Does A University Degree Mean Higher Pay?

According to an online report, lowest paid jobs with college degrees include professions in Social Work, Athletics, Recreation & Leisure, Art, Interior Design, Religious Studies, Horticulture, Education and Culinary Arts.

Does society not value our tertiary or advanced education? The way we appreciate education or not determines how we treat our staff. What if your profession does not put you in PMET category, how would you value yourself? I personally know of a few social workers and teachers (who use their heart, head and hands) who have left the professions – it is a big pity!

The values that you stand for  is part of your value equation. What you are worth is dependent on how you project your values to another. If somebody likes you, he/she may appreciate more of what you do. Value is placed on whatever matters to you. When something is important, its perceived value goes up. Thus, in the study of influence, Scarcity (exclusivity) suggests that people appreciate things in limited edition or ‘while stocks last’.

If you possess a unique set of skills, and this is in wide demand then your value may go up. Like on eBay, a bidding war may lead to you being hired by the highest bidder. Elsewhere, we may need to do our time and bidding before we can be considered worthy of promotion or hire. Or, we can reinvent ourselves by being more educated, skillful, knowledgeable, experienced, exposed, smart, connected and related. Being bold, courageous, adventurous and curious, can be useful motivators, too. Haven’t you given your future any thought?

Without blaming anyone, is one’s profession undermined by employers and industries, or are we to be responsible for enhancing our value in whatever we do? If you believe in the relevance of any of these professions, tell somebody, and speak well of it. If not, some professions may go the way of the Jurassic era and become extinct; people do become redundant.

Perhaps it is time to reposition these overlooked professions…it is time to look past overpaid CEOs suffering from Peter’s Principle, or who violate principle values. The exorbitant and inflated severance packages of these leaders should be reviewed when they break the rule. On a scale of 1 to 10, 1 being low and 10 being the highest, what is your confidence in your CEO?