Originally Posted by
Lugar
A great question.
I was recently hired by a major airline without a degree.
You were hired by a non-US major, correct?
Foreign airlines place far more weight on high-school performance and vo-tech training than here in the US. The degree is typically not necessary in the majority of foreign countries, if you have the requisite professional training and experience.
Originally Posted by
Lugar
Personally, I’m pleased that I spent my money on things like furthering my career, buying a house, and having a little fun, rather than on a degree which I highly doubt would have earned me a higher salary thus far. On the contrary, because of the experience I’ve gained, because I WASNT busy with college, my earnings thus far are probably higher than they would have been, had I attended college. My airline had no issue with me not having a degree.
Perfectly legitimate for overseas. But here in the US I'm personally pleased that I got a degree, without which I would not have gotten a legacy airline job where I could drive to work from my home near all of my family roots.
Originally Posted by
Lugar
If you are someone that is not terribly confident with yourself and your abilities, then I would say degree is beneficial. If however, you are sure of yourself and your abilities, a degree is more optional. Someone who is willing to work hard will always make a great living, with or without a degree.
There is truth to this. You will be totally shut out for some jobs, but there are a wide variety of opportunities available to someone with initiative and work ethic (and with a little vision you can always make your own). But the majority of young people who want white-collar employment in the US, including airlines, are better served by going to college. I was doing roofing as a teenager, I could have taken over the company eventually and almost certainly been a multi-millionaire by age 30. But I had a lot more fun and fulfillment doing other things instead.