HOW IMPORTANT IS A COLLEGE DEGREE?

Dear Career Doctor:

I work in Information Technology and have a lot of certifications from training programs in MCSE, CNE , CNA and CCNA. However, my academic background is weak -- I never went to college. Can I climb up to management or executive level without a college degree?

Goh

Dear Goh:

That depends. For some companies in the computer field, technical expertise is all that matters. In other companies, no matter how talented you are, you will not advance without a college degree.

How to discover if you need one or not? Find out what kind of academic background the executives in your company have. If there are a number of successful managers without college degrees, you are probably ok as long as you keep up with the latest technological advances.

To be extra safe, you might ask some of those managers without degrees if they think you could succeed as they have, or if the requirements have changed. You will probably get good information -- and maybe even acquire a mentor.

The Career Doctor