Should You Study In College, Or Start Working?

For years, this has always been the question of many. Which weighs more when finding a job, having work experience, or having a degree? Which would be more beneficial in the long term and give you the advantage of growing your career? This is what we will discuss in this article.  

To understand, let us first see each subject on its own. We will start by understanding the value of work experience.

Theories Vs. Actual Experience

This may be the strongest argument of people who prefer working to studying. Getting a degree proves that you have succeeded in learning the theories of a specific profession. On the other hand, working will give you the actual experience and the ins and outs of the job.

For an employer, it is an advantage if they pick someone who can immediately start working rather than someone who needs to be trained. Training an employee costs time and money for the employers, so on the business side, getting someone with work experience seems to be the logical thing to do.

A Degree Is Not Equal To A Guaranteed Job

A degree may give the employer the impression that you have spent time and effort learning about the things related to your profession. Still, it is not guaranteed that you automatically get the job if you have the degree. When you immediately start working, you can already establish a job position and stable pay. Imagine that you already have four to five years of job experience under your belt by the time a student graduates. This already has a heavy bearing in a work environment.

Saves Money And Time

Another perk of working immediately after high school is that you don’t have to worry about spending money on your college tuition fees and other expenses that come with it. Instead, you can already start earning and get hands-on experience on how to do a specific job. It is the usual reason why many students opt to work immediately as they cannot further finance their studies.

Now that we have seen the advantages of working let us understand the values of getting a degree.

Gets A High Paying Job

It has always been said that a degree does not guarantee a job, but it does give you a higher chance of getting a high-paying job. According to a report from the US Bureau of Labor Statistics, people with a doctoral or professional degree have the highest median weekly earnings, followed by those with a master’s degree, bachelor’s degree, associate degree, and lastly, people without a diploma. The difference in amount is more than doubled. So this only proves that the more you learn, the more you earn.

Good For Long Term Goals

Yes, having work experience might give you the advantage of knowing how to do a specific job quickly. But in terms of career growth, employers usually prefer employees with a degree for upper management positions. If your goal is to get a job and get stable pay, work experience might be enough, but if you plan to improve your career and have growth, having a degree would be your best option.

Going into a university does not mean that you only learn academics. You also develop different skills such as your social, communication, leadership, and more. Having a degree is proof that you have spent the time learning all of these and can apply it to your work. That is why most company executives are degree holders.  

Studying Can Establish A Wider Network

Going into a university also has another advantage. When you work, your network is only limited to the people around your workplace. Studying in a university lets you interact with a lot of students who would then pursue their careers in different industries. It allows you to broaden your network, which can be beneficial once you start working. 

So which is better, studying in a college or start working? We cannot deny that studying gives you a long-term advantage when it comes to your career and increases your chance of becoming successful in life. Yes, you will have to spend money to study but think of it as an investment. 

If money is your issue, then there are programs from the government and some private sectors that allow you to get financial aid to help finance your studies. Keep in mind that everybody will eventually gain work experience at one point in their life, but only those who study will get a degree. The decision now is with you.