company owners without college

[cpllawncare]

Originally Posted by dstifel

The bad part is my mother did not feel the same way when i tried to explain this all to her and suggested the stigma i will go no where without college. IM currently 21 years old and purchased my first house this last spring at the age of 20. It was a cheap house that needs work but all stuff i am able to do. Once again puts me years ahead of all my friends who will get out of college have no money saved up live in apartments for years paying for something they will never get a return on.

most of my generation I'm 45 will tell you that, because it was true for them but with the right desire and some common sense along with some pertinet business classes you will do well, you can't be lazy though, but if you apply yourself you will come out years ahead of your peers, not everyone in my generation went to college so if you did it put you ahead, but these days people with college degrees are a dime a dozen so there is no standing out amongst your peers your just another kid with a degree and no money, why not reverse that and be the kid with a big bank account and no degree not to mention no debt.While your friends are out searching for that $10/hr job still living at home paying off student loans you'll be on your own paying down a mortgage which in turn is building equity and credit which is GOOD debt not bad debt. Just don't let a lil hot tail come along and ruin it all, cause they will.

[dstifel]

Isnt that the truth those women sure can spend some money
Posted via Mobile Device

[jrs.landscaping]

Originally Posted by meets1

College is a good thing. 2 year or 4 year or longer. But college education is something to fall back on if you get hurt, sell, need to move on. Nothing bad about it.

There is nothing bad about college, but as far as something to fall back on, you could also consider CDL's, ability to operate equipment, run computer programs etc... These are all things people can rely on during an interview in a related field that cost nothing but the willingness to learn.

[jackal]

Ya'll are kidding yourselves if you think a colllege degree is not essential today.

Better keep that lawn mowing job you have because you will have a tough time finding anything else.

If two people apply for the same job and one finished college and the other has a HS diploma, guess who gets the job. Not because he is more intelligent but because he had the determination to finish college.

[Chilehead]

Originally Posted by jackal

Ya'll are kidding yourselves if you think a colllege degree is not essential today.

Better keep that lawn mowing job you have because you will have a tough time finding anything else.

If two people apply for the same job and one finished college and the other has a HS diploma, guess who gets the job. Not because he is more intelligent but because he had the determination to finish college.

As an employer (like most here on Lawnsite), I would much rather hire somebody with 4 years experience and no college than 4 years of college and no experience. The former implies being educated via execution of said necessary job skills, whereas the latter implies being educated via dictation/reading in a controlled environment with little/no execution of said job skills.
A key example would be installing an irrigation system--very technical. Someone who is told how to assemble one vs. someone who is shown on the job how to assemble one (and then takes part in assembly) is the perfect metaphor for college vs. experience. Another example would be someone in sales--a field all businesses use. I can hire someone with a 6-year master's degree in business administration/marketing, or I can hire someone with a 6-year track record of competent sales closings. Which candidate poses less risk for my company, a newbie or a veteran? Which candidate can substantiate the ability to sell better, a newbie or a veteran? Have a great day!

[Weekend cut easymoney]

Originally Posted by Chilehead

As an employer (like most here on Lawnsite), I would much rather hire somebody with 4 years experience and no college than 4 years of college and no experience. The former implies being educated via execution of said necessary job skills, whereas the latter implies being educated via dictation/reading in a controlled environment with little/no execution of said job skills.
A key example would be installing an irrigation system--very technical. Someone who is told how to assemble one vs. someone who is shown on the job how to assemble one (and then takes part in assembly) is the perfect metaphor for college vs. experience. Another example would be someone in sales--a field all businesses use. I can hire someone with a 6-year master's degree in business administration/marketing, or I can hire someone with a 6-year track record of competent sales closings. Which candidate poses less risk for my company, a newbie or a veteran? Which candidate can substantiate the ability to sell better, a newbie or a veteran? Have a great day!

I like the idea of educated people working for me, though I'd always expect them to move on to a higher paying job that better suited their degree-

education is always a good thing, though experience and wisdom go a VERY long way in my book--

I've seen lots of educated folks that couldn't find their way out of a paper bag--sometimes the education seems to trump what is important -
Although they have many facts in their heads, they cannot apply that knowledge and do something productive, efficient or useful-

[Kiril]

Originally Posted by Weekend cut easymoney

I've seen lots of educated folks that couldn't find their way out of a paper bag--sometimes the education seems to trump what is important -
Although they have many facts in their heads, they cannot apply that knowledge and do something productive, efficient or useful-

Funny, cause I have seen even more uneducated people who couldn't find their way out of a paper bag, even when given a set of instructions.

Also seen lots of guys with "experience", in some cases decades worth, who didn't know squat about anything, and their work clearly showed it. As I have said many times on this forum, you can have 100 years of experience and it amounts to dick if that experience is doing things wrong.

[Chilehead]

Originally Posted by Kiril

Funny, cause I have seen even more uneducated people who couldn't find their way out of a paper bag, even when given a set of instructions.

Also seen lots of guys with "experience", in some cases decades worth, who didn't know squat about anything, and their work clearly showed it. As I have said many times on this forum, you can have 100 years of experience and it amounts to dick if that experience is doing things wrong.

.....and an employer would have to be just as ignorant to hire such without performing the proper research on the job applicant. I personally set the bar fairly high for job applicants relative to others in my field. The result is fewer applicants to weed through, less risk to the health of my business, better productivity, and less stress for me. When I interview a candidate, I look for the following:
1.) No "job hoppers". If a resume is filled with someone who has been employed at five different companies over a two-year period, that's a red flag.
2.) The types of work performed. I look for directly-related experience, but not exclusively. I also look at whether previous positions required the ability to multitask, and handle high-pressure situations well (among others).
3.) Letters of recommendation from previous employers unrelated to my field. This is golden.
4.) I have studied body language, and look for cues that indicate a genuine interest in securing the applied job position.
5.) No whiners, complainers.
6.) They must respect authority. This point is two-sided. Respect is earned on both sides, but they must show respect for their position and their superiors. If they march to their own drum, and/or argue with correction, it's a character flaw that can hinder a business. As an employer, I am careful not to be a dictator, but rather a mentor.

Attributes like honesty, trust, and integrity can only be proven over time. You hand out tasks that require these very slowly. Hope this helps everyone.

[MDLawn]

As has already been posted the degree can get you the interview.

Chilehead, a person with a 4 year degree or even 5-6 year (masters) probably isn't looking to become an irrigation installer or laborer of any kind. And I agree when it comes to more of the labor type jobs you need someone who can do that job and has experience doing it. But they didn't know it all when they started......

Most of us, I didn't say all, are not going to college for 7 years to get a labor type job. Maybe we end up in a labor type industry but as managers or foreman. We are hoping this formal education will land us in jobs where we hire companies like the ones most of us run to do work for us or buy a $10,000 zero turn to mow our own lawn because we can afford it to blow $10 grand on a mower we don't need. The companies that hire in the jobs we get the degrees for use it in their hiring to eliminate a lot of wannabe's and unqualified people. Also many of the college kids I know, along with myself, spent a year or 2 doing internships to get that hands on experience. Most are unpaid but I've seen many business degree type jobs paying their interns low wages and training them for a year. Then once the person graduates they get a qualified individual who knows what they are doing but also has the knowledge base from college. Also when it comes to sales, that's more about personality than anything. But even most salespeople get good sales training.

Every friend of mine with a higher education, maybe even myself included, live pretty good lives. The ones that dropped out of high school or never went to college are either stuck at their job, can't get a better job, and have to punch a clock.

College isn't for everyone and no it's not needed to own a business.

[MDLawn]

Originally Posted by Chilehead

.....and an employer would have to be just as ignorant to hire such without performing the proper research on the job applicant. I personally set the bar fairly high for job applicants relative to others in my field. The result is fewer applicants to weed through, less risk to the health of my business, better productivity, and less stress for me. When I interview a candidate, I look for the following:
1.) No "job hoppers". If a resume is filled with someone who has been employed at five different companies over a two-year period, that's a red flag.
2.) The types of work performed. I look for directly-related experience, but not exclusively. I also look at whether previous positions required the ability to multitask, and handle high-pressure situations well (among others).
3.) Letters of recommendation from previous employers unrelated to my field. This is golden.
4.) I have studied body language, and look for cues that indicate a genuine interest in securing the applied job position.
5.) No whiners, complainers.
6.) They must respect authority. This point is two-sided. Respect is earned on both sides, but they must show respect for their position and their superiors. If they march to their own drum, and/or argue with correction, it's a character flaw that can hinder a business. As an employer, I am careful not to be a dictator, but rather a mentor.

Attributes like honesty, trust, and integrity can only be proven over time. You hand out tasks that require these very slowly. Hope this helps everyone.

Great advice on hiring