By Mr. Rudy Ujang, Head of Academic
Do I need a degree? Absolutely yes! Today’s pool of talents and potential employees are getting more and more competitive. To stand out among your rivals, a degree would definitely help you to secure that coveted job.
Having a degree will allow you to be able to fill out your CV. A degree will normally take around two to three years to complete (depending on your entry qualifications). With a degree in your CV, you are able to tell potential employees that you have filled in two or three years of your life in the pursuit and attainment of an education. Plus, most employers do look at academic qualifications. If you don’t have a degree or a solid working experience, an employer may view you as a risk in terms of employment.
Besides competency, employers want longevity. Employers hate facing high turnovers due to staff resigning from time to time. In a world of job-hopping, employers want to avoid people who will be in the job for three months and then quit because they could not withstand the pressure. Bear in mind that recruiting employees is not easy. When applying for jobs, candidates who have a degree, having spent two or three whole years studying for it, prove that they can go through hard times and go the distance, at least on paper.
When you study, you can also get the chance to network. Besides getting the chance to meet lecturers and tutors who are leaders in their industries, classmates and friends whom you make will also serve as good contacts in the future. You might be studying business and your best friend may be studying mass communication, which are two totally different fields, but it will be interesting to see how important those connections will be in years to come. The connections you make now will be very beneficial in the future be it in employment and industrial relationships.