life experience degree

Discussion in 'Off-Topic Discussions' started by winstonwolf, Dec 14, 2003.

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  1. winstonwolf

    winstonwolf New Member

    Imagine yourself as one of many out of work from the fashionable "workforce reductions" over the last year or two. Let's say you had worked very hard for the last twenty + years for one employer, did a great job, made them a butt load of $....but never had a degree. (which was okay with them) Now you are out there looking for work and employers all ask you if you have a degree. If you say no, they are done talking to you, even though you have an amazing amount of experience and have accomplished quite a lot of independent study, taken a few classes and attended 100 +hours of assorted classes within the last company, have incredible references, and basically a lot to offer. In a situation like this, would it be fair and honest to get the degree based on this life experience, accomplishments, and background and be able to answer "yes" to the question? So many employers HR people are running down a check list, why not get the paper and the chance to get a good job. At the end of the day you will have to get the job done and prove yourself to the employer. But first you have to get in the door.
     
  2. Rich Douglas

    Rich Douglas Well-Known Member

    No.

    Unless you are awarded the credit and degree from an accredited university, no. But there is no such thing as "life experience degrees." Many universities award credit for demonstrated life and work experience, and that credit can be used towards degrees. But submit a package and get a degree? No reputable school offers that option.

    As for "getting in the door," I conducted a symposium Friday at a university where that issue came up. The employer hired someone, found out about a bogus degree, and had to fire her. Ironically, it was a hard-to-fill position, and she would have been hired without the degree. But once caught, she couldn't be trusted. She proved her ability, and disproved her trustworthiness. She found herself "getting out the door."
     
  3. winstonwolf

    winstonwolf New Member

    An online university...lexington...says they are accredited by HESA. They say a life experience degree can be awarded, that it is legal and accredited. Should this be considered ? The person you referenced that had a bogus degree...was that a fake they bought from someone offering a replacement degree? If so, then yes they lied and deserved to be fired. If a person has the life experience, should they not be able to be right up front and say that is what they have. This is what I am suggesting. The truth and nothing but. Then if an employer reviews that and finds it acceptable, you can get an opportunity to get past that "box" to check on the HR list and get a face to face interview. Again, I am not suggesting that a person would lie about anything here, just to take advantage of an opportunity and get back in the workforce. Please let me know what the exact situation was with the lady who was fired for the bogus ( fake?) degree. Was it from a well known 4 yr University??
     
  4. AV8R

    AV8R Active Member

    Re: re: life experience degree



    Just because a university claims accreditation doesn't mean that the accrediting agency is recognized. I have never heard of HESA and doubt that it is legit.
     
  5. Charles

    Charles New Member

    winstonwolf,

    BWA HA HA HA HAAAAAA! Are you trying to be so funny or does it come naturally? HA HA HA HA!
     
  6. bgossett

    bgossett New Member

    Re: Re: re: life experience degree

    Lexington and HESA, along with sister mills Ellington and Stanton, all reside on the same server, and have anonymized domain registrations.
     
  7. AV8R

    AV8R Active Member

    My goodness, Charles. That was just plain ol' rude. I don't know if your derogatory statement is intended for me or the individual considering a degree via Lexington. Considering the fact that your statement could have been directed at me, I took a moment to Google HESA. Didn't see anything remarkable.
     
  8. AV8R

    AV8R Active Member

    Okay, Charles. I see now that you have your statement addressed to Winstonwolf. Nevertheless, Degreeinfo has assisted many people in avoiding degree mills. Let's all play nice here and try to help people instead of bashing them.
     
  9. Charles

    Charles New Member

    Hi Cyrus,

    Please use the search feature and look at winstonwolf's three posts to this forum.

    Do you think this individual is an innocent looking for advice?
     
  10. Jeff Hampton

    Jeff Hampton New Member

    The type of "life experience" degree that you are talking about is not honest and is not legitimate.

    There are ways to receive credit for "prior learning" (for more info, do a seach here for "Big Three" or "Big 3"). But unless an insitution is accredited by an organization that is approved by the CHEA and U.S. Dept. of Education (again, search for more info.), then the degree is very likely not legitimate, and certainly has very little value. (Note that this is not because of some elitist bias -- it is because accredited institutions actually verify that you have achieved sufficient learning to qualify for a particular course, while the vast majority of unaccredited "life experience" schools verify nothing other than your credit card number.)

    Look, if you want a fake degree, print one on your inkjet. Why pay some scam artists or mobsters hundreds or thousands of dallars to print one on their inkjet and send it to you? These "Degrees" would be equally as legitimate.

    Moreover, if you are doing a job and could legitimately get a new job/promotion based on your experience without a degree, then attempt to make your case. Some employers will listen.

    But if you buy (or make up) a fake degree, it is what is known around here as a "time bomb." You will likely be found out eventually. The vast majority of the time, it will not matter one bit how good a job you have been doing. If you used bogus credentials to get a job, you will be fired, and likely, humiliated.

    Using bogus degrees is NEVER a good idea.
     
    Last edited by a moderator: Dec 14, 2003
  11. winstonwolf

    winstonwolf New Member

    I have read all the replies carefully....some seem to have read my posts, thank you, but others seem to have only glanced over looking for a word or two they wanted to use to bash. I have tried to use all the facts I have found, no assumptions used. I have also explained that I am not trying to deceive any potential employer. My goal is to get back to work. Please read my posts again and understand I am not clear on why I could not use the life experience degree for the purpose I have explained. I am willing to explain to any employer that I do not consider this degree to be the same as 4 or 5 years at a state school. I am trying to get past a sleepy HR person, checking off boxes, to talk to the main contact face to face. I don't know if it is true, but I did see that lexington does provide verification service and I would have to authorize that before they will give it out ( it's the law, they say) ....I'm just trying to get the opportunity to explain where I have been and what I have accomplished in the last few decades and get a job. If you haven't, please read my posts before responding, thank you.
     
  12. Rich Douglas

    Rich Douglas Well-Known Member

    I read them.

    You are not just trying to get past some inattentive HR person. You are suggesting that your circumstances somehow legitimize academic fraud. They do not. Perhaps all of your experience doesn't add up to a college degree--that's why you still need one. It is a common fallacy to equate life/work experience with attaining college degrees. It is also a prime selling point used by degree mills.

    Another selling point used by mills is the degree verification service. That simply makes you and them co-conspirators in a lie.

    There. You have what you need. Whether or not you do this is really of no consequence here. But for you to continue to promote this idea would be really offensive. I hope you do not choose to do so.
     
  13. galanga

    galanga New Member

    Lexington warns you that a Lex degree is a time bomb

    Take a look here for information about Lexington: http://www.osac.state.or.us/oda/oregon_north_dakota/index_or.html#Lexington_university.

    There is also information about Kendall, MacArther, Ratchford, Ross College, Walsh Business College, Xavier Business College, Ellington, and Stanton in that page.

    Here is a quote from the Lexington order form web page at http://www.lexingtonuniversity.com/?page=newform:
    It would be unfortunate if such an honest self-evaluation, offered publicly by the school, were to be read by your future employer.

    G
     
  14. winstonwolf

    winstonwolf New Member

    Rich D........I HAVE NOT SUGGESTED ANY FRAUDULENT ACT. I never said my experience adds up to or equals a college degree. I AM NOT A LIAR and do not intend to become one. I am sorry you are offended, but yoy would not be if you had really read and understood the content of my posts. You seem to be reading your own ideas into them. I hope you do not post a reply until you understand clearly what I have said and not what you think I mean to say. I am still looking for an answer to these posts, not ridicule.
     
  15. Ian Anderson

    Ian Anderson Active Member

    In my experience as a "main contact", HR passes on resumes based on an automated word search of that resume -- I received several resumes via HR with unaccredited schools and they went into the trash can;
    while I seriously considered resumes with no degrees (my employer, a fortune 100 aerospace company, considered several years practical experience equivelent to a BS)

    A way to obtain an "alternate" qualification is to join a professional body that assigns membership levels based on experience.
     
  16. Rich Douglas

    Rich Douglas Well-Known Member

    You said, "I am trying to get past a sleepy HR person." This is suggesting a fraudulent act. You are trying, in this situation, to pass yourself off as a college graduate when you are not. This is a fraud and a lie.

    Sorry, but buying a degree from a degree mill and then using it is not defensible in any way. I suggested that further promotion of this activity would be offensive. It would sound like you are promoting the notion, even after being warned off by the very people from whom you solicited advice. What kind of response do you expect?

    Passing off a fake degree as real is a lie. Whether or not you are a liar no one, including me, has said. I wouldn't know.
     
  17. tcnixon

    tcnixon Active Member

    I humbly submit that what you suggest is a fraudulent act. There is no such legal piece of paper as a life experience degree. Using one that you know is not real is fraudulent. You readily admit that you are trying to do something that is wrong (that whole sleepy HR person).

    Lexington is every bit as good as all of the other diploma mills out there. And that's not saying much.

    Assuming you have all of the experience that you claim (and I'm sure that you do), you should consider a legal degree from one of these three schools: Thomas Edison State College , Excelsior College , and Charter Oak State College . Given all of your experience, I'm sure that you could quickly earn a degree through testing, portfolios, and the classes you've already taken.

    Also, check out the BA in 4 Weeks website for additional information.



    Tom Nixon
     
  18. Charles

    Charles New Member

    The initial post of this thread, which is identical to winstonwolf's first post, reads like degree mill marketing spam.

    To me, winstonwolf appears to be in the process of attempting to use degreeinfo as a platform to guerilla market Lexington University.

    I have nothing but contempt for "schools" like Lexington.
     
  19. Jack Tracey

    Jack Tracey New Member

    OK, I have read your posts. I think that you should go out and buy a degree from some "school" and then use it to get your foot in the door at some interview. I think it's a great idea to start off a new realtionship with a lie. I also think that when your lie is discovered and you're subsequently fired (don't forget that all future employers will want to talk to the firm that fired you) you can come back to degreeinfo (or maybe aed would be more appropriate, all things considered) and tell us all about how valuable your phoney degree really is and how unfair the world is as well.
    Jack
    (sometimes I just get tired of trying to save people from themselves)
     
  20. Jeff Hampton

    Jeff Hampton New Member

    You asked if it is "fair" to get a degree based on "life experience." The answer was a resounding "NO!" which you apparently don't like.

    We have read your post. Carefully. If there is a communication break down, it is originating on your end.

    There are legitimate schools that grant credits and degrees based on prior learning. But, apparently, you were not interested in hearing about them.

    Just keep in mind, that at the type of "school" you are talking about, despite what they might say, they do not give degrees based on "life experience," unless you define life experience as the ability to obtain a credit card.

    Just print your own degree. Set up a fake voice mail for the "verification service." It will be far cheaper and just as legitimate as a random life experience degree.
     

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