Decoding the Value of Undergraduate Degrees: Standing Out in a Crowded Graduate Market

I once came across a joke online: "A university graduate casually throws a small stone at a passerby, only to discover that the other person is also a university graduate, and the stone bounces off, hitting another person who, too, is a university graduate."

While this joke elicits a chuckle, it underscores the growing reality of an increasing number of university graduates in today's society. There's a saying in the market, "Rare things are valuable." With so many university graduates nowadays, does it mean that a university graduate certificate has depreciated in value?

Photo taken from Taylor's University Facebook

Before delving into the main topic, let me pose a question to those of you who are about to graduate and enter the workforce: do you still remember the initial motivation for choosing your major? If your original intention remains, do you think the industry you aspired to back then could be entered without a university graduate certificate?

The reason for asking this question is that with university bachelor's degrees being so common among job seekers today, diplomas and degrees are no longer attractive to companies.

Unless an applicant has something unique, some companies prefer candidates with lower qualifications but who can still fulfill the job requirements, saving them some salary costs. After all, the salary of a university graduate is likely to be higher than that of an employee with lower qualifications.

Given the abundance of applicants with bachelor's degrees as a backup, the current market tends to favor hiring individuals with immediate skills and high practicality rather than just possessing a diploma without practical skills, akin to a mere "decoration."

Workers in office; Photo taken from New Straits Times

I have a friend who despite not completing high school, is now a department manager in a subsidiary of a listed company. When discussing this perspective with him, he agreed but also pointed out a crucial point: before knowing an applicant's skills, those with good academic performance are indeed more likely to stand out.

"We prefer to hire employees with lower qualifications and salary expectations but who have practical experience. After all, even if they have high qualifications, the initial job they do is not worth such a high salary. They are also unwilling to endure until the day they can get their ideal salary. But if you ask me to choose, if the salary difference is not significant, I would definitely choose a university graduate," said Sia Zhi Qin.

Another friend of mine is an insurance salesperson. Although he holds a degree, he says that selling insurance doesn't require studying, emphasizing the importance of personal effort.

"My grades in university were average, but I made many connections, which benefited my current job. Moreover, after graduating, I forgot a lot of the knowledge taught in class," said Goh Duan Huai.

His words made me contemplate a question: why don't these people accumulate relevant work experience from the beginning?

Photo taken from Riverside.fm

For example, if someone wants to become a video editor, they could start by self-learning, then accumulate experience in a production studio owned by a YouTuber, and later work as a freelancer. This way, not only do they save on university tuition and time but also focus on "learning for application," without having to take courses unrelated to their interests.

However, objectively speaking, unless your skills are truly outstanding, you may only be recognized within the industry. Reflecting on myself, am I not an example of a professional who returned to university to pursue a degree?

I used to be an admired Radio News Presenter, thinking that with a certain level of expertise and work experience, I could easily switch to other companies in the country or even media companies in Singapore. However, I overestimated myself.

Because local media companies were unwilling to offer me a higher salary, if I wanted to go overseas, I would need at least a degree. Why do foreign companies need to see our university diplomas? The reason is simple: foreign companies place greater emphasis on academic qualifications, and it is also a requirement of foreign governments' policies.

Information Source: CNA

This explains why, despite the abundance of university graduates, there are still people eager to enter university. A university graduate's diploma is accredited by a group of higher-educated and authoritative professional institutions. What if you study online or self-learn through YouTube?

Of course, you still gain knowledge, but if you want to be certified, you need to obtain certification from authoritative organizations, with a group of professionals confirming that you truly have the relevant knowledge and skills.

Microsoft founder Bill Gates and Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg are dropouts from the same university. Photo taken from Yahoo Finance.

Stop saying ridiculous statements like "Bill Gates didn't graduate from college and still became the richest person." Those are just rare examples, and they never stopped learning, even at their current status.

Perhaps a university diploma no longer provides us with the advantage of being "valuable due to scarcity." However, what we must consider is how to improve our own qualities and abilities. A university diploma will not depreciate because it's just a piece of paper—a lifeless object.

As living individuals, we should determine our own value, learn to be lifelong learners, and not treat academic qualifications as decrees. Otherwise, we will become just another ordinary university graduate hit by a stone.