothing to do with status and financial worth.

There is a part of me that questions whether doing a degree in teen years is always worth it and whether it would be better to get people in the workplace first and give them and opportunity to do a degree sitting alongside workplace learning in the early 20's would be better when they have a clearer idea of what they wish to do.

I feel the majority of degrees these days are to get you through the door when they should be making you suitable for the career instead.
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Kids are asked to make life changing decisions very early in life. It's a good point you raise.
 
I did a medical degree and now an intensive care consultant. Medicine is one of those vocational degrees where the training path from 18-35 is a conveyer belt with a few options to take along the way.

Often wish I did something less vocational at 18 had given myself more options/time to experience life and work out more gradually who I was.

But overall I enjoy my job and it has a great level of job security.
 
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