Would you be ashamed to tell people you have a degree if you are 45 or older and have an ordinary job?

I suppose quite a lot of this hinges on how you see university. If you purely see it as ‘get a degree as an investment so you can command a higher salary in a field that requires a degree’, then I guess being in a regular job that doesn’t require a degree would maybe feel like a failure to some extent. But only if you look at it through that lens.

I’m late 40s and in the era of a free university education, being educated to degree level was seen as a desirable goal in and of itself. Stretching your brain and studying a subject intensely used to be perceived as a generally Good Thing. And if that’s someone goal, then nothing that happens subsequently detracts from that.

Be proud of your learning, OP! Not everyone has the same priorities and what matters most is what YOU think of yourself. Remember people often make negative comments when they feel threatened and are trying to make themselves feel more secure.

Looking back, I wish I did criminology as a degree.

I had the mickey taken out of me (good naturedly) by a colleague for having 2 degrees (I changed between 2 careers both of which required a degree for professional registration). I declined to mention the other 2 masters degrees that I have.. 4 (3 masters and a bachelors) just seemed greedy.
If it comes up in conversation I'm happy to say where I studied but generally, other than being essential for registration, they're not a big deal.

I think you need to work on your self-esteem, OP.
You shouldn't feel embarrassed about this, after a thoughtless throwaway comment.

I am early 50s. I have 2.1 degree.

I have had jobs in insurance admin and civil service. I entered the civil service as an admin grade and worked up.

I am not ashamed to say I have a degree. I work with others at similar grades some of which also have degrees, many of which that don't. I couldn't tell you who did and who didn't.

In the past one of my more senior colleagues was surprised to find out that some of the team of admin staff had degrees. I openly said that I was one of them. I know at least one other in the team of about 6 also had a degree.

Has the degree helped me career wise - probably not. Do I regret doing the degree and the career path I have taken - no. I didn't like the insurance role, but that was due to who I worked with rather than the job itself - I moved on after 2 years, because the job wasn't for me. I enjoy my current role - I could apply to be a higher grade, and get more money, but have chosen not to do so.

Would I do the same if I was now 18 - probably not. I did a degree in business admin - if I was to repeat things I would probably choose a more creative subject.

With the current cost of degrees I wouldn't push a child into studying for one, just because it is the next thing to do. If they want a job that requies a degree then yes, that is the way forward. If not then I would look at apprenticeships, getting a job that xan provide training etc.

I had to take on a cleaning job the last time I was made redundant while waiting for something in my field. With my full CV, I wasn’t getting any responses, so I removed my MA and second BA and my 12 years of experience in my industry. Once I applied with just my first degree and a few years of cleaning experience, things started to move - I seemed to hit the sweet spot.

So to answer your question, I probably wouldn’t mention all of my degrees.

I hit a masters degree then went back to the exact same job I had before. I thought it was a waste of time but it never came up so…

No, I’m not ashamed. I don’t have to justify myself to anyone. It’s nearly 30 years since I graduated, many things happened during that time that led to where I am. But it doesn’t matter, although a pay rise would be nice I’m content.
It rarely comes up and I wouldn’t put up with anyone being funny about it, other’s opinions are irrelevant to me.

Have mentioned going to uni with the colleagues with academy. May have brought it up with my team - I am the only one in my academy cohort in my team. TL knows about it.

Some colleagues get swapped every 9 months to another team that do another admin work.

I'm in the civil service, I got my degree 30 years ago. Most of my current colleagues are all much younger and have degrees.

There's a lot more agency staff who are university educated and are marking time while trying to get a foot in the door or a better job elsewhere.

I work in a NE office of the civil service. Most of my team have degrees - I think it's only the two (now 20 and 25) who joined when they finished school who don't (and possibly the woman my age who moved teams a few months ago).

We're on what is now effectively the lowest grade since everything went digital and they got rid of all the paper-pushers (not denigrating, I spent 16 months being a paper-pusher because they'd promoted them all prematurely).

Quite a few of us are neurodivergent in one way or another. Nobody thinks it odd if you can't get a normal job 😂

(although the HEO did say "you're wasted in this job merry" - I think I'd come up with some obscure fact or explained the difference between two similar words)

I wouldn't be embarrassed but nor would I bring it up. I would reply if directly asked of course.

The student loans and fees started 1999. I went to uni in 2000.

The job market is rubbish.

It took me 10 months to get a job but had to wait another 11 weeks from accepting job offer to starting job due to the dozens of checks the civil service do when they get new recruits.

Plus companies that use AI to sift out candidates - AI doesn't understand transferrable skills. If CVs were scanned by human eye, I would have got a job much quicker.

No-a lot of over 45s (the last ones to get it free, and a grant perhaps?) have a degree, and arguably degrees were more respected then (because fewer people went to uni, especially people from poorer backgrounds).
What we should be ashamed of is the fact we more or less force all kids to uni these days, there are few jobs when they graduate, and companies insist on degrees when they really aren't needed.

Most people I know have a degree - nhs band 5 and above generally requires one (not always) and we’re encouraged to do further qualifications so when I got distinction in a post grad diploma I was proud of myself and shouted from the rooftops - celebrated rather than bragged.

I have a degree and, after being made redundant from a job that I thought would take me through to retirement, now work in a supermarket.

Where loads of my colleagues also have degrees!

I have a degree and 2 masters. I was a teacher for a considerable period of time and then for various reasons I had to leave the profession during Covid. I’m now a cleaner. Funnily enough one of my cleaning colleagues is also an ex teacher. People I clean for and my colleagues know my background. I’m not embarrassed and I adore cleaning. It’s a world away from teaching. Life throws you curve balls and you deal with them the best you can.

I work as a receptionist in a medical centre but I am a teacher. I stopped teaching during Covid to take care of a relative and never went back. My colleagues know but it makes no difference. Why should it?

I’m 57 with a degree in politics from a poly. I am a support worker. Have never used my degree tbh although it has helped me get jobs I think.

I never saw it as a means to a high flying job. I saw it as 3 years of having a fantastic time before the days of student loans and tuition fees. I always look back on those days very fondly.

The end of polytechnics is a crying shame.

OP, a degree is something to be proud of. I wasn’t able to go to university when I left school and I was so, so desperate about that for many years. Family did not permit it.
A degree ideally should be about education not about putting you through the sausage machine in order to get employment. It widened your horizons and gave you so much more than job specific knowledge. That’s what I wish for everybody who would like it.

No. In my experience people who have a degree in a low paying job can’t wait to tell others that this is a stop gap, a desperate measure and they wouldn’t usually be seen doing a low paying job.

Nobody really cares anyway. Hopefully something better comes along, but you’re not a unique case.

I don't have a degree, been working since I was 19 in a specific field and got promoted numerous times, always considered a top performer and well compensated.
Having a degree in my line of work is pretty irrelevant. Being smart, a logical thinker, and showing initiative and working hard is what counts.
Am currently working for a small company with limited resources and not much room for growth.
There is a young girl at my office who I am informally mentoring, as she has all of the above traits and I'd love for her to be succesfull. She's working FT and getting a degree in an unrelated technical field at the same time.

I do hope she manages to find a job in her field where she can put her hard won degree to good use and make it the foundation of a good careeer.

But if she does not, she'll still be one of our best performers and I would not think any less of her.

I'm in my 50s. I did tell colleagues on Friday, because one of them was talking about degrees from former polytechnics and I said one of my degrees is from a former polytechnic. Most of my colleagues don't have a degree, and if any of them question it, they'll probably start me off on a tirade about barriers to women in tech.

Although what actually happened was we had to explain what a poly was to one of the young ones, and that did make me sad...

I’m one of those people in a niche field and so everyone I work with, apart from some office staff and admin or other support staff, we all have postgrad levels of education. In fact most of us have the same degree and did our post grad degree at the same university. I said it was niche. Even if I gave up my job tomorrow I’m proud of my degrees ans proud of what I’ve achieved.