Does It Matter Where Your Degree Comes From?

[Khutan]

So many times I have talked to various companies for for a foreigner to get the work permit, you must have a degree.

Probing the question of what sort of degree, and what major etc, generally the response is oh any degree, an Arts Degree or a Science degree is fine, just as long as you have a degree.

I responded Oh, I have a Science degree from (well known Australian University), is that ok, once again I got the response from this prospective employer, now a little bored - yes any degree will do, we don't care where it comes from or what it is just as long as you have one.

I then put the question that I can go and get a legitimate degree from a legitimate uninersity from the internet posted to my hovel within 10 business days. The response from this prospective employer was "As long as the people who issue the work permits accept it - we don't care".

So the question is if someone had one of these "degrees" and the Department of Commerce can actually contact the issuing "University" and establish it is authentic, is there a problem using this degree for a Work Permit, since the thing is legitimate, although very flimsy???

Anny comments would be appreciated

[penzman]

Question is ... who exactly checks on validity of the degree and how do they proceed?

[Guest chingy]

in Thai Land everything need degree, even the street sweeper or a guard need a degree,

[Guest IT Manager]

Chingy don't be vapid. That's not true and you know it. If you can't be civil be quiet.

[BronzeRider]

I agree with chingy; not the street sweepers and such, but Thailand is paper happy. The government et all wants a degree for almost any job. Be an air-con bus driver? Need a degree.

I teach at government schools and when the question pops up about degrees in America, I give an example: Two people applying for the same job. One has a degree and two years of experiance. The other has no degree and 15 years of experiance. Who gets the job? The students say the one with the degree. They are shocked when I tell them that no, it's the one with the experiance!

penzman has a valid point. How can the government check? Most US schools and probably Europe as well would be hard pressed to release info about one of their citizens. Identity theft anyone?

[Guest chingy]

it was suppose to be sarcasm IT, i meant was most job you apply for they will require you to have a degree, even some low rank job

[pal78]

Probing the question of what sort of degree, and what major etc, generally the response is oh any degree, an Arts Degree or a Science degree is fine, just as long as you have a degree.

A few of the better paid jobs do seem to be dependent on a specific Degree though. I have seen some internation schools, for example, that specified Arts degrees for teaching. So I guess that it will depend on the employer to a certain extent. Some employers only requre the degree because the Labour department require it for the work permit, and in those cases they really couldn't care less about it as long as it's accepted by Labour.

Anyway it's an interesting question. I'm currently back at school working on finishing my degree because I believe that I really need one to get a job and be legal in Thailand now. I never really considered getting a "flimsy" degree as you put it, mattnich. Hemm... would have saved me a lot of time and money!

Pete

[dr_Pat_Pong]

The Labour Department has books called Bears Guide. It lists all of the Institutions that issue mail order diploma's. In this age, and the wonderful WWW you can't get away with much.