Degreed or not degreed

There is no doubt in this blogger’s mind that a degree from a college or university adds value for the graduate. It enhances critical thinking, analytical ability, and in many cases is valuable in “getting your foot in the door” for employment opportunities.

Taking a look back over 34 years in human resources, domestic and international work and locations, the performance graph for degreed employees is not a straight line relationship with having a college degree. That is, a degree is no guarantee of competitive, professional success. If anything I would suggest that looking at a meaningful universe of degreed professionals, the relationship of success and earnings to degrees may be closer to a bell shaped curve.

And in balance, there are definitely earnings opportunities that come with other than a university degree, when one chooses a skilled trade or technical school degree or certification.

Thoughts for this blog entry come from an interesting article from CNN Business, “Perspectives”. https://www.cnn.com/2022/10/13/perspectives/college-degrees-careers-roslansky-auguste/index.html

The perspective for the CNN article is driven by the changing employment environment employers have and are facing in recent years.

Of course I would have to cite my opinion on the value of behavioral competencies related to professional success. No matter the type or level of education, absent competencies like integrity, hard work, intellectual rigor, team work, professional presence, analytical ability humor, good judgment, kindness, and others, there is not much chance of building a successful career or business.

***** S&E *****

Saying goodbye to Shelby

After 15 years we had to put our dog, Shelby, down due to hind quarter hip failure… common on big dogs. She had the best of care over the years, was loved by friends and family. The vets staff was so kind when we put her down (December 16, 2022) . Even the vets boarding staff came to see her as the final injections ended our Labradoodle’s life.

It was time for her as her arthritis had gotten the best of her and the quality of her life was at the point where there was no other decision to make.

She could catch a tennis ball at 20 yards, like most was a beggar when food was around, enjoyed peanuts and snacks and a little beer (all in moderation) in the man cave, and like most well cared for dogs, gave back more then anyone ever gave her.

Much to my wife’s dismay, I always said the beer and peanuts were the key to her very long life.

The grief associated with this is awful, losing a “family member” for after 15 years… I’m 75 and the time with her amounted to 20% of my life.

I read that writing about this helped with the grieving process so I did this log entry.

…just working through it…

***** S&E *****

Interviewing…?

From Fast Company and Flex Jobs… here are some things to watch for during the interview.

Too long an interview process
You are not sure about the boss
The job is unclear
An uncomfortable interview
Lots of tests
High staff turnover
Mandatory overtime
Bad mouthing
Money matters
Lack of transparency

Get the details: https://www.fastcompany.com/90734998/10-signs-you-shouldnt-take-the-job

You have done your research about the company and you feel confident that it is a good company to work for… during and after the interview you should feel the same way about the boss. If there is a significant dichotomy between the two, and you join the company, you may find yourself an employment casualty and an example of the following tried and true adage:

“Join a company, quit a boss” …

***** S&E *****

America’s Newest Warplane

1440 News 12.3.2022

The US Air Force yesterday evening debuted America’s first new nuclear stealth bomber in more than 30 years. The aircraft, known as the B-21 Raider, is part of the Pentagon’s efforts to modernize all three pillars of its nuclear triad, consisting of nuclear missile submarines, land-based nuclear missiles, and nuclear-capable aircraft. The B-21 Raider is expected to make its first flight in 2023 and succeeds the B-2 Spirit, first presented in 1988. Watch the rollout here.

The public reveal comes days after the Department of Defense released its annual report on China, saying it poses the most consequential challenge to America’s national security. China has more than 400 operational nuclear warheads and is on track to have 1,500 nuclear weapons by 2035. See an estimate of global warhead inventories here. The Air Force plans to build 100 B-21 Raiders, with six currently in production, that can deploy either nuclear weapons or conventional bombs—with or without a crew. It’s unclear how much 100 aircraft will actually cost; estimates suggest about $753M each.

Ya just gotta wonder if the citizenry in the big countries really want a build up of nuclear war machine capability or do they just want to live in an nonthreatening, peaceful environment where they can safely raise their families absent the threat of war. I’d bet they would vote for the peaceful side of the equation. So who are the governments actually representing?

****** S&E *****