Experience vs Education. Which came first and is more important?

2015-05-22T22:44:10-04:00

My wife and I got into a debate about this tonight and would like to hear your thoughts.

Response by LTC Stephen F. made May 22 at 2015 10:47 PM

2015-05-22T22:47:27-04:00

Chicken vs Egg argument. It would depend what experience and education you are talking about. Certainly prior to Kindergarten we had lots of experience.
I think a blend of experience and education is the best combination - reduces Egg Heads.

Response by GySgt Wayne A. Ekblad made May 22 at 2015 10:49 PM

2015-05-22T22:49:23-04:00

I haven't got past the "my wife and I got into a debate about this" part! ;-)

Response by SSgt Charles Edwards made May 22 at 2015 10:58 PM

2015-05-22T22:58:43-04:00

From my own personal experience, it can go either way. Most of my jobs post-military were in security. Problem was, most of those employers would hire the biggest collection of assclowns I wouldn't trust with a potato gun. When I completed my degree, I began looking for work in the field I had been studying, but I always got the same rejection answer ("we've gone with a better qualified candidate"). In my opinion, it's best to have both which gives you flexibility in the job search. Sometimes, when it's put together nicely on a resumé, it makes you stand out. That happened to me when I attended a job fair for the local minor league baseball team. I just wanted a job for the summer to gain some experience in the sports industry. I would have settled for a lowly, minimum wage job but left with an offer to be mid-level management because of my combination of education and experience.

Response by CPO Private RallyPoint Member made May 22 at 2015 11:02 PM

2015-05-22T23:02:25-04:00

My thoughts on this, the theory "Experience breeds education". Someone had to start it all and experience it so they could educate forward.

Response by SFC Christopher Perry made May 22 at 2015 11:03 PM

2015-05-22T23:03:44-04:00

I feel both are a bit weak without the other in today's environment.

Response by SSG Roger Ayscue made May 23 at 2015 1:00 AM

2015-05-23T01:00:18-04:00

EXPERIENCE....Who do you think writes the book?

Response by MSG Morgan Fiszel, CPCM, CFCM made May 23 at 2015 6:09 AM

2015-05-23T06:09:29-04:00

The experience is the education. You can experience English or math in the classroom, at work, at home. You experience it first and that experience is your education. How do you gain an education without having experienced anything? One day, a long time ago, a bored caveman rubbed two sticks together; he experienced and learned about fire. He passed that knowledge along. Others then experienced it; they too gained an education.

Response by SSG James Arlington made May 28 at 2015 3:23 PM

2015-05-28T15:23:01-04:00

Neither. Both.

Response by MAJ Private RallyPoint Member made Jul 8 at 2016 10:15 PM

2016-07-08T22:15:27-04:00

All depends. I will say, whatever the wife says!
It depends on each person. What comes first depends on the individual. Education per se starts at home, so if your parents did not raise you as and educated person, you are already in disadvantage, as you will have to embark in the pursue of knowledge at a somewhat late stage (you are late if you waited after high school graduation). Schooling, i.e., vocational school, college, should only be used as a trampoline to a particular job or career. But we all can see that degrees are so diluted, that many of them except in some particular fields, people are having to settle for a menial pay. Experience, in exchange, is not only cheaper, but it is often times the decisive factor in hiring, but even more important, in those who are successful in their career or trades.
But I will also say that drive and perseverance can trump education and experience. Too often people stay in the same field for too long just to find out that they are living in a different world and that change has left them behind.