[ModusOperandi]

Originally Posted by noodle

In that case, you just have to say and understand that: life is not fair. Because lets face it, it's not only cheaters that will take your place. If they know someone, an uncle, a cousin, a friend etc, they could hire them even if they're not suited for the job. Generally though, maybe I'm being naive, the jobs in which this kinda thing happens, is the jobs that don't need smart people or an education. I've been been hired for a job because I knew the manager. It was a sales assistant job. But I was also not taken for a job at my brothers company. It's his company, but he didn't hire me after an interview and everything because he knew I'd just screw things up!

You're not being naive. You're being very realistic. Life is definitely not fair. My question however, was designed to place more emphasis on just how much the degree factors into this entire thing. The so-called "cheater" was more than ready for the job. He has the same degree the qualified person has, thus gaining him the job he didn't really deserve. That's why I argue that "degrees" generally prove nothing except that you have them... whether or not you put the work into them.

EDIT: And I think you're giving degrees too much credit.

Originally Posted by noodle

Edit; I will reply to the rest of your post later. But I'd just like to say that you're underestimating degrees. Most companies know when a degree is worthless, like A-Level social studies or something. In my Math and Physics degree, 40% of students fail, 55% get between 10/20 and 12/20. 4% between 12.1/20 and 14/20. And about 4 people get more.

I see you're a bit of an elitist. Why would studies in sociology be useless? A field of study is a field of study no matter how you try to look at it. (as long as you're learning and not coasting, that is). Everyone, no matter what their gifted/interested in, has something to contribute to society.
While I find it hard to disagree with drop rates and success rates, How do you measure the skill of an individual who might be gifted theoretically but can't work practically?
How do you begin assessing how the drop/success rates in your particular institution compares to another institution that might produce an equally, if not skilled, individual of the same field of study?

And it's Experience and degree, because most people are educated in one way or another! What the employer wants to know, is whether they're qualified to do a certain job. I know lots of very smart people. They're very cultured and have knowledge of many things. On paper, I'm smarter than them, and that's just not the case. But most of their knowledge is useless to most employers. I'm educated in certain fields, so even if I'm not as smart as my friends, I can do certain jobs better!

You can have an education in a certain field of study whether or not you have a degree. I'm assuming your friends are more skilled to a specific field of study that does not pertain to yours. If what you say about them is true, then they can be capable in their respective area of knowledge and not yours. If I somehow misunderstood and you meant that they're more skilled than you in the same filed, but you only have the paper to show it...then I fail to see the argument here.

I may be reading too much into this but, judging from your statement about sociology and your considering your friends knowledge as useless, I seem to get the notion that because you're pursuing an education in mathematics and physics, you think you're more important. I apologize if I'm reading you wrong.