If you have lots of experience doing something, but there is also a recognised and approved qualification which you don't have, could you claim large experience in lieu of qualification??
What's the opinion of folks on here?
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Experience and qualifications
If you have lots of experience doing something, but there is also a recognised and approved qualification which you don't have, could you claim large experience in lieu of qualification??
What's the opinion of folks on here?
Huh? You either have the qualification or you don't - and if a requirement of a job/position is that a certain qualification is required then it may not matter (to them) how much experience you have. IMO experience holds a lot of weight over a raft of certificates and little experience, however in certain circumstances/industries etc. they will want to see a particular qualification as it immediately shows that you've attained that level of knowledge/expertise or whatever - and often without that qualification you simply wouldn't be able to progress/get that job etc. With qualifications and experience then you've got the best of both worlds!
It's really down to the specific job, the individual employer, their requirements and any industry standard requirements as to whether one or the other (experience or qualifications) holds more sway.
In my experience it depends on the subject and industry. I work in the computer industry and have for over 20 years. A lot of what I have learnt has been through experience and self study so had few formal or industry qualifications.
When going for a job a few years back, I had the experience but the end client "required" a degree, which meant I would not be offered that job.
My current employer puts experience and capability before paper qualifications so it was not so important.
As I wanted to be able to approach more in the future and my formal quialifications were not great, I did OU courses in related subjects between 1997 and 2003 and obtained an OU degree, but that obviously is a long term solution.
Clearly there are some fields where you must have certain qualifications.
I think it's down to the job to be honest.
Lets face it, i want my brain surgeon to have undergone training and got the paper, and not to have just 'been doing it for years'.
I was crap in school, got my GCSE's then a few NVQ's to A-Level standard in IT... i now work in sales, selling Uninterruptible Power Supplies. One of our competitors is known for not employing people if they don't have a degree... however, i know that i could outsell any of those in that company.
I personally would prefer experience over qualifications, but i suppose the qualification does show that you know how to do it 'to the book'
Good question..........
I've got an assistant with an MBA who is simply clueless...........
I prefer experience over qualifications, would you like your lounge plastered by a older guy thats been doing it man and boy or a young lad with a piece of paper saying he has passed a test???
my dad has been fitting carpets for 40 years and 2 years a go a company who he contracted to had this guy come round the store and made all the fitters pass a fitting test and he was furious, they made him go out on a job and made him fit gripper, underlay and fit the carpet while being watched by a guy old enough to be his son....he was mad at that again
passed in the end tho...i knew he would
As others have said, it really depends on what the normal expectations are for the business area you're talking about.
When I interview people who don't have the formal qualifications that were put on the job description, I expect them to demonstrate how they think their experience counts. Unless there are professional standards to meet (like the Medicial Council etc) I don't think a good employer should resist appointing the 'right' person, just because they don't hold a formal qualification. If the job depends a lot on knowing the right people and knowing which networks are useful, then experience might well be more relevant!
Just to play devil's advocate, having a qualification, does in theory show the employer in some sense, that you can follow instructions, answer quite technical or specific questions, apply your knowledge and persevere with something, sometimes up to 7 years for some undergraduate degrees!I guess part of the game is trying to get the right balance between the two, as just one on its own, probably will hold you back at some point.
Just my 2p worth.
Well get this for a laugh, rumour is that I will have to take an NVQ in cabbing, to learn how to talk to ppl etc, I can see it now....
Hello...
Where am I...
You're in a Iancab where would you like to go...
Huh how did I get here....
Err, you opened the door and you got in...
Just drive..drive...
I'm sorry that destination isn't on the Tom Tom...
Or we could work the IVQ
Allo mate how are ya....
Great thx, could we go to town....
Yeah, sure...
Thx how much is that ?
Err that's £4.80, plus my tip, just call it six quid mate...
If you've got a driving license, then you've got a qualification - just not an academic one.
You couldn't do your job without it and I doubt you could legally get another job if you didn't have one.
If I was running a cab co., I'd clearly appoint the driver with the most relevant experience of driving and not necessarily how long they've held a license.
If I was appointing someone to lead ground breaking research into theoretical astrophysics, then the chap/chappes with a PhD would stand a better chance than an amateur astronomer of 20 years.
The answer will always depend on the circumstances of the job.
Driving at speed is the question I was thinking about.
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