Edward Bartolo <edbarx@???> wrote:

> Certificates and I also dare say, EXPENSIVE colleges and universities
> matter a lot.

Certificates yes, college/university yes, expensive much less so (varies by location). For college/university, what matters more is it's standing in the relevant field.
For example, maaany years ago I was lucky enough to get a place with a local large engineering firm (actually, UK defence contractor) as a sponsored student - very good deal, but the details aren't important.
As it happens, I had been accepted by one of the most prestigious names in UK universities - while the employer would normally have suggested I went to one of those "you're going where !" places which actually had a very good reputation for engineering. My postnominals look very impressive to people who don't know the system, while in reality aren't that impressive to potential employers.


> With what you (golinux) said, one only gets employed with
> a small business, one is paid peanuts for work that otherwise would be
> paid far better.

That describes my situation - though there are other benefits from working in a smaller outfit. One of the reasons I left that large employer was because I didn't like the "large employer" practices. I'd be a **LOT** better of financially and career wise if I'd stuck it out, but I just couldn't stand working there long term. Since then I've got a lot more experience across a range of areas that I'd have never got there.

BUT - if I could go back and tell my younger me to do something different, the only thing I'd say would be to get certificates as I went. I've a range of experience, but I don't have any magic bits of paper that can get past the "tick list" of stuff the HR person needs to have before I can even got to an interview.


> The reason is getting knowledge without formal proof cannot be proven unless one submits oneself to rigorous examinations to get certification.

Indeed, and one area I regret not keeping up with.