The Danger of Too Much Education Without Increasingly Responsible Experience

[Chebasaz]

I'd quote both Irish John and Cook, but the text wall would be huge. Both made outstanding points. As with anything in life, it's about identifying what you want and then the steps you need to get there. A degree is only part of the equation to getting the job you want.

I've always looked at career progression as a ladder. You find the next rung you want to climb and figure out what you need to get there. If you're a line worker and you want to go management, get a AA/BA in management and start applying for line supervisor positions. Get the actual experience under your belt and then start eyeing the next rung. You want to go middle management? Find out if your BA in management is enough to make you competitive when combined with your experience as a line manager. If it is, great. If not, start looking at what you can do to fix that. Graduate degree? Six Sigma, PMP? Do what you need to in order to be competitive. After a few years want to be a Director or C-level? Rinse, repeat.

Where people get in trouble is trying to skip rungs. It's possible to do, but you have to realize you're automatically at a serious disadvantage when it comes to demonstrated experience. My hat's off to the guy for working wherever he can, though I think he could probably do better than Walmart (heck, go find a Radio Shack or Lowe's who needs an assistant manager!) Where I think he messed up is by trying to skip those rungs and jump straight to his end-goal.

I'll leave Mr. Onion alone. I think he has bigger issues.