Is a Degree Necessary?

Jobs are hard to come about now a days and the work place is becoming more and more competitive. Young adults are spending a lot of time and money on degrees and, in return, just moving back home and sleeping on mom and dad's couch while they struggle to find work. This scenario is extremely common, which brought about the debate in class that asked the question:

"Is a PR degree even necessary?"

This is a question that cannot be answered through research or text books. CEO's or HR departments, of course, are going to always promote education and a degree, but the question comes to what it is they are looking for when looking through resumes/CV's. They are looking for someone who is going to make a difference in their agency. So, is it the applicant with a degree or the applicant with work experience? I feel that the answer is going obvious especially in an industry where thinking quick on your feet and common sense is more of a qualification than anything. You can teach someone the ways of public relations and the theories, but you can't teach them common sense.

The problem with that system is that agencies/corporations are hiring people who, yes might have creativity and common sense, but do not understand the ethics of PR. While I have not done intensive research on it, I feel it might have a link to the unethical reputation that PR suffers. Here are two cartoons that represents this:

You can see from these cartoons that agencies/companies are hiring people who are not really good for the PR industry in general, and that is what happens when people are hired without degree's because they don't have a true understanding of what PR is. Sadly, as companies continue to hire people without an education in PR, the industry is going to continue to hold people who do not practice ethically as well as encourage people that they do not need a degree to work in the field.

So, in final thoughts, I suggest a degree because, in the end, it's going to make one a better PR practitioner, and I personally think that agencies/corporations need to realize this and start choosing more wisely.