University Degree and a Related Job

Studying a subject at university that is relevant to the industry or profession one wants to pursue after leaving college is important. Such a course of action has many advantages.

Advantages from the Student’s Point of View

• Learning the subject from academicians helps the students to better understand the job and its requirements.

• Study of the subject and knowledge gained also enhance their core skills.

• Gaining employment in the relevant field is easier, for some employers recruit directly from the university campus.

• Related qualification makes it possible for these students to withstand the changing pressures of the job scenario.

• Knowledge helps the students to develop personally and prepare professionally. Such candidates not only improve their employability but also improve their earning power.

• The specified requisite qualification increases their trouble-shooting and problem-solving capacities. This subsequently leads to career development.

Advantages from the Employer’s Point of View

Increase in competition at the national and international levels makes employers recruit university degree holders, whose subject is work-related.

• Such student’s contribution to the organisation will be more than the others who have not studied the job-relevant subjects in the university.

• Qualified employees produce better quality product or service.

• Their decision making capacity also develops their leadership qualities. They are effective managers or supervisors.

• Having suitably qualified employees enhances the image of the organisation with prospective clients; for the employees are more in touch with the customers than the management personnel.

• Such employees are more committed to the organisation.

Profession-related education helps the employee, employer and the economy as a whole. The employee and the employer are benefited for the reasons mentioned above. The economy is benefited for it increases the competitiveness and productivity of the sector as a whole. Growth and productivity are dependent upon human resources.

Education and Unrelated Jobs

But some industries look to recruit students who have studied subjects that seem unrelated to that industry. The reasons for their preference are not far to seek.

• Higher education develops the core skills in students.

• It improves their communication skills, problem solving capacity, their IT knowledge and develops them as good team players.

• Such candidates have increased learning power. They easily learn the job in any sector.

• Candidates with unrelated education to their specific jobs are very flexible. They can easily take up diverse yet related tasks.

The financial and business sectors attach more prominence to the core skills that have been developed in the student. Even the hotel industry selects such students for their non-technical jobs.

But traditional sectors exhibit preference for work-related qualification. These sectors require technical knowledge and job-relevant expertise.

Some Industries Actively Encourage Diversity

For example, studying Psychology helps a person become an outstanding salesman. Engineers make good managers.

Some industries actively encourage such diversity. They seek qualifications that are not exactly relevant but matching to their job requirements.

Such employees are sought for their flexibility. For example, a psychologist would definitely make a good salesman. His subject knowledge has given him an awareness of human thoughts, emotions and reactions. This knowledge is effectively used by the marketing and sales department. Psychologists accurately judge human emotions to raise the sales graph of the company.

In fact, a psychologist may be more effective at this job than an actual salesman. But expecting a psychologist to turn a good dentist is wrong. Dentistry needs technical expertise.

Engineers also make better managers. For, any industry that is based on engineering knowledge (like construction, iron and steel, mechanical, chemical industries, etc) requires engineers at the managerial level. Mere business management students cannot handle the job well, for the industry to be successful requires a combination of managerial skills and technical knowledge.

In conclusion, we can say that only certain sectors require employees with the exact job-related educational qualification while some sectors actively seek diversely educated candidates; for these candidates have developed their core skills while mastering their subjects at the university level.