Degrees serve as the basis for excellent careers as these are validate certificates about person acquaintance and capabilities.These are a source of knowledge for personsthat can be applied in the practical work. Today employers are looking for candidates that have an intensive degree in hand as these are the guarantor of success. Employee’s needs degrees to enter into the market and today millennials have a special focus towards degrees. Moreover, degrees also ensure better opportunities for quality employment as these are essential for certain leadership, management, and research positions. Thus, education leads to better jobs and makes life better. Hence, a person with multiple qualifications will get more chances of success in the market as the number of skills a person gets vary with the education levels. Degrees signal the desirable qualities of potential employees and show the capacities to show other desirable skills. This literature review will examine different researches related to the need of degree as a success factor for their career.
Discussion and Evaluation
Degree is important than skill training as it deliberates explicit chances for the holder in his career. This guarantees those competencies that are required to perform certain tasks and jobs. This also teaches different soft skills to employees that assure the success of the organization. On the other hand, skills training is given for the shorter duration of time and the purpose of training cannot be attained unless a person has required set of education for training.
Students enter colleges and select their degree fields hoping to enter the labor market after the completion of their degrees ADDIN ZOTERO_ITEM CSL_CITATION {"citationID":"rg5mNQSS","properties":{"formattedCitation":"(Robst, 2007)","plainCitation":"(Robst, 2007)","noteIndex":0},"citationItems":[{"id":2230,"uris":["http://zotero.org/users/local/KZl8ZL3A/items/HQ5NLXMF"],"uri":["http://zotero.org/users/local/KZl8ZL3A/items/HQ5NLXMF"],"itemData":{"id":2230,"type":"article-journal","title":"Education and job match: The relatedness of college major and work","container-title":"Economics of Education Review","page":"397-407","volume":"26","issue":"4","author":[{"family":"Robst","given":"John"}],"issued":{"date-parts":[["2007"]]}}}],"schema":"https://github.com/citation-style-language/schema/raw/master/csl-citation.json"} (Robst, 2007).Different factors affect the selection of majors; expected earnings, configurations of the labor force as well as non-price preferences ADDIN ZOTERO_ITEM CSL_CITATION {"citationID":"rg5mNQSS","properties":{"formattedCitation":"(Robst, 2007)","plainCitation":"(Robst, 2007)","noteIndex":0},"citationItems":[{"id":2230,"uris":["http://zotero.org/users/local/KZl8ZL3A/items/HQ5NLXMF"],"uri":["http://zotero.org/users/local/KZl8ZL3A/items/HQ5NLXMF"],"itemData":{"id":2230,"type":"article-journal","title":"Education and job match: The relatedness of college major and work","container-title":"Economics of Education Review","page":"397-407","volume":"26","issue":"4","author":[{"family":"Robst","given":"John"}],"issued":{"date-parts":[["2007"]]}}}],"schema":"https://github.com/citation-style-language/schema/raw/master/csl-citation.json"} (Robst, 2007). There must be a match between the degree field and occupation to avoid any uncertainty in employment. In the United States, there is a dramatic increase in college enrollment in the past decade ADDIN ZOTERO_ITEM CSL_CITATION {"citationID":"eY8TdX1J","properties":{"formattedCitation":"(Horowitz, 2018)","plainCitation":"(Horowitz, 2018)","noteIndex":0},"citationItems":[{"id":2223,"uris":["http://zotero.org/users/local/KZl8ZL3A/items/NTMRKXIK"],"uri":["http://zotero.org/users/local/KZl8ZL3A/items/NTMRKXIK"],"itemData":{"id":2223,"type":"article-journal","title":"Relative Education and the Advantage of a College Degree","container-title":"American sociological review","page":"771-801","volume":"83","issue":"4","author":[{"family":"Horowitz","given":"Jonathan"}],"issued":{"date-parts":[["2018"]]}}}],"schema":"https://github.com/citation-style-language/schema/raw/master/csl-citation.json"} (Horowitz, 2018). For instance, in 1950, there was 7.7 percent of people in the United States with a bachelor’s degree and in 1980, there was 22.5 percent ADDIN ZOTERO_ITEM CSL_CITATION {"citationID":"VQAD8s9y","properties":{"formattedCitation":"(Horowitz, 2018)","plainCitation":"(Horowitz, 2018)","noteIndex":0},"citationItems":[{"id":2223,"uris":["http://zotero.org/users/local/KZl8ZL3A/items/NTMRKXIK"],"uri":["http://zotero.org/users/local/KZl8ZL3A/items/NTMRKXIK"],"itemData":{"id":2223,"type":"article-journal","title":"Relative Education and the Advantage of a College Degree","container-title":"American sociological review","page":"771-801","volume":"83","issue":"4","author":[{"family":"Horowitz","given":"Jonathan"}],"issued":{"date-parts":[["2018"]]}}}],"schema":"https://github.com/citation-style-language/schema/raw/master/csl-citation.json"} (Horowitz, 2018). This sharp increase is the result of state support for universities. Moreover, there are greater monetary returns to education that have increased the need for a college education.Fenesi and Sana consider the postsecondary degree as an investment in stocksdue to its future benefits ADDIN ZOTERO_ITEM CSL_CITATION {"citationID":"g5Tkr40W","properties":{"formattedCitation":"(Fenesi & Sana, 2015)","plainCitation":"(Fenesi & Sana, 2015)","noteIndex":0},"citationItems":[{"id":2227,"uris":["http://zotero.org/users/local/KZl8ZL3A/items/UW3M6RT5"],"uri":["http://zotero.org/users/local/KZl8ZL3A/items/UW3M6RT5"],"itemData":{"id":2227,"type":"article-journal","title":"What Is Your Degree Worth? The Relationship between Post-Secondary Programs and Employment Outcomes.","container-title":"Canadian Journal of Higher Education","page":"383-399","volume":"45","issue":"4","author":[{"family":"Fenesi","given":"Barbara"},{"family":"Sana","given":"Faria"}],"issued":{"date-parts":[["2015"]]}}}],"schema":"https://github.com/citation-style-language/schema/raw/master/csl-citation.json"} (Fenesi & Sana, 2015).More than 80% of high school graduates are going for postsecondary education as it ensures employment opportunities and income for graduates ADDIN ZOTERO_ITEM CSL_CITATION {"citationID":"b96C97zX","properties":{"formattedCitation":"(Fenesi & Sana, 2015)","plainCitation":"(Fenesi & Sana, 2015)","noteIndex":0},"citationItems":[{"id":2227,"uris":["http://zotero.org/users/local/KZl8ZL3A/items/UW3M6RT5"],"uri":["http://zotero.org/users/local/KZl8ZL3A/items/UW3M6RT5"],"itemData":{"id":2227,"type":"article-journal","title":"What Is Your Degree Worth? The Relationship between Post-Secondary Programs and Employment Outcomes.","container-title":"Canadian Journal of Higher Education","page":"383-399","volume":"45","issue":"4","author":[{"family":"Fenesi","given":"Barbara"},{"family":"Sana","given":"Faria"}],"issued":{"date-parts":[["2015"]]}}}],"schema":"https://github.com/citation-style-language/schema/raw/master/csl-citation.json"} (Fenesi & Sana, 2015). University graduates during their careers earn two to three times more as compared to high school graduates. Moreover, employment rates for university graduates are higher than high school graduates ADDIN ZOTERO_ITEM CSL_CITATION {"citationID":"zEtkvpkw","properties":{"formattedCitation":"(Fenesi & Sana, 2015)","plainCitation":"(Fenesi & Sana, 2015)","noteIndex":0},"citationItems":[{"id":2227,"uris":["http://zotero.org/users/local/KZl8ZL3A/items/UW3M6RT5"],"uri":["http://zotero.org/users/local/KZl8ZL3A/items/UW3M6RT5"],"itemData":{"id":2227,"type":"article-journal","title":"What Is Your Degree Worth? The Relationship between Post-Secondary Programs and Employment Outcomes.","container-title":"Canadian Journal of Higher Education","page":"383-399","volume":"45","issue":"4","author":[{"family":"Fenesi","given":"Barbara"},{"family":"Sana","given":"Faria"}],"issued":{"date-parts":[["2015"]]}}}],"schema":"https://github.com/citation-style-language/schema/raw/master/csl-citation.json"} (Fenesi & Sana, 2015).
In addition to this, the values of postsecondary degrees also vary from program to program. All postsecondary degrees and programs do nohave the same values. There are some programs that offer a high return and employment opportunities as compared to others. Additionally, degree value is not even unconditional but it is taken as comparative to the education of one’s peers.Graduates from humanities are at a substantialdetrimentas compared to graduates from social science and business ADDIN ZOTERO_ITEM CSL_CITATION {"citationID":"cTXYkeJQ","properties":{"formattedCitation":"(Fenesi & Sana, 2015)","plainCitation":"(Fenesi & Sana, 2015)","noteIndex":0},"citationItems":[{"id":2227,"uris":["http://zotero.org/users/local/KZl8ZL3A/items/UW3M6RT5"],"uri":["http://zotero.org/users/local/KZl8ZL3A/items/UW3M6RT5"],"itemData":{"id":2227,"type":"article-journal","title":"What Is Your Degree Worth? The Relationship between Post-Secondary Programs and Employment Outcomes.","container-title":"Canadian Journal of Higher Education","page":"383-399","volume":"45","issue":"4","author":[{"family":"Fenesi","given":"Barbara"},{"family":"Sana","given":"Faria"}],"issued":{"date-parts":[["2015"]]}}}],"schema":"https://github.com/citation-style-language/schema/raw/master/csl-citation.json"} (Fenesi & Sana, 2015).However, these graduates do not have fewer skills and knowledgeas humanities graduates in research have shown to possess critical thinking, complex reasoning as well as communication skills. They also have a deeper knowledge of historical issues in politics and culture that allow them to make more authentic decisions. Thus, each degree has its ownworth and market that makes it competitive.
Moreover, Robst has also conducted research about the degree worth in career development. The focus of the research is to enhance the college graduates selection of their field according to their job types. The research is also informing students about the results of mismatch of their degree fields and relatedconsequences.For example, the mismatch can bring different effects over wages, income, job satisfaction as well as productivity.Therefore, the degree is worthy when employees are not over graduates or under graduates ADDIN ZOTERO_ITEM CSL_CITATION {"citationID":"rg5mNQSS","properties":{"formattedCitation":"(Robst, 2007)","plainCitation":"(Robst, 2007)","noteIndex":0},"citationItems":[{"id":2230,"uris":["http://zotero.org/users/local/KZl8ZL3A/items/HQ5NLXMF"],"uri":["http://zotero.org/users/local/KZl8ZL3A/items/HQ5NLXMF"],"itemData":{"id":2230,"type":"article-journal","title":"Education and job match: The relatedness of college major and work","container-title":"Economics of Education Review","page":"397-407","volume":"26","issue":"4","author":[{"family":"Robst","given":"John"}],"issued":{"date-parts":[["2007"]]}}}],"schema":"https://github.com/citation-style-language/schema/raw/master/csl-citation.json"} (Robst, 2007). If people are over graduate then this may affect their earned wages and their returns to surplus schooling get lowered.Different theories can be used to explain this mismatch such as capital as well as job search and matching. According to human capital theory, over educationcan substitute the skills. If there is over education, then it shows the underutilization of human capital. Education can be considered as a type of investment and with over graduation or selecting the wrong field, the result can be an economic loss.
Likewise, there is no more value of degree when it becomes common in the labor market. This competition can be faced effectively by getting into a feedback loop that requires each person to acquire more education to remain competitive ADDIN ZOTERO_ITEM CSL_CITATION {"citationID":"LcgvWZVa","properties":{"formattedCitation":"(Horowitz, 2018)","plainCitation":"(Horowitz, 2018)","noteIndex":0},"citationItems":[{"id":2223,"uris":["http://zotero.org/users/local/KZl8ZL3A/items/NTMRKXIK"],"uri":["http://zotero.org/users/local/KZl8ZL3A/items/NTMRKXIK"],"itemData":{"id":2223,"type":"article-journal","title":"Relative Education and the Advantage of a College Degree","container-title":"American sociological review","page":"771-801","volume":"83","issue":"4","author":[{"family":"Horowitz","given":"Jonathan"}],"issued":{"date-parts":[["2018"]]}}}],"schema":"https://github.com/citation-style-language/schema/raw/master/csl-citation.json"} (Horowitz, 2018). This helps them in maintaining their desired position in the labor market. Moreover, this dilemma then requires degree holders to have a specific set of skills for the desired positions. Educational qualifications and learning skills are highly connected. Educational systems not only equip students with desired competencies but also train them about the skills necessary to take part in society ADDIN ZOTERO_ITEM CSL_CITATION {"citationID":"3oKRHYhS","properties":{"formattedCitation":"(Massing & Schneider, 2017)","plainCitation":"(Massing & Schneider, 2017)","noteIndex":0},"citationItems":[{"id":2224,"uris":["http://zotero.org/users/local/KZl8ZL3A/items/6UK97JHM"],"uri":["http://zotero.org/users/local/KZl8ZL3A/items/6UK97JHM"],"itemData":{"id":2224,"type":"article-journal","title":"Degrees of competency: the relationship between educational qualifications and adult skills across countries","container-title":"Large-scale Assessments in Education","page":"6","volume":"5","issue":"1","author":[{"family":"Massing","given":"Natascha"},{"family":"Schneider","given":"Silke L."}],"issued":{"date-parts":[["2017"]]}}}],"schema":"https://github.com/citation-style-language/schema/raw/master/csl-citation.json"} (Massing & Schneider, 2017). Due to this, employers with the degree of education not only expect from potential employees to possess required knowledge but also possess a greater work ethic. In addition, the degree is also evidence of the applicant's future productivity by signaling its capacities to acquire new responsibilities ADDIN ZOTERO_ITEM CSL_CITATION {"citationID":"Z3iEty5E","properties":{"formattedCitation":"(Horowitz, 2018)","plainCitation":"(Horowitz, 2018)","noteIndex":0},"citationItems":[{"id":2223,"uris":["http://zotero.org/users/local/KZl8ZL3A/items/NTMRKXIK"],"uri":["http://zotero.org/users/local/KZl8ZL3A/items/NTMRKXIK"],"itemData":{"id":2223,"type":"article-journal","title":"Relative Education and the Advantage of a College Degree","container-title":"American sociological review","page":"771-801","volume":"83","issue":"4","author":[{"family":"Horowitz","given":"Jonathan"}],"issued":{"date-parts":[["2018"]]}}}],"schema":"https://github.com/citation-style-language/schema/raw/master/csl-citation.json"} (Horowitz, 2018).
Massing & Schneider have conducted research over 21 countries from the Programme for the International Assessment of Adult Competencies 2012. They have used this data to compare the literacy skills of adults that have different levels of educational across countries. There is a number of factors that affect the acquisition of educational qualifications and literacy skills. These are parental education, language and migration background. The results of this research found out a high degree of heterogeneity of skills among equivalent education categories across the population of the study ADDIN ZOTERO_ITEM CSL_CITATION {"citationID":"JI4UZUms","properties":{"formattedCitation":"(Massing & Schneider, 2017)","plainCitation":"(Massing & Schneider, 2017)","noteIndex":0},"citationItems":[{"id":2224,"uris":["http://zotero.org/users/local/KZl8ZL3A/items/6UK97JHM"],"uri":["http://zotero.org/users/local/KZl8ZL3A/items/6UK97JHM"],"itemData":{"id":2224,"type":"article-journal","title":"Degrees of competency: the relationship between educational qualifications and adult skills across countries","container-title":"Large-scale Assessments in Education","page":"6","volume":"5","issue":"1","author":[{"family":"Massing","given":"Natascha"},{"family":"Schneider","given":"Silke L."}],"issued":{"date-parts":[["2017"]]}}}],"schema":"https://github.com/citation-style-language/schema/raw/master/csl-citation.json"} (Massing & Schneider, 2017). Moreover, the study also requires the need for harmonization in future adult literacy surveys.
Degrees have more worth for employment opportunities as compared to skills as these are readily observable.Here, human capital theory aids in understanding the relationship between degree and required skills for a job ADDIN ZOTERO_ITEM CSL_CITATION {"citationID":"TjWBh9GS","properties":{"formattedCitation":"(Massing & Schneider, 2017)","plainCitation":"(Massing & Schneider, 2017)","noteIndex":0},"citationItems":[{"id":2224,"uris":["http://zotero.org/users/local/KZl8ZL3A/items/6UK97JHM"],"uri":["http://zotero.org/users/local/KZl8ZL3A/items/6UK97JHM"],"itemData":{"id":2224,"type":"article-journal","title":"Degrees of competency: the relationship between educational qualifications and adult skills across countries","container-title":"Large-scale Assessments in Education","page":"6","volume":"5","issue":"1","author":[{"family":"Massing","given":"Natascha"},{"family":"Schneider","given":"Silke L."}],"issued":{"date-parts":[["2017"]]}}}],"schema":"https://github.com/citation-style-language/schema/raw/master/csl-citation.json"} (Massing & Schneider, 2017). Degrees also allow employees to get the required set of skills required for certain jobs.Another researchconducted by Chan in 2016, reviewed the economic and social benefits of completing a college degree ADDIN ZOTERO_ITEM CSL_CITATION {"citationID":"omrloBEg","properties":{"formattedCitation":"(Chan, 2016)","plainCitation":"(Chan, 2016)","noteIndex":0},"citationItems":[{"id":2225,"uris":["http://zotero.org/users/local/KZl8ZL3A/items/E8ZCG3RX"],"uri":["http://zotero.org/users/local/KZl8ZL3A/items/E8ZCG3RX"],"itemData":{"id":2225,"type":"article-journal","title":"Understanding the purpose of higher education: An analysis of the economic and social benefits for completing a college degree","container-title":"Journal of Education Policy, Planning and Administration","page":"1-40","volume":"6","issue":"5","author":[{"family":"Chan","given":"Roy Y."}],"issued":{"date-parts":[["2016"]]}}}],"schema":"https://github.com/citation-style-language/schema/raw/master/csl-citation.json"} (Chan, 2016). Moreover, it also examined the role of higher educationand its purpose behind the education of individuals in society. The purpose of higher education indeed is to prepare a workforce for the economy by equipping them with new knowledge. However, in today’s competitive environment as a result of different economic and social benefits, this purpose has extended. This has thus resulted in shifting higher education worldwide for the sake of private benefit ADDIN ZOTERO_ITEM CSL_CITATION {"citationID":"jrF4D0js","properties":{"formattedCitation":"(Chan, 2016)","plainCitation":"(Chan, 2016)","noteIndex":0},"citationItems":[{"id":2225,"uris":["http://zotero.org/users/local/KZl8ZL3A/items/E8ZCG3RX"],"uri":["http://zotero.org/users/local/KZl8ZL3A/items/E8ZCG3RX"],"itemData":{"id":2225,"type":"article-journal","title":"Understanding the purpose of higher education: An analysis of the economic and social benefits for completing a college degree","container-title":"Journal of Education Policy, Planning and Administration","page":"1-40","volume":"6","issue":"5","author":[{"family":"Chan","given":"Roy Y."}],"issued":{"date-parts":[["2016"]]}}}],"schema":"https://github.com/citation-style-language/schema/raw/master/csl-citation.json"} (Chan, 2016).Universities are now required to prepare graduates and equip them with the desired knowledge, skills as well as ethical responsibility so they can fulfill the needs of society.Differentskills can make them think logically and develop sophisticated values in order to enter into a highly competitive global labor market ADDIN ZOTERO_ITEM CSL_CITATION {"citationID":"YYSIJdqa","properties":{"formattedCitation":"(Chan, 2016)","plainCitation":"(Chan, 2016)","noteIndex":0},"citationItems":[{"id":2225,"uris":["http://zotero.org/users/local/KZl8ZL3A/items/E8ZCG3RX"],"uri":["http://zotero.org/users/local/KZl8ZL3A/items/E8ZCG3RX"],"itemData":{"id":2225,"type":"article-journal","title":"Understanding the purpose of higher education: An analysis of the economic and social benefits for completing a college degree","container-title":"Journal of Education Policy, Planning and Administration","page":"1-40","volume":"6","issue":"5","author":[{"family":"Chan","given":"Roy Y."}],"issued":{"date-parts":[["2016"]]}}}],"schema":"https://github.com/citation-style-language/schema/raw/master/csl-citation.json"} (Chan, 2016).Therefore, degrees are taken as the start of working life and their due place is given by work experience. Generally the written job advertisements by recruiters demand the presence of specific degrees as there are now more jobs that require critical thinking as compared to manual skills.Having a degree also allow further development of the person. For example, there is an effect of education and degree over wages and worker mobility. If a person has more occupational skills then there is an increase in wages. For a better career, employees must make the investment and acquire a more and more education to remain competitive.
Conclusion
An advanced degree is an inevitable requirement of today's society in the context of employment opportunities.Organizations now require employees to have at least a college or graduate degree as these are theall-time stamps of professional proficiencies and guarantee financial payout in the future. Along with financial payouts these are also a source of certain other skills such as ethics, intelligence and multiple tasking. Thus, these are considered as an effective path towards economic progression ADDIN ZOTERO_ITEM CSL_CITATION {"citationID":"YEIInLKy","properties":{"formattedCitation":"(Horowitz, 2018)","plainCitation":"(Horowitz, 2018)","noteIndex":0},"citationItems":[{"id":2223,"uris":["http://zotero.org/users/local/KZl8ZL3A/items/NTMRKXIK"],"uri":["http://zotero.org/users/local/KZl8ZL3A/items/NTMRKXIK"],"itemData":{"id":2223,"type":"article-journal","title":"Relative Education and the Advantage of a College Degree","container-title":"American sociological review","page":"771-801","volume":"83","issue":"4","author":[{"family":"Horowitz","given":"Jonathan"}],"issued":{"date-parts":[["2018"]]}}}],"schema":"https://github.com/citation-style-language/schema/raw/master/csl-citation.json"} (Horowitz, 2018).Due to these benefits, now there is an increase in the number of students that are enrolling in colleges and universities. The benefits of the degree educationare also insisting government and state supports. They are not only encouraging people and providing them financialassistance but are also providing them guidancerelated to the selectionoftheir study programs.Now degree education is taken as an investment and all efforts are put to earnhuge profits from thisinvestment both at individual and state levels. Without a degree people cannot learn any additional skills required to get success in their careers.
References
ADDIN ZOTERO_BIBL {"uncited":[],"omitted":[],"custom":[]} CSL_BIBLIOGRAPHY Chan, R. Y. (2016). Understanding the purpose of higher education: An analysis of the economic and social benefits for completing a college degree. Journal of Education Policy, Planning and Administration, 6(5), 1–40.
Fenesi, B., & Sana, F. (2015). What Is Your Degree Worth? The Relationship between Post-Secondary Programs and Employment Outcomes. Canadian Journal of Higher Education, 45(4), 383–399.
Horowitz, J. (2018). Relative Education and the Advantage of a College Degree. American Sociological Review, 83(4), 771–801.
Massing, N., & Schneider, S. L. (2017). Degrees of competency: the relationship between educational qualifications and adult skills across countries. Large-Scale Assessments in Education, 5(1), 6.
Robst, J. (2007). Education and job match: The relatedness of college major and work. Economics of Education Review, 26(4), 397–407.
