[sdiy] Who Needs a Degree?

[Roy J. Tellason, Sr.]

On Saturday 29 May 2010 12:36:05 am Dave Manley wrote:
> Paul Schreiber wrote:
> >
> >> BTW, I've worked with a number of non-degreed engineers - in my 
> >> experience these people were top-notch engineers, and deserved the 
> >> title.
> >
> > Like I said before: then go get the degree (no matter your age) and by 
> > doing so will increase not only your stature, but help to re-assert 
> > the EE "brand" where it was 30 years ago (before the freakin' JAVA and 
> > .NET toads took over the world).
> >
> You know Paul, I don't think any of these individuals felt that having 
> the degree meant much.  It didn't matter to any of their colleagues or 
> their managers, and it shouldn't have.  They were as, or more, effective 
> than anyone else in the organization.
> 
> One of them made probably $50E+6 during the bubble, and retired in his 
> late 40's.  Another, in his 50's did go back and get his degree.  He 
> told me most of the students in his classes didn't care much for his 
> presence - it raised the expectations of the professors on everyone else 
> in the class.  These two were both naturally bright and curious 
> individuals and had a long history of self-learning - they didn't need 
> to be spoon fed an education.
> 
> Regarding the EE brand:  The term "engineer" got diluted years ago when  
> garbage haulers and stay-at-home spouses were re-branded as Sanitation 
> Engineers and Household Engineers.

And the term "technician" is also likewise being diluted,  as evidenced by the ads I used to see in the paper (when I looked at them) for "nail technician" and similar nonsense...  :-(


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