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24. Experience versus qualification

This is a topic I feel very strongly about, especially now that I have entered the working world and see the need for both experience and qualification.

Qualification
I believe that a qualification, be it a diploma or a degree, is merely a resource to assist one in whichever field they intend to work in, for that particular occupation/(s). The concern I have is when we spend years to obtain a qualification that we don't even know how we will use it, or even worse - obtain knowledge that may not be used at all!

Obtaining a qualification is good for getting knowledge, a foundation, a background of the field of work and/ or area of expertise one intends to be in. I realized that through the B.com Accounting degree I obtained. However, it is not enough alone, and that's where the need for experience comes in.

Experience
I feel that experience is better than a qualification. Let me tell you why: A person with experience obtains knowledge, the actual knowledge required for that particular field of work, through work experience. In addition to that, they are more efficient in that they execute tasks faster and yield results at a faster pace than a person who only has more knowledge but not much experience, perhaps because of already having a system in place to tackle tasks. I've witnessed this at work. I come straight from the university without much experience but with so much knowledge,while my colleague that I work with is a master when it comes to efficiency - getting things done in the most quickest way...well quicker than I can. She can think on her feet.

It's fortunate that there are courses in which students get exposure and experience in the field of work for which they study during tertiary studies. Other courses allow training/ work experience only after obtaining a qualification. My concern is: how much training/ experience is enough for a graduate or someone who was recently a student? What are your thoughts?

Please feel free to share your views and thoughts on this topic.

Thanks so much for your time and consideration

Until next time :)

Comments

  1. Matic25 July 2017 at 00:31

    What I see is that some very talent-picky companies are already emphasizing experience over qualification, and that the qualification's value is going down while the value of experience is going up. I think in a not so distant future, a LinkedIn profile with many endorsements for know-how in certain fields, will be worth no less, maybe even more, than a diploma or certification.

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    Replies
    1. Simthandile Mhlambiso25 July 2017 at 04:47

      True, hey? It's quite scary. I feel like the courses/ qualifications we acquire must be thought out in more depth - for us to see their value, because these courses take us year to finish, only to find that experience is favoured more. I was fortunate to get a job that required experience yet I had none in this field of work I am currently in. I only have a qualification. It's really a concern that experience is favoured more now, with so many of us spending years at tertiary to obtain qualifications when experience is most likely what would guarantee us a job.

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