Advantages of a University Degree - Case Study Example

Running Head: A University Degree A University Degree Name Course Tutor Date ADVANTAGES OF A UNIVERSITY DEGREE Introduction In Australia, University degrees have been acquired by many individuals since they are aware of the changing demands experienced in the employment sector. One either decides to go for an open/distant/online learning program or for a full time program that requires your presence in the university’s environment hence contact with your professors and lectures is not avoided. Online programs have given considerations to the requirements of the disabled students, veterans, military officials, and even home education students among others. Depending on your field of specialty, number of units taken varies greatly. Those individuals with high school degrees are advised to further their education before getting employment or else they will do manual jobs that are low paying. Australia has a council that ranks different universities depending on the rate at which its students (alumni) get permanent employment. Our world is changing constantly and as such it demands a lot from us. Acquisition of a solid university degree is the base for our knowledge and skills to meeting our growing societal demands. A university degree is important since it is ubiquitous having elements of maturity, resilience, and drive in an individual. Graduates are normally given opportunities with better occupations, career advancements, and higher pay rise compared to those who do not have a university degree. A university degree enables an individual to specialize in a field that one feels proficient in. They are different from those individuals who reached the primary or secondary level of education since they are able to follow given instructions to the latter, meet the organization’s deadlines and are largely seen as assets to the company. Individuals without a degree still have a long way to go since they do not meet the requirements of the current job markets. In this paper, we are going to look at money, confidence, employment, insurance, and self esteem as the competitive advantages held by those with a university degree. At the end of a degree course, one will have spent a lot, but the rewards are fruitful when given the chance by the employer to exercise the things taught in college for the attainment of organizational goals and objectives. Money A bearer of a university degree significantly increases his/her potential of earning. However, an individual should bear in mind the career one wants to be in. If money is going to be your motivational tool when choosing your career, go for things that are professional in nature like being a doctor, engineer, lawyer, pilot among others. Nobody is satisfied with what they earn that is why many people are going further in their fields of study to do MBA and PhD so that they can hold prominent positions in the government and society at large. Having an MBA degree gives an individual a superfluous competitive advantage over those in the organization and those without a degree. When one is asked questions and answers them satisfactorily you become the winner and achieve your dream goal which implies that you have good inter-personal communication skills. This attribute increases your job security and enhances your corporate networking which is good in job progression. By increasing your earnings, you will be in a better position to start their own businesses and thus will improve the economic status of the country and that of the individual as well. In most industries, profit acquisition is the greatest challenge, but with the pay increments due to the possession of a degree, you will be able to start your own business and flourish it well since you have the clients, skills and knowledge to expand your business. Availability of resources enables you flourish well in your business and career. This will mean that you will be the one giving an opportunity to those individuals who do not have a degree. Giving them a chance will open their windows of opportunity to be able to pursue degree programs which will be used in future by their generations. Nobody will be able to cheat you when it comes to business negotiations since you are aware of how they are carried out effectively. You are also good at spending the money earned. Impulse buying becomes a thing of the past (Marlhtz, 2008, pp73). Employability Unemployment rates vary significantly with one’s educational level. Those who reached college level are better than those individuals who decided to stop at high school level. The value of a degree in this case is obvious since it will alleviate in an individual’s employability rate. There was a time when degree courses did not matter, since employers wanted those with experience and not those with the education. Times have really changed since; employers are out searching for those individuals meeting the requirements of fulfilling multiple roles time and again. Choosing the right degree has been a problem since many people do not consider the future. Many people when choosing a degree just look at where they are in present and its applicability to that environment. Search for clues and ideas in the changing world to be able to pursue a degree course that will be valuable now and in the coming future. Limited exposure of an individual to existing ideals and principles received while in the university is an added advantage since you are able adapt and adjust to the conditions prevailing. If by any chance you are employed and lack a degree, there is a higher chance of you getting fired. The best thing to do is to inquire from the Human Resources department if they can be able to pay for your program through tuition reimbursements if available. This becomes cost effective and easier for you (Cremin, 2007, pp 40-45). Insurance As far as employability is concerned, the best insurance one can have is holding a university degree from a well recognized university worldwide. In many cases, individuals find education as the commencement of allocating experiences in the general public by the employers. They have gone for those individuals who have rounded skills since they are able to oscillate from one field to another without experiencing much difficulty. Those with specific skills are limited to their fields. If by any chance that field is crowded, they will not be in a position to do anything since they are unambiguous. Having an exposure to all kinds of information and coursework relating to the world is beneficial to the individual since it provides the graduate who is not a major student with the understandings required to face the changing world (Tyack, 2000, pp 24). Furthermore, those without a degree in our contemporary society are being offered contractual positions in many companies since they lack the knowledge required by the company even though they have the skills with them. Mostly, many company look for skilled manpower when it comes to recruiting employees since they will be given a low pay and work for longer hours which is not fair. Those with degrees however, are advantaged by the fact that they are given higher pays revised yearly and go home early. If they are requested to stay overtime, they are highly compensated. Confidence Building a persons confidence on a personal and professional level is very important since it will enable him/her believe in yourself. By so doing, the individual will be in a better position to do a job more willingly and in time without being followed by the managers. However, those individuals who do not have a degree will want to be monitored and reminded time and time again of their reason in that company. This wastes precious time for both the company and the individuals since they are not developing their knowledge and skills to improve their living standards. Moreover, confidence takes an individual to greater heights like touring influential companies that are well recognized to learn from the qualified people respected in our societies today. Being given the honor of visiting influential companies is rare and adds weight to your profile (Cremin, 2007, pp 35-37). When one chooses a college degree, it usually shows that the person has an interest in that field, knowledge and experience. Candidates holding a degree have a competitive advantage when it comes to limited job openings in company as compared to those without. They are seen to be better qualified than those without a degree since they have been well exposed to the outside world and its challenges which need diversity when handling them. Companies looking for employees need candidates with specialized or professional certificates (a university degree). Medicine fields, law and education are some careers that are encourage individuals to have even two degrees. There are certain issues that are handled best by those with a degree since they are rational thinkers. A university helps students progress in their processes of communication by learning, understanding and accepting the groups of new people and surroundings we relate with daily. In addition to the fact that a degree makes one confidence, it makes one determined to face the challenges that come his/her way by using the knowledge and skills learned in school. A person’s self esteem is built through education and thus one is able to take charge of his/her destiny hence more focused and goal driven. This has made so many companies have surplus production and hence improve their standards of living. Determination in an individual’s life is essential in attaining goals, dreams, visions and objectives. By so doing, the country will be filled with great opportunities that meet to many people’s careers (Turiel, 2003, pp). Opportunities Having a degree gives an individual the opportunity of communicating with others by using the modern technology like browsing, using twitter, internet and Skype. These technologies are only conversantly used by those individuals who have a degree due to the complexities involved. Technologies like this have made communication easier and fast. Long ago, we used very crude method to communicate, but with the development things are effective, cheap and accessible. Furthermore, intellectuals are given the opportunity to lecture their peers and encourage them on the importance of attaining a degree. They are invited by many learning institutions to talk on their careers and how to develop them to be functional tools that are going to help them in future (Piaget, 2005, pp). A graduate is able to mobilize a group of people and start small groups that help communities do things like cleaning of the environment, visiting old people and even the orphans. By so doing, they will be giving back to the society what it gave them. This is a very good example of how future leaders ought to be. Instilling in others care for the less fortunate members of the society who also contribute to the development of the society. In addition to being our elders, they gave us advice and made us who we are now thus we should be grateful to them and show our gratitude by caring for them till they depart from us. Setting a good example for others will make them want to be like you. Conclusion Having a university degree gives students a competitive edge over those who do not have since they are recognized by the society as important and many use them as examples when elaborating on things. It is a helpful tool that should be achieved by all if possible. The country and communities we live in benefit from an environment that is educated. The relations they have with other countries is fostered and enhanced. Peace and unity prevails amongst them. Works cited Cremin Alfred. American education. Wiley, 2007, pp 35-45. Marlhtz Frank. Foundations of education: the challenge of professional practice. Allyn & Bacon, 2008, pp 71-74. Piaget Jean. The Moral judgment of the child. The Free Press, 2005, pp1-10. Turiel Ernest. The Development of Social Knowledge. Cambridge University Press, 2003, pp 15. Tyack Diana. One best system: A history of American urban education. Harvard University Press, 2000, pp 24. Read More