ext_45042 ([identity profile] elenbarathi.livejournal.com) wrote in [personal profile] sathor 2016-02-15 07:51 pm (UTC)

Well-said. Formal education is usually (though not always) necessary in the STEM fields, and formal certification is invariably required for jobs dealing with minors or patients, but that leaves a whole lot of jobs any reasonably intelligent and conscientious person can do with little or no training.

Several of my most interesting and well-paid jobs were way far afield of my formal training. I had a principle about job-hunting - that I would apply for any job I thought I might be able to do, even if I knew nothing about it, and do my best in the interview even if I thought there was zero chance of me getting hired, just as practice. Sometimes I did get hired, and then there I'd be, learning a new skill-set in a new line of work.

It sounds cynical to say, but really, Resume-Writing, Schmoozing and Interviewing are more crucial skills for most jobs than anything taught in college. Fortunately, it costs nothing to learn them.

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