Priest explains that what is often called a “generation gap” in the workplace is actually a “credential gap” created when people do not continually update their skills and knowledge. Without ongoing participation in relevant continuing education courses or leadership training, the employee “may be practicing old theories or old concepts, and when someone with newer knowledge comes along, it is hard for them to perceive the change, not to mention [create] the change itself.”

 

From High School Dropout to Ph.D.

 

The concept of the credential gap—of the necessity to stay current through the ongoing pursuit of education—has equal relevance in the trajectory of any individual career, and Priest’s own story illustrates the value of bridging that gap. Priest was a high school dropout when she began working at a General Motors plant in Massachusetts. After a time, a supervisor position opened, and Priest was excited to apply for it. “I was a single parent of a 2-year-old daughter,” she says. “I really needed the money.” However, she was told that she couldn’t interview for the position because she didn’t have her high school diploma.

 

“So I got my G.E.D. in a week,” she says, “and I got the job.” Realizing that improving her credentials was the only way she could advance, Priest spent weekends working toward her associate’s degree, which she credits for her retention when the plant closed. “GM shipped me out to Michigan and I got my bachelor’s degree online. Then I kept on going until I got my master’s,” she says. “I applied for a [promotion] and was able to get it because I had the degree.”

 

Ultimately, Priest worked for General Motors for 22 years before retiring in 1998. Meanwhile, she had begun teaching online management courses in 1996. After she left GM, she decided to pursue her Ph.D. so she could broaden the scope of her teaching. She also wanted to serve as an inspiration to others who had dropped out of high school or college. “My husband said, ‘Go for your Ph.D. and get it over with,’” Priest says with a laugh. She chose Walden because it was recommended to her, and she found that the Walden community overall and her dissertation committee in particular were “absolutely great—there are people always willing to help support you in your efforts.”

 

Priest says that her Ph.D., which she earned in February 2007, “made a difference from day one.” Her teaching salary and opportunities for advancement have increased, and she’s able to teach classes on more topics. Currently, she teaches online for Baker College (of Michigan) and Upper Iowa University. “I teach people who have to learn new [information and skills] in order to keep their jobs,” she says. “The good part about teaching is that I’m learning every day of the week.”

 

She also works at a high-end RV resort for seniors in Arizona. Thanks in part to her doctorate, she advanced from a part-time, volunteer role at the resort to a management position. She wasn’t looking for another retirement job, but says, “It is so much fun I couldn’t resist.”

 

“Getting this Ph.D. has impacted everyone around me—my family, friends, and people I don’t even know,” Priest says. “I hope to be able to reach other dropouts and let them know that they are not failures and that they can get themselves on their feet, and get an education and a good job. I am proof that it can be done.”

 

An ‘Insurance Policy’ for Your Career

 

Whether you’re looking to advance in your current field or company, or want to make a switch to a new field or specialty, a master’s or doctorate can be critical to your success. Of course, in many fields—from nursing to education to information systems management—a specific degree credential or certification is necessary, and in others, such as management, it is expected.

 

Of course, a higher degree can make a significant difference financially (see “The Walden Career Impact” on Page 27). But an advanced degree can also be “an insurance policy” that makes you more valuable as a current or prospective employee, Priest says. “The investment that you make in yourself will pay off in the long run, because you’ll be able to present yourself as up to date, knowing the latest policies and theories to help the organization,” she says.

 

Dr. Susan Jespersen, a faculty member in Walden’s College of Management and Technology, confirms Priest’s point. “People who present themselves as lifelong learners are highly desired [as employees],” says Jespersen, who specializes in human resources management. “It may seem like a lot of work at the time, and a big investment, but when a person seeks additional skills, they’re going to be rewarded.”

 

While a doctorate may be the peak of academic achievement, you won’t necessarily want to stop there. Non-degree courses or even another degree relevant to your ambitions can keep you competitive, as they did for Jespersen. “I completed a master’s degree in online teaching after I did my doctorate,” she says. “When I did this—and I decided that I was going to do it at my own expense—I broadened the application of my expertise.” She had been teaching courses at Walden on a part-time basis, then was offered a full-time position. “I think it’s because I did not stop with a doctorate, but continued to seek more learning in the area of online teaching,” she says.

 

Covering Your Bases

 

Adding to your credentials through professional development also strengthens your ability to effect change in your own organization and in your community. However, not everyone in an organization is going to welcome change, particularly if they think they’ll have to do more work. To generate buy-in among resistant co-workers and employers, “you have to give examples of how it’s going to look and how it’s going to benefit them,” Priest recommends. “The first thing you need to do is believe in yourself, and then you can generate buy-in among others.”

 

A doctoral degree can also make you overqualified for some positions. (Priest, for example, found that her quest for a doctorate wasn’t supported at GM, so she pursued it on her own after retiring from the company.) “The average small business is not going to look for a doctor,” Jespersen says. But for someone at a career standstill, “the Ph.D. is fantastic—it is the ticket to a change in career and higher income,” she says. “You can work in consulting, you can work as the head of a major department in large organizations, or you can teach.”

 

Lisa Cook, Walden’s director of career services, stresses the importance of doing your homework to determine precisely which credentials are necessary for your chosen career and keeping in mind that requirements vary by state. “If you are considering getting additional education, back it up with networking and informational interviews to find out the value of the specific degree,” she suggests.

 

Jespersen adds that an advanced degree should be “something you really desire and want, and one that leads to a really good future. It’s about timing, and it’s also about having full support from your family, because they will make sacrifices, too.” But, she says, “If you choose a program that seems to fit the profession and the field in which you desire to work, seeking additional education is the path to self-actualization.”

 

The Big Picture

 

Academic credentials are just part of the picture when it comes to maximizing the value of lifelong learning, says Cook. “The degree is an important tool, but it’s not the only tool. There are so many other factors that are important, especially in making a career change,” she says. In addition to the degree, Cook recommends that graduates obtain other types of experience in the field, such as volunteer work, a practicum, or part-time work. Whether you want to advance in your profession or are changing fields, staying current with trends in the field is critical. Also key are joining professional associations, attending conferences, and “becoming as high-profile as possible within that field—being on a conference planning committee is a good way to do it,” she says. For doctoral candidates, she suggests publishing, speaking at a conference, and/ or “teaming with faculty members to help them write articles or do research.”

 

The final piece of the puzzle is networking—with faculty and classmates at your current and former university or college, at conferences, on the job, and through informational interviews. Cook recommends social network Web sites such as www.LinkedIn.com. “If you’re passionate about your field, it comes across,” she says. “Don’t just send in your resumé. The work world is changing very fast, and people really need to be cutting edge and walk the talk.”

 

 

 

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