Paper qualifications or experience?
It's a tough question, isn't it? For me, we do need both of these. Paper qualification is more like an indicator that shows that you've learnt/mastered/knowledgeable on the field that you've studied. IN other words it shows that you are a person who know how in applying the knowledge that you've gained in real situation/work environment. Why? In these higher learning institutions (both private and public) you were tought in structural manner ie starting with fundamentals or basic then move on to intermediate level and later on the advance level. In between these levels you will be tested on your knowledge and understanding on the subject tought in order to ensure that you are qualified to progress to later stages.
If you noticed, the learning process is not only in the classroom or lecture hall/theater but outside as well like the way you dicipline yourselves such as meeting the assignment dateline, doing proper research in either library or nowadays internet, participate actively in group discussions, respecting others opinion and lots of things. So it means that an ideal graduate is the one who not only possess paper qualification but a good personality and able to apply his knowledge and learning skills in the real world without dismissing other opinions.
When these kind of graduates enter the real working environment, they'll find that the process is similar of what they've been thru during their learning years. Group discussions, meeting assignment dateline, respecting other opinions and others. They should be able to perform their task without any major problem as they have the know how and know why. But these ppl also aware that to be competitive and enhancing their values to their respective organisation or companies, the learning process will never ends. These ppl will find new way to perform their task more efficient, trying to place themselves one step ahead of their competitors and become highly valued asset of the companies instead of liability. As the years gone by these ppl will gain experience in performing their duties which will never ever can be tought in the classrooms.
Sadly, what I've seen around me, most of our graduates failed to realise that paper qualification is only an indicator. Most of my team members has a degree in Data Communications and Networking, but then when asked to draw a simple network diagram, surprisingly they've failed. They even failed to distinguish between Internet, intranet and extranet. Hey, even there's one candidate that I've interviewed even dare to answer "Firewall filter guna HOSTNAME - Firewall is filtering the packet based on HOSTNAME" This feller also struggling to answer when I ask what is the standard protocol used in networking. Thank God I didn't ask why TCP/IP work together instead of separately. And yes, he has a degree in Data Communication and Networking.
There's no way I'm telling you that I'm an expert in IT, networking, security etc. I'm just an ordinary joe like most of you who happen to involve in this field and make a habit of reading and asking a lot either to my colleagues, other ppl or even to my team members. I didn't get the benefits of formal education in IT or security, I learn it thru reading from sites (google does help me a lot), discussing with my peers either in chatroom, forums or other form of online meetings, simulations or hands on practice, try and error method (during my days, I do have to belanja those sifus in order to learn), learn from the masters/expert(in I dun give a damn abt the age as long as he/she has the knowledge. Hey I learnt how to make use of LRP by a 15 years old boy in the IRC. Like the saying " No pain, no gain"
For me degree is important as like I said before, it's an indicator that you're knowledgeable and able to apply the knowledge. You are learning from the masters, you know how to perform the task and know the reason(why). But if you learn just because the sake of that damn paper without taking into account of the knowledge, for me you are a piece of crap who deny an opportunity for a real person who really seeks the knowledge. SO please dun judge a person based on his paper qualification only, but judge him/her based on his knowledge, qualification and personality.
p/s: This is my personal view, based on my observation from my team members which most of them 80% dun even know the real role of Network Security Analyst. Never mind the knowledge or necessary skills that required. I'm disappointed, but who am I? I'm not qualified enuff as I am only an SPM holder la. :D
If you noticed, the learning process is not only in the classroom or lecture hall/theater but outside as well like the way you dicipline yourselves such as meeting the assignment dateline, doing proper research in either library or nowadays internet, participate actively in group discussions, respecting others opinion and lots of things. So it means that an ideal graduate is the one who not only possess paper qualification but a good personality and able to apply his knowledge and learning skills in the real world without dismissing other opinions.
When these kind of graduates enter the real working environment, they'll find that the process is similar of what they've been thru during their learning years. Group discussions, meeting assignment dateline, respecting other opinions and others. They should be able to perform their task without any major problem as they have the know how and know why. But these ppl also aware that to be competitive and enhancing their values to their respective organisation or companies, the learning process will never ends. These ppl will find new way to perform their task more efficient, trying to place themselves one step ahead of their competitors and become highly valued asset of the companies instead of liability. As the years gone by these ppl will gain experience in performing their duties which will never ever can be tought in the classrooms.
Sadly, what I've seen around me, most of our graduates failed to realise that paper qualification is only an indicator. Most of my team members has a degree in Data Communications and Networking, but then when asked to draw a simple network diagram, surprisingly they've failed. They even failed to distinguish between Internet, intranet and extranet. Hey, even there's one candidate that I've interviewed even dare to answer "Firewall filter guna HOSTNAME - Firewall is filtering the packet based on HOSTNAME" This feller also struggling to answer when I ask what is the standard protocol used in networking. Thank God I didn't ask why TCP/IP work together instead of separately. And yes, he has a degree in Data Communication and Networking.
There's no way I'm telling you that I'm an expert in IT, networking, security etc. I'm just an ordinary joe like most of you who happen to involve in this field and make a habit of reading and asking a lot either to my colleagues, other ppl or even to my team members. I didn't get the benefits of formal education in IT or security, I learn it thru reading from sites (google does help me a lot), discussing with my peers either in chatroom, forums or other form of online meetings, simulations or hands on practice, try and error method (during my days, I do have to belanja those sifus in order to learn), learn from the masters/expert(in I dun give a damn abt the age as long as he/she has the knowledge. Hey I learnt how to make use of LRP by a 15 years old boy in the IRC. Like the saying " No pain, no gain"
For me degree is important as like I said before, it's an indicator that you're knowledgeable and able to apply the knowledge. You are learning from the masters, you know how to perform the task and know the reason(why). But if you learn just because the sake of that damn paper without taking into account of the knowledge, for me you are a piece of crap who deny an opportunity for a real person who really seeks the knowledge. SO please dun judge a person based on his paper qualification only, but judge him/her based on his knowledge, qualification and personality.
p/s: This is my personal view, based on my observation from my team members which most of them 80% dun even know the real role of Network Security Analyst. Never mind the knowledge or necessary skills that required. I'm disappointed, but who am I? I'm not qualified enuff as I am only an SPM holder la. :D
This entry was posted by ~ayoi~
on Tuesday, July 11, 2006 at 3:44 PM.
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