Degree Required ..... really?

PasturesNew

Horace wrote: »

Apply, I don't have a degree and have even landed jobs in the past where they have specifically asked for one.

Please can someone tell my why a secretary needs a degree??

LOL. Yes. Why ....
I am fully qualified and experienced at that job.
I have RSA I, II and III Typewriting.
I have taught RSA I, II and III Typewriting.
I have RSA shorthand at 120wpm, Pitman shorthand at 130wpm and another certificate for a 10 minute transcription at 180wpm.
I will always perform a speed test on an unfamiliar keyboard in excess of 100wpm for typing.

I am fully IT literate, have been an IT tutor for CLAIT as well as training and cross training people in all the Office applications since about 1995. I worked in IT for 20 years and have been project coordinator and project manager (qualified Prince2 Practitioner in that too now).

So why would I need a degree to apply for such a job?


LOL

PasturesNew

Well, thanks everybody for replying. I've read them all, but just picked out a few below to specifically respond to

vivatifosi wrote: »

Hi Pastures,
I have an OU degree and a Masters in Management, and I know from experience that doing both in your spare time is bl**dy hard! I can understand why you only have half of the former!

The reasons I had to stop firstly were it was an IT degree, before the Internet "took off" among everyday people, so there wasn't the access to study with others. I had a lot of equipment to carry about that I couldn't have and I needed a phone line to log onto the archaic system, which I couldn't get easy access to.
Then it money/forever changing jobs/forever moving about in random B&Bs and bedsits - it wasn't practical as I never knew what next week/month would hold. Couldn't afford to spend the money really as my work life wasn't stable.

LittleVoice wrote: »

What do you do?

IT Project Management. Well, I would if I could get a job. Hence doing the Masters as I am getting nothing from the CVs I am sending out to apply for jobs.

Terrylw1 wrote: »

... it's often assumed that having a degree means you are more intelligent ....

With a (formal MENSA tested) IQ of 163 this assumption has often annoyed me over the years.

Terrylw1 wrote: »

... a) graduates have less of a feel for an appropriate salary than someone with experience b) graduates are often looking for that first step so may except a bit less to use it as a stepping stone, experienced people are less likely to

In many/most instances I have found graduate low salaries are higher than anything I was on at the time. And as for a stepping stone, I'd have killed to get on one.

Terrylw1 wrote: »

experience counts to everyone.

Unfortunately, not if some numpty has binned your CV as they scanned it first for "degree" and they had 200+ applications

London_Exile wrote: »

... have found through applying for jobs in IT, where it's stated that a degree is needed employers and or recruitment agencies will overlook the lack of one, if you have the enough direct experience in that area.

Yes, I work in IT. Have done since 1986, except the last few years where there have been no IT jobs within commutable distance. So I took what I could get until I sold my house and relocated back in the real world from the 4rse end of nowhere. So, I have experience and qualifications. But the industry is VERY specific in what it wants in specialisms - and if you've not got exactly what they say they want, somebody else will have.
I haven't even had an interview since late August.

thor wrote: »

Don't you need a full degreee as a minimum requirement to be able to study for a masters?

No. I went to a Uni to talk about doing a degree and on speaking with me, they dragged me to the Masters man, and I sent in my CV and had an interview.
Apparently my relevant industry experience was more than good enough.

It would appear that I have been taking these adverts "too literally" all these years!!!

Oh well.

For the past 6 months, I have been looking for "any project work". While I am an experienced (since 1997), accomplished, successful and qualified (Prince2 Practitioner) project manager, I've been applying for any jobs that are project related. From Project Office through to Project Manager. At pretty much any rates. And not got a sniff. Well, I did have 2 interviews back in August. One went to the MD's brother; the other one just stopped giving the agency feedback.

I think I am "over-qualified" for the lower rankings. And "haven't ACTUALLY done ANY massive/£multi-million project management for about 5 years, have you luv!" for the actual project management jobs. Or the other one that came up was that I hadn't ever worked for a company with teams of 300 people (no, I didn't know an organisation could be that large!) So might be caught between the devil and the deep blue sea for a while.

I am sure something will come along soon
I am doing the Masters now, so no rush for a couple of years.

Zazen999

Hi

Thanks London Diva - that's why I put 'usually' and not 'always'.

The point remains that the manager needs someone to do the job in hand, and do it well; regardless of the JD. The JD should describe ihe job role, and skills/experience in that of the 'ideal' candidate. i have found that there is never an 'ideal' candidate; as we are all individuals some are short of some skills that are 'needed' but excel in others; and of course there is that little matter of 'training', which most people will need a little of even if it is unique systems and processes in a job role.

Don't get hung up on it; just apply if you think you can do the job; do the research prior to interview and be yourself on the day. Don't get hung up on the quals and what this means; give practical examples of what you can do and [more importantly] how you do it and how you approach a problem and get it resolved. Have the main ones to hand [time management, difficult people, customer relationships; financal acumen; dealing with very short timescales and stressful projects] etc.
Incidentally, do you always apply for project management only in IT roles?; why not widen it out to general project managment? Or look into short term consultancy in project management? Strictly speaking are you selling the project management skills per se or just IT project management...