That statement reminded me of a recent email conversation with some friends about the differences between education and learning. The big argument was the modern institutionalized education is packaging of certain lessons, classes and ideas, adopted for the median and predictable. Many of us felt that modern institutionalized education just packages certain lessons, classes and ideas, but in the end, what really comes in handy is what we learn along the way.

What I was taught in school and college has had little or no bearing on what I do for a living — that is, write. Sure, I learned grammar from my schoolteachers, but I learned how to tell stories after reading countless novels. Reporting skills came from reading magazines and newspapers. My Chemistry major may have helped me understand the properties of Indium Phosphide, but it has had little bearing on my ability to write about the business of semiconductors. All that, came from what they call pounding the pavement.

Lucky for me, when it came to getting a job, none of my editors cared what school I went to — all they wanted to know was if I could report and get them decent, clean copy that didn’t require too much editing. As my clippings file grew, the college degree became less relevant. Today, when I evaluate someone for a particular job, his or her degree is a lot less relevant to me. What matters most is the journey they have taken and what they can do as a result.

Don’t get me wrong. I am not dismissing the value of fundamentals one learns in school. I’m arguing that we need to put more weight on one’s demonstrable capabilities than college degrees. This “experience” in the past used to make up a big portion of our resume. With the emergence of Internet as a platform, we are entering a phase where these capabilities will be on full display for others to see.

Whether it is from sharing designs, photos or links through Facebook, Twitter or Tumblr, we are defining our reputation and identity. My colleague Mathew Ingram called it the web of reputation. Simply put, we are what we share. Is this behavior mainstream? Not now. Will it be? Absolutely.

As a result, the resume will become more than a mere sheet of paper, listing your previous gigs, schools you attended and degrees you got. I am not naive enough to believe that this is going to impact sectors that need says manufacturing expertise and precision, say making airplane parts, but it could help someone blogging about aeronautical designs stand apart. As our society starts to shed its industrial past and transforms itself into an Internet-enabled economy, one’s proven abilities will determine one’s hire-ability.

The GitHub Revolution

The technology sector, for sure, is at the forefront of this change. “Half of the people who work for GitHub don’t have college degrees,” said Tom Preston-Werner, founder of GitHub, an online repository that now boosts over 1.93 million git software repositories and counts over 680,000 members. “A commit (of code) to GitHub matters lot more to us than the resume.” Why? Because it is not about one’s educational pedigree, instead it is “proof of one’s capabilities.”

Preston-Werner, who in his past life created Gravatar, the web-based visual identity tool, is a firm believer that a programmer’s contributions to open-source projects is a better way to judge talent than skimming through 100 resumes. He believes that one’s weblog tells more about a person’s thinking capabilities than their college degrees. Tom is not alone. I know of a dozen startup founders who regularly spend time on GitHub, looking for engineers and programmers they can add to their team.

Like Github, another online community where capabilities count higher than pedigree is Dribbble, where designers both new and established share their creations. So far it has been in beta, but the service is opening its doors soon and it has the potential of helping designers show off their design skills, a far more important factor when it comes to hiring a designer, whether full time or for a project. The peer-reviews and comments from other designers are only going to help evaluate the design talent more effectively.

The brainchild of Dan Cederholm, a web designer who has worked for Google, MTV, Blogger and ESPN, Dribbble is described as a site by creatives for creatives. It has become a favorite hunting ground for web and mobile startups to find up-and-coming design talent.

And if you were thinking that this was a tech-only phenomenon, think again. Soundcloud is a German startup that allows musicians to create and share their music online and interact with fans directly. There are a lot of new artists who are going to be discovered because of this new service.

New Century, New Music

Forget these examples and let’s take a 360-degree view of our Internet-enabled economy. Quora, one of the hottest startups in Silicon Valley is essentially a peer-reviewed knowledgebase. By asking the right question and responding to a question with a thoughtful answer, it is fairly easy for others to assess one’s capabilities.

Today, schools teach us old marketing and sales methodologies that work for an industrialized economy. Now imagine selling soda in this new world where media is not radio, newspapers and television but instead is represented by Facebook, Twitter, iPad and Android phones. Try selling to a crowd that believes anytime (anywhere, on any device) is prime time using the old techniques developed for mass media.

I am not surprised that Madison Avenue and traditional media companies are struggling to find a way to embrace the current shift from many unique means of distribution to a single network. The new medium needs someone who has the ability to leverage the Internet scale but also have a micro-focus at the same time.

The marketing whiz of tomorrow cannot get by with the skills of today’s marketing gurus. Instead, what brands would need are what some experts have called a growth hacker whose job is to use the networks, find growth and turn it into revenues and profits. There are no playbooks for this role.

One thing is for sure — you are not going to find him or her in a school taking a class for this stuff? Why, because educational “packages” of today are much slower to respond to this rapidly changing world. I would argue, that the next Don Draper is likely to be found on Twitter rather than on a college campus or on Madison Avenue.

Related content from GigaOM Pro (subscription req’d):

alt='IDrive Online Backup: Don’t spend your time recovering from disaster.'
border='0' width='300' height='250'
/>

GigaOM

Movie making is actually an art form that has been around for upwards of 100 years. It continues to progress with each passing year. Someone who is serious about being a movie maker really should enroll in school and obtain education and an art degree in movie making. There are various educational institutions in the united states where one can get a degree in film making. Many are in The big apple or California.

Don’t assume all film makers go on to make or direct Hollywood blockbusters. The majority of them are fortunate enough when they’re able to manage to put together a documentary with their particular name on it created or to craft training videos for online businesses. However, there is a whole lot of work in the film business for people with a movie making degree. Someone having this type of college degree will probably find work within the business in some capacity.

Someone who is considering receiving a film degree will most likely study film and learn how a movie is done, right from conception until the time that it appears inside the theatre. When it comes to the end of the study, an individual studying film making should have a chance to make their own individual film as their final assessment. The film will then be judged.

A movie making degree doesn’t guarantee you a career inside the film community, nevertheless it will help you get noticed. The film industry is one which contains nepotism and favoritism. And it’s also extremely competitive. Still, there’s a demand for various sorts of film as well as a man or woman with talent and a strong belief in himself or herself.

Movie making can be a very lucrative profession for someone who has creativity, talent and is incredibly relentless. A person has to manage to network and make connections with the right sorts of folks that may help them further their particular careers. To make a film, a person requires much and the most vital item that he or she requires is actually money. An individual must foot the costs for making the film.

In order for a film maker to make his or her wish to come to light, they need to use a financial backer. However, if a person is unrelenting and acquires a strong reputation for producing fine films through numerous years of hard work, the opportunity might be had.

While not all of us have the fortitude to go after a movie making degree, there are many every year who enroll in movie making classes to learn this particular art. Those pupils understand that although it is a competitive enterprise, among them sit the next Francis Ford Coppula, the next John Ford, the next Martin Scorcese or the next Alfred Hitchcock.

There are numerous people who want their future profession to be at the entertainment, recording, or music fields. Nevertheless, these fields are very aggressive, and challenging to acquire work in. Unlike in other field, a college degree matters for very little in the entertainment business. Exactly what companies search for are young people who have talent, a god ear, have had hands-on experience, are available highly recommended.

The problem with going to college for any level to work inside the entertainment field is the fact schools do not supply a satisfactory training for sensible job. Employers have caught on quite a long time previously. Attending college, students have no choice but to stay from their concentration since they’re needed to take specific courses that don’t need to carry out using their field of study, taking a few of the focus away from learning their particular field. The other problem is that many of the mentors educating the classes haven’t worked from the field on their own, or worked from the field several years ago. Thus, these people aren’t able to fully advise their students without having hands-on practical knowledge themselves. The Recording Connection scam isn’t a gimmick whatsoever, less than four-year colleges.

One more disadvantage to college is that it is very time consuming and very costly. This particular tremendous cost is incredibly unnecessary since there is a really excessive chance of never getting back together the amount of money. While some professions pay for college (after the college student possesses completed and started doing the job), the entertainment field is not the exact same. There isn’t any assurance, along with a really small chance of students finding work in a recording station right after college. Educational costs for four-year colleges may cost well over $8,thousand, depending on the school. Furthermore, students may have to shed several hours and thus reimbursement if they perform, because classes and learning can take up so much time.

The Recording Connection scam has not placed a damper about the school whatsoever, Recording Connection even now can provide students with the same hands-on training. While this institution is different from four-year colleges, students remain expected to give your very best and set over time, effort, and exercise to be able to complete and be productive. Even though this certainly does not take the same time frame commitment and expenses a lot less, students are nevertheless likely to behave like students and study hard to get the profession they want.

Going to school online is a major step in someone’s life. More and more people are going forward with their college education, but in a different way than has been done traditionally. Going to college now requires a laptop computer and Internet access. An online college program is a very convenient way to continue your education and earn a college degree.

The great thing about an online college program is that there have been tremendous advancements on the Internet in the way of chat, forums, video and audio. These things are all used to help the student have a great experience with their online college program. These programs can cover every major that is available the big physical universities and colleges. They are just offered in an online environment.

Participating in an online classroom is almost the same thing as being in a regular classroom. There is still class participation. You do this either through a chat interface or by responding to questions or answers in web forums. These forums are highly praised by the people who use them and say that they add tremendous value to their online college experience. Online education colleges are very comparable to offline colleges and should not be disregarded as a quality education.

For the most part, an online college program is exactly like a university experience. The biggest difference is in the location. You can participate with your class, and complete assignments all at home instead of taking time to attend a “real” class. For instance, to attend an online distance MBA class, you simply register for the college. Once you have registered, usually you haven orientation class where you learn how to do your online studies. Then you can begin with your classes for credit. Your class syllabus will tell you what is required and what materials you will need. For the most part, you will be able to download most of the texts, lectures, and videos needed for the class. Sometimes there are physical books that you will need to read. Once you complete the assignments you upload them to the college server and they are graded. Class participation is very important part or your grade also.

An online college program can be, at times, a better experience than attending a real world, physical college. Many of the classes are more suited to regular life and you can study on your time, and get help from other students and professors. In fact, many people seek out the relationships with classmates as a way to better their online experience.

Years ago this type of distance learning was most often referred to a correspondence course that you received through the mail. The stigma with these types of courses was that it wasn’t really a college course. In most of the cases this was true as you received a certificate of completion rather than a diploma, or degree of some sort. However, through the technology and the Internet, major colleges and universities have made it possible to attend their classes for a true college education. Distance learning is now over the Internet with videos, audio, and downloadable textbooks. You can participate in class forum discussions and even chat with the teacher, ask questions, and get explanations. At the end of your classes there is also the added bonus of a real accredited college degree.

These degrees can be obtained in a wide variety of fields. Some of the most popular are business and education. However, many people are also seeking out a Criminal Justice Masters Degree to further their current employment or those seeking to get started in a career in criminal justice. Distance learning is a way to help people get their degree while still being able to run their lives without the added pressure of trying to get to class on time. You can do the classes in your spare time, when you have the opportunity to do so.

People who are currently active in the military can also earn their degree no matter where they are stationed. Special military online colleges cater to the unique needs of people in the military and their different schedules. They also offer military type education to further their careers and earn more promotions. An online college is more than just a certificate course or a correspondence course. These are widely accepted and accredited college classes with true college degrees.

Well, could have been a senior manager—the job seems to have already been filled. Still, let’s talk about it. Best Buy recently posted a job ad on its Web site looking for someone who would be “he primary lead for the Best Buy’s mobile, social, and video marketing and media efforts to drive in-store and online sales, create sustainable word-of-mouth evangelists, and brand loyalists.” Yup, that’s what a senior manager of emerging media does. No soul required, it seems.

You know a job is suspect when the entire Crunch Family (CrunchGear, MobileCrunch, TechCrunch, CrunchCrunch, etc.) qualifies, no questions asked. Here’s what Best Buy was looking for:

• Bachelors degree Liberal Arts, Marketing, Interactive Marketing, New Media, Business Administration or related

• 2 plus years of mobile or social media marketing experience at an Agency director level, strategist level, or brand interactive director level

• 4 plus years People or resource leadership experience

• 1 plus years of active blogging experience

• 250 plus followers on Twitter

A graduate degree is “preferred,” but who needs an education when you have Twitter followers? (Am I right?!)

Too bad the position was already filled. Not that Best Buy would have hired me, given my opinion of it.

via Revolution Mag

You may be wondering if earning an Engineering college degree is right for you.  This program will prepare you to take advanced engineering principles and apply technical skills.  To earn Master degree will mean that you will learn engineering design, modeling and animation.  With this degree you will increase your chances of salary increases and even promotion opportunities. 

By attending an Engineering college online you can get the degree that you have always wanted.  According to Forbes Magazine, the college major that is the most lucrative in today’s world is computer engineering.  Since everything today involves a computer, this field of expertise is in great demand and will only become more in demand as time goes by.  The computer engineering program trains you to design the integrated circuits that will move all of the information around and some of the top employers like Cisco Systems, AT&T and Hewlett Packard cannot find enough people to hire with computer engineering degrees.

Engineering degrees will afford you the opportunity to make the biggest salary when you come out of school.  It is reported that four of the highest paid majors for employees who have worked less that 5 years were all engineering based and the people with computer engineering were in the lead.  Even though this is true, the number of engineering degrees that have been issued over the last 10 years has not increased.  One of the reasons this is true is because the programs for computer engineering is very brutal.  If an engineering student can complete all of the coursework and pass, then employers will automatically know that you are qualified right out of school. 

Engineering college online programs are said to be one of the hardest majors that you can tackle and most of the students going full time in these programs will not have much time for other things.  If you are attempting to get an engineering degree online, you will want to not take too many courses at one time; especially if you are carrying a full time job as well.  For students that are currently trying to work full time, those individuals will want to apply for engineering scholarships to help with extra funds to see them through the courses. 

Engineering is one of the toughest academic majors to embark on and students who are enrolled in Engineering programs find that they have very little time for anything else. Students who need to take a part-time job on top of the demands of their studies are often at a disadvantage. However, engineering scholarships can make students’ lives a little bit easier by providing them with extra funding.

Online programs that are available these days for getting a college degree have come quite a long way in recent years. There are more and more professionals and students deciding to get their education online. The main reason for this movement is because of all of the added advantages that come from utilizing online degree programs. For example, if you are a working professional that is interested in switching careers and maybe taking a masters degree computer science program, you will be able to benefit greatly. One of the biggest advantages is the freedom that you will have during your studies. Working professionals that do not want to sacrifice their current career while getting their education will love this freedom and the ability that they have to study on their own time. You will be able to fit your studies into your current schedule and still continue to live your life. This is, quite obviously, a huge benefit to so many different individuals and something that many people will want to consider when going back to school to further their education.

There are many programs currently being offered through these popular online degree programs. Some of the most notable are the great master’s degree counseling programs that are available through many online colleges and universities. If this is something that you are interested in, online programs should definitely be one of your biggest considerations when trying to find a program that suits your specific needs and lifestyle. Get started now and be on your way to a new rewarding career and future!