I feel like this is backwards.  30 years ago you could potentially work your way up the ladder without a degree.  Now you need a degree to get a job working in a coffee shop, because college degrees are so ubiquitous that they&#x27;ve become a prerequisite for employment at many places.<p>Sure, you could do some learning on your own now, but you could also do that 30 years ago, and I&#x27;m not certain most employers are going to put much stock in self-directed education regardless, not when there are so many underemployed college grads available.