B2 – Upper Intermediate
Education is often described as an investment. Does having a high academic qualification still remain an important consideration in landing a job? Do companies hire employees based on their skills and experiences?
Let us read some of the factors to consider when it comes to the duel between education and experience.
Discussion Questions:
1.What is more important – skills without a degree or a degree without skills?
2. How does a college degree improve a graduate’s employment opportunities?
3.What are some jobs where college qualifications aren’t required?
4. Is a college degree necessary in the job you have? Why do you think you were hired by your company?
5. What are some of your job-seeking experiences?
4 replies on “Do Employers Look for Experience or Education?”
1-I think that having both are very important, but if I have to choose one, I would say that it is more important to have skills for the job you are going to do. This depends on the type of job you have, but I think that no matter how much of a university degree you have, if you do not have the appropriate skills for the job, you will not be able to perform well in a company.
2-Well, in Spain it depends on the university degree you have. Because there are university degrees that don’t have many professional opportunities, and there is a lot of unemployment. Here it is very normal to work in something that doesn’t correspond to what you have studied. But there are sectors in which a university degree opens many doors for you, and you can have a very good salary or other benefits.
3-These are administrative positions, sales positions, construction positions, transporters, cashiers, etc.
4-In my current job, a college degree is not necessary. Experience and fluency in English are more important. But if I had a college degree in health sciences, I could get a promotion at work. I think that at my old company I was hired because of my skills for the position.
5-Although my current situation is that I am unemployed, I have not yet had any job interviews, but in the type of job I am looking for, my work experience is more important.
Well done staying consistent with your writing practice. You were able to write your sentences properly.
Take a look at how the following sentences can be revised:
* Do not forget to put a comma after an adverbial phrase.
Keep going to improve your skills more and more.
1.What is more important – skills without a degree or a degree without skills?
In my opinión, both things are important but if I have to choose an option, I select the first option: skills without a degree. Why? Because in any job you need experience to do the work.
2. How does a college degree improve a graduate’s employment opportunities?
In the college you learn a lot of aspects and situations about your future job and this is a previous experience that you’ll need in the future. Moreover, a lot of companies need to employ people with college degree because is a requirement to get new projects.
3.What are some jobs where college qualifications aren’t required?
Specially in manual jobs. For examples bricklayers, bakers, cashiers…
4. Is a college degree necessary in the job you have? Why do you think you were hired by your company?
Yes it is necessary. Currently I work in an engineering company and when they employed me, one of the requirements had to be to have a college degree. But that wasn’t the unique reason for which they hired, they were looking for a person with experience in particular software.
5. What are some of your job-seeking experiences?
Fortunately I haven’t much experience to seeking jobs. I have had two jobs in my life and in both times, the companies called me.
Thank you so much for sharing your answers on this lesson’s discussion questions. We are looking forward to your next entries!
Here is how you can improve this sentence: