::: bisonium.com :::

This past weekend Steve Jobs gave the commencement speech at Stanford University. From all accounts I have read, it wasn't the most exciting speech, but it brought home some very good points to those about to hit the real world. The full story can be read at SFGate.com.

But that isn't the reason I am writing this today. I am writing about something I found to be somewhat ironic. In his speech, Steve referenced the days when he started college and how certain things in life played out as a result of his dropping out.

"If I had never dropped out, I would have never dropped in on that calligraphy class and personal computers might not have the wonderful typography that they do," he said. "Believing that the dots will connect down the road will give you the confidence to follow your heart, even when it leads you off the well-worn path, and that will make all the difference."

Here is Steve Jobs, one of the wealthiest people on the planet, and undoubtedly one of the best and most admired CEO's in history, addressing a bunch of kids that just dropped around $100,000 on their education. A college dropout just addressed the graduating class at Stanford. Wow.

So that leads me to the point of this post. Just recently Donald Trump's "The Apprentice" pitted college grads vs. those without a degree. Ultimately a girl with a degree won the battle, but not to be outdone by those that did not have the degree.

I am all for education. I am a college grad myself. Certain professions require it. I certainly wouldn't want a doctor, for instance, that didn't have a top notch education. However, when it comes to the business world and certain trades, I just don't believe that a college education is a necessity. A more practical approach would be a technical or trade school. Then there are those people that just have a natural God-given talent without ever having to pick up a book or attend a lecture. Should those folks be penalized?

There are those who will disagree with me and insist that if you don't have a degree (from a name-brand school at that), you must not be worthy. Heck, they even base hiring decisions on such nonsense. Imagine THAT! But the fact remains that there are those who are book smart, but are completely clueless in the real world. Then there are those that are DOERS. They are self-starters, independent thinkers, aggressive and determined. They are the TRUE Entrepeneurs. I'll take one of those guys in my organization ANY day over the so called "educated" candidate who really has nothing more than good study habits and no practical real-world experience to back it.

Lets face it people, school has become a BUSINESS. It is no longer about education. It is all about the money and how much money the sports teams and alumni can raise. Curriculums are filled with useless classes that are supposed to "round you out", but do nothing more than waste precious time and fill up an already busy schedule. If you are a career student, great. Knock yourself out. But I would rather spend my class time on classes that will directly affect my chosen profession.

So back to the point of this. I found some interesting facts on the net that I am betting many of you aren't aware of. For those of you that insist a college education is a must, I propose a question to you. Where are you in your career today? Take a good hard look at yourself, and evaluate your status in life. If you can tell me that you are more successful that any of the following people, then I want you in my rolodex. Lets take a look:

Steve Jobs
Steve Wozniak
Bill Gates
Larry Ellison
Michael Dell
Wayne Huizenga

These are just a few names that you might recognize. What the hell is the point you ask? Every one of them (and a whole bunch more) are college dropouts.

So again. I ask you. Where are you in your career today? Do you think it is fair to pre-judge a candidate in an interview based on whether they have a degree or not? If that was the case, just look at what we may have missed out on. Many of us wouldn't even have a career in our chosen professions. It's kind of hard to make a case against someone without a degree when you look at some of these people I listed above.

So for those of you in management with hiring authority, I ask you to open your minds before you open your mouths. You just may not be as smart as you think YOU are. The candidate you pass on today, just might be the guy who puts you out of business tomorrow.