WHICH IS MORE SIGNIFICANT: EDUCATION OR EXPERIENCE

Would you prefer to recruit a candidate with 20 years of experience but only a high school leaver over a candidate with a good degree from a reputable university but no industry experience? While experience is crucial, solid formal education training is also important in building good leaders. So, which really do you think is most vital?

Most of us (or even our children nowadays) are faced with the decision of whether to continue our studies after graduation or to seek for a job and gain field experience instead. Students are often put off by the growing emphasis on entrepreneurship and practical real-world experience. If we go back in time, we can see that humans learnt a variety of concepts and processes without the benefit of formal schooling. Without any academic training, they constructed buildings, healed sickness, conducted commerce and business, and so on. However, as curiosity, exploration, discoveries, and innovations have increased, the world have discovered the necessity to organize and conserve information through educations. With the advancement and expansion of knowledge, we now have a limitless volume of data to process and share with the rest of the world. Education system has a significant advantage, including providing learners with the essential information and abilities to pursue a successful career in a specific profession. It has always been regarded as an essential human right since it provides every individual with the foundation knowledge of basic disciplines of study and then allows them to master a specific area of study that they choose to pursue as a professional route. These days, a typical teaching process facilitates even more than simply studying topics. Learners develop a wide range of various capabilities while pursuing college qualifications, from interpersonal communication to social skills. on top of these, Individuals participate in projects that develop their critical thinking abilities and are educated by professionals and experts in a certain discipline. Formal education generally gives a degree as proof of education in a field, saving time and reducing the threat of inadequately trained individuals being hired. Education doesn’t exactly spoon-feed learners, but it does make it easier for them to get the information they need to advance in their chosen field.

On the other hand, the principle of industrial experience is still valued across most of industries. Experimentation and experience have produced plenty of great leaders and employees. An individual with remarkable skill and motivation, as well as tremendous work, is required for a career to thrive solely on this basis. Because experienced occupations need to develop a foundation from the ground up, employees on this path have a greater sense of ownership and accountability for their actions, making them outstanding leaders. These employees may nevertheless, require training or skills to be employed in order to thrive in this fast-changing environment. The experience may teach fundamental knowledge about some items and principles, but it does not educate them through the necessary soft skills required in a professional setting. These minor things reveal their personality, are seen by organizations and industry leaders, and have a significant influence on their professional advancement. With the world’s developments and inventions, expertise and experience in comprehending technology need up-to-date learning in order to progress and better one’s personal job.

Instead of competing experience and education against one to another, the solution to this conundrum is to perceive both as complements. To begin most entry-level career, an employee will require a baseline education, which might range from high school completion to a bachelor’s degree. Thus, they may only pursue professional experience after receiving a basic education, and then determine whether the sector requires them to obtain a better higher qualification or learn on the job as it goes. Both journeys function differently for everyone vary from individual to individual, one‘s ability, character, and surroundings. Education isn’t really dismissed, and experience has its own significance. Each decision has long-term consequences, making it critical for the individual to have a mentor or educational counsellor to advise them. In a nutshell, both are equally crucial factors in the development of a great leader.

Faizuddin Yusof
Operation Manager
Kedah Medical Centre