SINGAPORE: A Singaporean took to Reddit to ask whether university degrees hold any real weight beyond the first few years of employment.
In a Reddit post published earlier this week, the individual wrote, “Is it true that a degree is only useful to open doors for the first couple of jobs and then people don’t care about the university brand name or your GPA (grade point average) anymore and only work experience matters? For some fields like tech, science, engineering, etc., what you learn can become obsolete after a few years.”
The post has since prompted other locals to weigh in with their own experiences, with some agreeing that in industries driven by rapid innovation and skill-based performance, work experience and portfolios often outweigh paper qualifications.
One individual shared that once a person reaches the three- to five-year mark in their career, employers typically focus more on the relevance and depth of their work experience rather than their degree, adding, “Also, connection matters more and more as your career progresses; building a good, high-quality network means a higher probability of securing better career opportunities.”
Others echoed similar sentiments, with one hiring manager saying that degrees don’t matter much to them anymore, especially beyond entry-level roles. They pointed out that what really counts is whether a candidate can do the job.
Another respondent who had hired over 10 people throughout their career said they had “never once looked at a degree” when making hiring decisions, reinforcing the idea that actual ability often trumps academic background.
However, not everyone agreed. Some felt that degrees still play an important role. One individual shared, “I’ve worked for more than 10 years, and when I began my job hunt subsequently, I had an HR person who kept asking why I didn’t have a degree and if I wanted to get a degree and how a degree is important even though I had relevant experience (HR) for a few years. A few interviewers asked me about it too. Maybe depending on sector…?”
Another said, “It depends on the industry and role. For engineering and science (other than tech), the basics tend to stay relevant for a long time, and then all future knowledge is there to build on top of these basics. So without the basics, one can just learn superficially—might hinder long-term career growth.”
A third remarked, “This is not true if you want to get promoted to leadership. The degree matters less when it comes to finding a job but will start mattering a lot when promotions are in consideration.”
In Singapore, where education is highly valued and the competition for jobs can be fierce, holding a degree remains a significant advantage across many industries. According to a study by the National University of Singapore, degree holders earn, on average, 62% more per month than those with a diploma or A-level qualifications. This shows that a degree not only boosts your earning potential but also provides greater financial stability and unlocks more career opportunities in the future.
Featured image by Depositphotos (for illustration purposes only)