It is highly unfair to generalize that self-taught people are less valuable than college-educated people.
I attended college for approximately two years (for Nuclear Engineering - turned out that the job market was almost non-existent). However, the entire time I was there, I kept thinking what a complete and total waste of time school was.
Someone else in this thread complained that vendor certifications were nothing but a cash cow. I don't disagree. In the same vein, what about colleges? Why does a textbook cost $100+? Why do I need to take (at least) two more English classes? Didn't I just finish 12 YEARS of English? If I don't understand the language at that point, their extra 'requirements' aren't going to help at all. It is just a way for them to make more money and to employ people that wouldn't otherwise have a job.
I decided to leave college because it wasn't right for me. I was continually told that I would never be able to get a good job without a degree. Additionally, I have NO vendor certification, and I have never had a computer class in my life.
Neither factor has been an impediment to finding a good job. In fact, I have even been offered jobs that stated a BS as a requirement.
I am currently a System Admin for the second-largest enterprise network in the metro-Atlanta area. I have no degree, no certification, and I am completely self-taught. Will this work for everyone? Not at all. But I believe if you base someone's worth on a piece of paper (either a degree or certification), you may be doing yourself, and your organization, quite a disservice.
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It is highly unfair to generalize that self-taught people are less valuable than college-educated people.
I attended college for approximately two years (for Nuclear Engineering - turned out that the job market was almost non-existent). However, the entire time I was there, I kept thinking what a complete and total waste of time school was.
Someone else in this thread complained that vendor certifications were nothing but a cash cow. I don't disagree. In the same vein, what about colleges? Why does a textbook cost $100+? Why do I need to take (at least) two more English classes? Didn't I just finish 12 YEARS of English? If I don't understand the language at that point, their extra 'requirements' aren't going to help at all. It is just a way for them to make more money and to employ people that wouldn't otherwise have a job.
I decided to leave college because it wasn't right for me. I was continually told that I would never be able to get a good job without a degree. Additionally, I have NO vendor certification, and I have never had a computer class in my life.
Neither factor has been an impediment to finding a good job. In fact, I have even been offered jobs that stated a BS as a requirement.
I am currently a System Admin for the second-largest enterprise network in the metro-Atlanta area. I have no degree, no certification, and I am completely self-taught. Will this work for everyone? Not at all. But I believe if you base someone's worth on a piece of paper (either a degree or certification), you may be doing yourself, and your organization, quite a disservice.