Cannot progress without a degree... 😡

[Hmmmmminteresting]

I'm early 30s. I chose not to go to uni and to instead do 2 years at a business college (qualifications do not equal a degree, they were less). I then was promoted to an office manager at the age of 22 to 25, managing 17 people. Since moved on to a job I love and have been there 7 years. In this company you cannot progress without a degree. They are 100% adamant, 2:1 or more is minimum. They dont take any of your history into account. So many people getting promoted above me with no managerial experience but have a degree in random subjects not relevant. A few have since left as they just weren't suitable for that role.
I know I could do it and I have been told by so many others that it's frustrating I'm not qualified enough as I would be first choice.
AIBU to think this is a pretty old fashioned way of thinking?
I dont want to leave the company, I just wish they would change their rules.

.... I give up auto spell 😂

It is what it is.
You've known this for 7 years and haven't done anything about it? If it was that important, you've had a lot of time to get, or work towards, getting that degree. Sure, you might not want to because it's an 'old fashioned' way of thinking or simply because you don't agree with their requirements or just don't want to study but you know the score, have always known the score and probably also realise you'd be way ahead by now had you just gotten the damn degree.

Even if everyone agreed with you, how exactly does that help you?

You can do an OU degree without the residentials

Frankly if they wanted you for the role, they’d waive the degree requirement. The fact that they haven’t done so after 7 years of service speaks volumes.

You've 2 options, move to another company without a degree barrier or get a degree. OU is brilliant.

I also hate it when I don't have a qualification I need to progress.

But does it occur to you that - just maybe? - a degree is more than a bit of paper? If might actually teach you stuff?

I do get that degrees aren't always all that, but it's really arrogant to presume you are so special you don't need one.

That seems a bit shit. DH earns over £230K. He doesn’t have a degree, just 25 years of experience in his field.

Can you convert your qualification to a degree by doing some extra credits part-time?

I can understand their policy completely.

Did you not pursue any further education once you started? That might be your way forward

Sorry YABU. Get a degree or find a company that will take you on without one. Why should
You be an exception to the companies rules? Did you know this for all the years and still not consider doing something alongside your job in order to better you chances?

So leave and go work for a company that value people and their experience not a piece of paper with degree written on it.

For what it’s worth I think that your employers are cutting their nose off to spite their face with such a rigid and discriminatory employment policy.
I take the point that others have made that having a degree can change your way of looking at things, but I’m not sure that it should be the be all and end all for employers. Experience surely has to count for something - just because someone doesn’t have the ‘right ‘academic qualification doesn’t mean that they are incapable of analysing a situation, making decisions, managing their time and a budget and thinking critically, Isn’t that what we as parents do most days?

I have a degree ( from a red.brick university in an academic subject, if this matters) but I’m not entirely convinced that being able to read around a subject, churn out essays referencing the wise words of others and discussing them makes me better than someone who hasn’t been to university in an unrelated work situation.
I assume that as your employer has such a firm employment rule it also has a rigid interview process where all candidates are asked the same set of questions and marked on the answers they give. If this is the case I think they are being particularly hard on you and that your experience
and knowledge of the workplace should be enough to enable you to apply for the position along with those who have had a university education.

to Hmmmmminteresting

I have 2 different degrees (BA and BSc) but no job since being made redundant - never mind aye, i've been manager etc but now think because i'm over 50 they prefer someone younger (and someone not disabled) especially when it comes to training accountancy etc. But they obviously wont admit that, they can see from my applications the age I must be, for me to have "o" levels and "A" levels.

That said, you're very lucky, you have a job, sounds like you enjoy it, which is brill, well worth your doing a little research to see if a degree is possible.
You can transfer credits when studying a degree with the OU, I didn't do this because I studied Mathematics for fun and wanted to do all the courses but it is worth phoning them up to see if any of your qualifications (eg a diploma can be) could be transferred in credits making the degree cheaper and quicker to do. There is a maximum you're allowed to transfer. If you are able to transfer the equivalent to the first year of a degree you could complete it in 2 years. I know people who have done this. I studied with the OU while working full time and having major surgery so it is possible.
Good luck

Sounds like a silly rule which causes inefficiencies. Likelihood of person gaining specific useful management skills while doing ANY degree is small. Degree is financially risky and takes employee focus away from work when there are academic deadlines. If you were a manager - would you rather your staff were well rested after the weekend or stressed because they stayed up to do an irrelevant essay?

If they want time management skills, then taking a professional course with other specific benefits (eg industry specific knowledge, HR, accounting) would be more sensible.

Get another job

There are some nasty & uncalled for posts on this thread - her 10+ years of experience in the company is far more relevant than some pissy degree in something unrelated & no experience.

Saying you have a degree means jack shit, every man & his dog has one these days - it’s hardly making you a ‘cut above’ 🙄

...and yes I do have a degree before I get accused of being defensive because I don’t

every man & his dog has one these days - it’s hardly making you a ‘cut above’ 🙄

Then it won't be difficult for OP to do a degree then will it?

Saying you have a degree means jack shit, every man & his dog has one these days

That's not true though, is it? The OP doesn't have one.

The press telling everyone that everyone has a degree isn't the same as everyone actually having one. Degrees remain important, especially in the light of this ludicrous idea that 'everyone has one'. They don't, but the daft insistence that they do allows employers to minimise their value and lead to situations like the OP's, which, for what it's worth, seems unreasonable.

maybe I am being naive but you may find it helpful to think of it this way:

this policy of only promoting those with a degree is either right or wrong.

if it is right - then you need to either accept starting in a junior role for ever or you need to take the time to acquire a degree. you could probably achieve this with 2 years of study as a university will probably give you credit for your existing diploma.

or the policy is wrong, in which case the organisation is doomed to failure as it isn't employing the best person for each job, being blinded by over emphasis on qualifications. if this is the case you don't want to hitch your career to such shortsightedness and should be looking for a job elsewhere.

right or wrong, in neither circumstance is wanting to stay and be promoted as an exception to the policy a desirable outcome.

Have you ever actually applied for the role and had some official management feedback, rather than an assumption ?

All large companies usually encourage career progression, can you move sideways instead ?

Does your company offer any internal /external courses & qualifications ?

I've worked for several companies, where there are. ' old boys/girls networks' where only certain people are promoted. How good are you at networking within the company ?

However, I agree if you are unhappy, look for a job with another company

Sometimes it's who you know, not what you know

You will probably come up against the same hurdle over and over again. A degree is a basic educational qualification these days. There are other routes to obtaining one for example an apprenticeship.

Its very frustrating for you but you should have checked on this sort of thing before you took the job. You can't make them change policy just for you. You'll need to look for a new job.

The business world is full of highly qualified people with little experience being promoted over more experienced people with fewer qualifications. It always has been. That's why people get degrees. At least it used to be. The assumption was that you were brighter and more driven to start with.

I think it's nonsense too.
we've all met the highly qualified dolt who cannot take down, let alone deal with, a simple telephone message, lacking common sense, initiative, basic communication skills, being able to relate to older/ different people.
maybe you've got into a bit of a rut.
start looking around. put out feelers. think outside the box. enquire into completely different settings. your skills and experience are transferable. find what's best for you. good luck.

Well, aren’t you special? You’re just so good, the company should change their rules just for you?

Farbeit for anyone to question or to seek to change arbitrary rules. Aren't you the good little conformist doormat?