If you’re considering doing a degree or any other further study at college, then one thing you may hear a lot is that experience of the world of work counts for more than qualifications these days.
You will likely hear glowing testimonies of people who have risen through the ranks without first taking a degree course. No one can argue with the fact that having an existing track record of hard work, dedication and on-the-job experience is always going to look good on a CV, which is why having a part-time job to fit around your studies is a great idea.
However, don’t think for one minute that your degree in business, finance, accountancy or hospitality won’t secure you the attention of future employers.
Higher Education courses provide more than qualifications
Clearly, some professions demand qualifications before your career starts in earnest, particularly teaching and law degrees.
For other types of jobs, you have more flexibility over which route you choose to follow.
One of the big advantages of studying a degree or a top up course at college in London is that it provides you with “life” skills and abilities that will help you throughout your career. It will develop your intellect and communication skills, but also your emotional intelligence, and your understanding of your own interests, strengths and weaknesses.
During time spent in Higher Education, students often have the stimulation and space in which to form ethical opinions and creative talents more readily too.
It could be said that from employment you get practical experience of what can be achieved, and what does and doesn’t work. On the other hand, the academic route provides a greater ability to analyze and understand why one thing works and another doesn’t.
Study and career integration
One of the myths of the college versus work experience argument is that higher education course is “removed” from the real world of employment.
In fact, if you study a vocation such as hospitality, then during your degree final year, the period of your top-up degree, or potentially throughout the study period, an important part of your education will be learning how to apply your knowledge to real-life situations. You will not be studying in a vacuum but will have opportunities to investigate all aspects of your chosen career.
Direct work experience may well form an integral part of your time at college too.
Evidence for graduate success
And if all this is not enough to convince you to apply for a course at Mont Rose College in London, according to the Government’s Labour Market Statistics, “In 2015, graduates and postgraduates had higher employment rates, with a greater proportion in high-skilled employment, lower unemployment rates, lower inactivity rates and higher median salaries than non-graduates.”
To see how a course at Mont Rose College could open doors for you, please contact us today.