College vs. Work Experience: Which is More Valuable?

Bob Weinstein is a journalist who covers technology, project management, the workplace and career development.

  Career Development  

Six years ago, I tried to answer this question in one of my stories. I copped out with a safe answer: College and work experience are equally important. Now it's time to dig in and try to answer this question in a more meaningful way.

There have been many changes that have altered my perspective. The economy has soared and tumbled, and the job market, especially the tech sector, has become even more competitive. The following story takes a thoughtful look at the relationship of experience and education in terms of its dollars and cents value in the career marketplace. As you'll find out, there are no simplistic answers.

Hardly four years ago, I watched potentially thoroughbred dot-coms bolt out of the starting gate christened with billions of dollars of VC money, and saw herds of well-heeled investors willing to part with mega-dollars on nothing more substantial than threadbare rumors or unsubstantiated advice.

Most of the high-potential dot-coms touted as the next Intel or Oracle of the Internet died within 12 months of launch. They went broke because of reckless and senseless spending by inexperienced and naive managers. I can hardly remember the names of many of the headline-grabbing companies.

All the dumb mistakes made during the historic dot-com boom years, when billions of dollars were won, squandered and lost within …

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