Re: [tlug] [OT] A Question About Degrees

[Attila Kinali <attila@example.com>]

On Sat, 03 Jul 2010 17:18:25 +0900
"Stephen J. Turnbull" <stephen@example.com> wrote:

>  > As for the degree, i'd plan from the beginning on a masters degree.
>  > A bachelor is a nice start, but, at least here in Europe, nobody
>  > will hire someone with just a US bachelor degree.
> 
> Nonsense, at least in Germany.  I know at least two ex-servicemen with
> good locally offered (but non-computer-related) jobs there.  One of
> them doesn't even have a bachelor's degree.  Both do, of course, have
> a German wife and excellent language skills.  Both are working for
> companies that supply U.S. bases, but do lots of other things too.  I
> don't know if their connections with supply sergeants is crucial. :-)

I think that might be the biggest factor ;-)
The places i know people from are mostly far away from any US
military base, and thus have very little dealing with them.
But generally speaking, the farther an applicant comes from,
the more difficult it is to asses his degree. Especially when
US universities in general are not regarded as very good, save a
few chosen ones.

Additionally, as Ulrike said. There was only one country in europe
that had a BSc/MSc system until recently. And that was the UK.
All others had a diploma system that was more or less synchronized.
Ie. if you got an applicant from France saying he has a diploma in
electrical engineering, you know that had more or less the same
education as someone comming from Sweeden.
Today, with the Bologna Reform, the whole unversity system in europe
is in a turmoil. Students were on strike not long ago because of the
whole reform made the problems worse it tried to solve. Not to speak
of a general decline in education quality, because everything has to
be measurable now in ECTS points (which has exactly the same effects
as exact accounting of everything in the comercial world has).

I dont know much about other countries, but those people i talked
to in Switzerland and Germany are very still reluctant at hiring
someone with "just" a BSc degree, as it still smells like he's a
drop out. Ofcourse unless they need cheap labor but still someone
with an understanding of what he's doing.


			Attila Kinali

-- 
If you want to walk fast, walk alone.
If you want to walk far, walk together.
		-- African proverb