A Sample of my Career

 In 1966, I entered college and in 1974, I graduated after taking a year off and then spending two years in the military.  I graduated with an English degree but it wasn't about writing or grammar or about diagramming sentences...  it was about analyzing literature:  novels, short stories, plays, poetry, and famous speeches.

My professors assumed that I learned all my grammar and writing stuff in high school...  which I did not.  My first job after graduating was Director of Product Efficacy for a microbiological media manufacturer...  because part of that job was writing package inserts that were submitted for FDA approval and my English degree was what they were looking for.

A few years later, I accepted a position as Executive Director of the Alamance County Arts Council and in 1979 decided I had no business skills so I enrolled in an MBA program to acquire those skills.

My MBA opened the door to many other jobs and places of employments that could have been done by a high school graduate or someone with an undergraduate degree.  So, much of the knowledge retained from graduate school was never used.

During my 45-year career, I was asked to supply both my college and grad school transcripts for the files, but I was never hired based upon my grades or my GPA.  This was true even when I was directed employed by universities to teach college classes.

In addition to not hiring me based upon my transcript, the people that recommended me being offered the job, never once visited my classroom so see what kind of teacher I was.

When I was Dean of two colleges, I spent a least 50 minutes in the classroom observing the teachers I hired to make sure I got my money's worth and had made the right hiring decisions.  I did this for every instructor twice a year.  There was nothing in my job description that stated I was required to do this.

I am constantly amazed by students who tell me that they need a high GPA in order to hired because they do not.  They only need a high GPA if they are going to grad school immediately after receiving their undergraduate degree.  They can also avoid the GPA issue by going to work for a few years and then applying to grad school.

This same logic hold true after high school.  Many schools have high entrance requirements for first year students...  but, if you go to a Community College your first two years, then you are transferring as a third year student and there are virtually NO ENTRANCE REQUIREMENTS...  plus a community college is cheaper so it is a great way to save money.

Sadly, it takes a career to learn all this stuff and by then it is too late...  which is why I am sharing it now.