“you will get a better job and earn more money than if you don’t have a degree.” That’s the main reason why far too many members of each high school cohort attend college.
That phrase was drilled into my head by every member of my family while I attended high school.
I discovered a little later that it is not WHAT you know but WHO you know that gets you that better job with better pay.
College is just a four year escape from reality to for many(not all) people.
“I discovered a little later that it is not WHAT you know but WHO you know that gets you that better job with better pay.”
Sadly, in many, many cases you are correct. I have seen it over and over, specifically in areas where subjective judgment is the deciding factor.
However, in my experience, it was my technical degree that opened the door to perfect strangers, who in turn, asked me difficult questions that I was prepared to answer. In one case, technical questions which landed me the job. Perhaps I am the exception to the norm, but I do believe it is quite common to obtain a job on merit.
Having said that - once you are in the door, politics, and “who you know” loom large...especially in smaller companies.
I would modify that a little bit. It's more accurate to say "It's not what you know, but who TRUSTS you to know what you are doing, and trusts you to do the right thing without supervision".
At the upper levels, the people you report to may have little understanding of the technical details of what you are doing, and must have faith that you're doing a competent job. They also don't have the time to monitor your day, and must have faith that you're doing your activities for the good of the company and not for personal benefit.
Hell--for some, it's the launching pad for a lifetime of escape from reality.