Yeah, but there are all sorts of idiotic jobs that don't pay much that only demand a degree because there are so many people with degrees who can't get good jobs.Completely agree, however getting a degree is supposed to prove that exact point (that you can think critically) to a potential employer.
There is a columnist on LewRockwell.com, his name is Gary North, and he did a great article a year or two ago on WalMart getting into academic accreditation. With their knack for relentless efficiency, degree programs could be condensed and done at a fraction of the cost.
I'm not saying it is desirable or even doable. But I think outside the box. Most people I meet think inside boxes.
I would rather hire someone who was smart enough to know he could make more money outside of school, than someone who rode it out and passed up opportunities just for the sake of completion.It also proves you can start something and then finish it to the satisfaction of an 'external auditor' (ie. the school/university).
The people who admire these so-called virtues over a self-interested employee are people who are trying to hire folks who will take orders and not make the manager look bad.
I want to hire people that make me look bad. I want to hire people who want to take the manager's job. I want to hire people who inspire and motivate me, not people whom I have to direct and motivate because one of their key attributes is a capacity to follow instruction.