Please, Please, Please Get an Education!

B”H, with much chessed from the Ribbono Shel Olam, I have the opportunity to work in the Human Resources department of a Fortune 500 company. In today’s unfortunate economic times, many businesses, including Frum owned businesses, are downsizing. I therefore have recently received a number of resumes from Frum people seeking jobs or on behalf of someone who is seeking a job. My company has openings so I eagerly open each resume hoping that I can somehow help someone find the right opportunity. With each resume that I open though I become increasingly discouraged. Many of the resumes, while they are filled with great, relevant work experience, lack any type of formal education. They have neither a graduate degree nor even an undergraduate degree from an accredited college. Unfortunately, I am left with telling the person that there are no openings for them. In today’s economy, while business experience counts for a lot, when the potential candidate is up against someone with work experience and formal education, formal education will always win out. It is considered to be a predictor of potential success. (I am not here to argue whether it is true or not, that is the reality).

We all know that parnossah comes from the Ribbono Shel Olam, but Hishtadlus is our responsibility. If you are choosing a professional or business career please do yourself and your family a huge favor and get a formal education. There are so many flexible programs out there (Touro, Farleigh Dickinson, Thomas Edison among others) there is no excuse to not to go to school whether you are in Yeshiva, Kollel or working already. Even if you already have a job and a degree, don’t take it for granted, get an advanced degree. I know of many situations where people who already had jobs got advanced degrees and B”H it helped them get promoted and grow. Don’t make the excuse about the cost of education, education loans are probably the best possible loan rates you will ever get and the amount of time to pay back the loans are very flexible. Don’t make the excuse you don’t have the time, make the time. Your education will last you the rest of your life! You can go to great schools at night or even get your degree online. Just get it done. You will never regret it. Over the past 10 years I have convinced dozens of bochurim and yungerleit to go to school, in a derech and environment that works for them and doesn’t make them compromise anything. I have yet to have any of them come back to me and tell me he regretted his decision.

A final thought, I know many are going to read this post and respond that so and so was matzliach without even a high school education. For every guy who is matzliach without the education there are 10 guys who are not, who all could have increased their chances by getting an education.