Well not really.
It really depends if the Education was first right for you. It boils down to the fit and the process of discovering what fits. We all know that life is a journey and that the journey is not static nor a destination. It evolves over time. It is the process of finding the right fit that is most important. This is simple to say alright but anything else will be far from the truth.
Formal education in my opinion is like the head gear we put on. Why? Well it differentiates you from afar especially since most Asians have black hair except for those with highlights or coloured hair. Hats help us to be noticed from a far and this is liken to the formal education that we fall back on. The degree and formal qualifications we brag about can be penned down and sent out in our resumes, it can be reflected on the titles on our business cards and these are mediums that we can use to boost our first impressions. However, our qualifications are only assets that help us get into a job thereafter it up to the person to prove his/her self worth through the mechanics of the job function.
Hats are also worn many the times for its practical functionalities. Firstly it protects us from the heat of the blazing sun and secondly it shelters our heads in times of rain. But we all know that in times of intense heat and down pours the hats we wear can only protect us to a certain extent. In times of great calamities without and without a hat, you’ll still get burnt and drenched.
The sun in my perception is representative of the heat from our ‘kiasu’ society. Moms, Dads, government and society alike judge and pressurize us to attain a ‘degree’ as a certificate of achievement. To prove of self worth? Maybe.
The rain symbolizes the unforeseen circumstances that take place. The fall of Lehman Brothers, the 900 staff retrenchment at DBS and the inevitable economic downturn that is approaching are all symbolic of the cloudy skies that loom around us. Yes, a degree will sort of shield or differentiate you from others without a hat but it can only help so much.
So in times of intense heat and torrential rains what we really need most is an umbrella, one that is without holes and one that is big enough to shelter our bodies. I’ll talk about the representation of an umbrella in my next entry.
Coming back to the point of the importance of formal education, is it really that important? Maybe, maybe not?
So the question comes back to why so many people pressure us to get a University Degree? Should we accept this as a given or challenge it and work on what matters most? Hats in my perception are just for show and potential bragging rights. It is a tangible evidence of a certain degree of capability but it doesn’t show the true worth of one’s mental capabilities, creativity, gumption and work ethics. Maybe it does help you get noticed from a far, just like how many people wear hats to add a certain extra flavour to their wardrobe and appeal but it can only shelter or boost your credibility to a certain extent. Once you land yourself in your desired job, the expected dress code or decorum is ‘all hats off’. Hats may get your foot into the door but thereafter it depends on YOU and your true capabilities. Your ability to network strategically, your capabilities to shine and perform and the tenacity to follow through on the tasks assigned. What is most important is the mental capability under the ‘for show’ head gear.
Next, we all know that the times are B.A.D, BAD. All we read about in the news is more BAD BAD BAD news. Guess the media really can’t get enough of it. It’s like a buffet of news that can’t help but be BAD. Horrible!
Especially in these times of uncertainties your competition is escalates. You not only compete with those who were engineered in the school of hard knocks, you are also compete with existing bums or people who have decided to ‘chill out’ and all the people who were just retrenched. These are people with hats too. And some as we all know are people with pretty distinct and credible hats. Look at all the Managing Directors who were recently given the ADIOS AMIGO send off. These are people not only with hats to shout about but also credible working experience.
So again. Is a degree really that important? Maybe? But to me it’s about the ability to prove and follow through on what you preach about.
That’s all for my first entry, I’ll explain what I feel parents can do to build what’s under the hat and the meaning of an umbrella in my next entry. So stay tuned.
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