Does your degree really matter?

🔵 My job has absolutely nothing to do with my degree.

I spent 4 years studying finance and economics, but I work in tech. So does that mean I wasted 4 years? Not necessarily.

In today’s article, I’ll explain how your degree impacts your career choice.

Here’s the route for today

🎙️ Topic: Does Your Degree Really Matter?

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TOPIC
Does Your Degree Really Matter?

Running low on time? Here’s the TLDR:

• Your degree is just for appearances

• University isn’t about grades, it’s about networking

• GPA matters but for different reasons

Your degree is just for appearances

What do I mean by this? Let’s use an analogy.

Imagine you’re interviewing 2 people. Person A shows up in a suit and Person B shows up in street clothes. Right off the bat, which of the two will give off a better impression?

Even though you know nothing about either, you’ll see Person A as more competent.

The color of your suit doesn’t matter as long as it’s a suit.

Translation: Employers won’t care about what you studied, as long as you have a degree in general. It just looks good.

University isn’t about grades, it’s about networking

Never once did I apply what I learned in the classroom at work.

And it’s not because my job is different from what I studied. I’ve done finance co-ops in the past, but even then:

Your real-world responsibilities will differ from your academic responsibilities.

So does that mean I wasted 4 years going to university?

Not at all. University gave me access to student clubs where I met my friends and access to networking events where I met recruiters.

Sure, the classes turned out boring, but my social and professional network wouldn’t be where it is today if I didn’t attend school.

GPA still matters but for different reasons

University isn’t about grades but your GPA still matters.

Sounds contradicting but stay with me. I’ve had over 100+ coffee chats with recruiters about this and they all say the same thing. GPA is a reflection of your work ethic.

When a recruiter sees a finance student with a 4.0 GPA, they’re not going to think:

They’re going to think:

A high GPA tells them that you’re an ambitious, hard-working individual, which is always sought after in the job market.

Closing Thoughts:

At the end of the day, your degree opens the front door to an opportunity.

If you want to get through that front door, it's all about relevant work experience.

See you next Tuesday 🤝

-Michael Ly

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