Unqualified "Professionals"

[swolf]

In my work, I have worked with people with college degrees that couldn't perform some of the most basic tasks in the field that they are supposedly "qualified professionals" in. For example, a bartender who did the courses but didn't know how to make a Bloody Mary, a chef who went to a big name Culinary school but couldn't cook a steak or deal with the pressure of a real restaurant kitchen. AND (this one gets slack because she didn't really specialize in this particular field but was close enough to be mentioned) a woman who had a degree in baking but froze up under a little pressure and couldn't cut a potato. I told her to cut the potato and pointed to the plate it was supposed to go on, threw together 3-5 more complicated side dishes, came back, and she was still frozen.
Anybody out there with similar stories or do I just have bad luck when it comes to coworkers? They don't have to have a college degree, just any person with enough know-how/experience to refer to themselves as a "professional" yet are practically inept in that field?

 

[wooty]

Not really a work place related incident, but I lived with 4 materials engineering "doctorate students" while I was at uni, one of which put the plastic shower curtain on a hot wash and dry cycle, then all of them wondered why it had deformed in the machine.

I worry about the future of this country

 

[Kenjitsuka]

Tell me about it!
I've got a university degree, but I felt like all I learned in those four years was crap that I already picked up myself years ago or useless crap... :'(
For example; Windows Server 2000 lessons only, in the year 2004, when you had WS 2003 for a good long while


Then I was a teacher there for awhile, I hope my students *did* feel the courses I had developed where not junk.

 

[Marine Mike]

Haven't really dealt with any college-educated "professionals" in a work situation (except officers, which is a whole different rant). I find that a lot of civilians will freeze up when they are unsure of what to do, which is usually worse than trying and doing it wrong.

 

[swolf]

Oh, as a holdover (a person who is injured, fails a test, or is otherwise unable to continue with training) in the military I was in a group with about 10-15 other people and was one of the only 2 who knew how to operate/repair lawn equipment. I know that it's not really relevant (which I find kind of funny since I started the thread) but I just wanted to open the topic up a bit more. What about matters which you feel are (or should be in your opinion) common sense? Also, I knew a woman who put alcohol based hand sanitizer in her eye to fight off a pink-eye infection that started (it worked but was painful) and thought that the Confederate rebel flag was the British flag.

 

[BlindMessiah94]

Education means shit all if people have not learned how to work.

Unfortunately, school teaches you the skills, but it does not teach you how to be a good worker.

 

[RyQ_TMC]

I'd say it's mostly because school/college is 90% theory to 10% practice... On a good day. So you spend years cramming your head full of theory you need to pass the exams, then you go to work and find out you don't actually know what to do.

Of course, after a couple of weeks at work you've picked up more practical experience than over years at college and everything's fine.

I had a similar situation, not quite the same, but it all boils down to this: I worked for a year in a lab in the US. Then I started working in the UK, and of course proceeded to do everything the way I learned in Yankeeland. Whereupon I've learnt that I'm doing everything wrong, needlessly adhering to some safety rules, and in general have to learn everything all over again.

 

[DeepComet5581]

I'd say it's mostly because school/college is 90% theory to 10% practice... On a good day. So you spend years cramming your head full of theory you need to pass the exams, then you go to work and find out you don't actually know what to do.

Of course, after a couple of weeks at work you've picked up more practical experience than over years at college and everything's fine.

I had a similar situation, not quite the same, but it all boils down to this: I worked for a year in a lab in the US. Then I started working in the UK, and of course proceeded to do everything the way I learned in Yankeeland. Whereupon I've learnt that I'm doing everything wrong, needlessly adhering to some safety rules, and in general have to learn everything all over again.

That is why i did coursework-based subjects at College. They are 90% practice and 10% theory. You have to complete a certain task (Usually write a report) within a certain time limit (2 weeks), which may not be the best alternative, but certainly helps in the old interviews (I don't actually have a job yet) and means that you don't have to cram in an incredible amount of information for one exam. Hence, I got top grades in both.

 

[Subzerowings]

So you live in The United States and there are still people who can't perform basic tasks in their field?
I heard American education was vastly less (in terms of size anyway) than Belgian education.
On top of that, these people were educated to be chefs?
In my country, we have 4 "forms" of education in high school: BSO, KSO, TSO and ASO.
They are classified in order of difficulty, BSO being the easiest.
I'm in ASO and if I were to become a chef I should go to BSO.
So they get less to learn, an easier curriculum and still they fail at their job?
Dear me.

 

[swolf]

I'd say it's mostly because school/college is 90% theory to 10% practice... On a good day. So you spend years cramming your head full of theory you need to pass the exams, then you go to work and find out you don't actually know what to do.

Of course, after a couple of weeks at work you've picked up more practical experience than over years at college and everything's fine.

I had a similar situation, not quite the same, but it all boils down to this: I worked for a year in a lab in the US. Then I started working in the UK, and of course proceeded to do everything the way I learned in Yankeeland. Whereupon I've learnt that I'm doing everything wrong, needlessly adhering to some safety rules, and in general have to learn everything all over again.

Stupid safety rules!!!

 

[swolf]

Haven't really dealt with any college-educated "professionals" in a work situation (except officers, which is a whole different rant). I find that a lot of civilians will freeze up when they are unsure of what to do, which is usually worse than trying and doing it wrong.

What about fellow marines? I've heard a story from a former one who saw a guy accidentally spill some jet fuel in a cargo bay and then had to stay and clean the mess. Apparently, it's difficult to get that stuff out of the nooks and crannies used for securing the jets.

 

[Marter]

Not someone who may not be qualified, but it seems that whenever I go to the hospital, I always end up getting the "In-Training" nurse. They don't know how to take blood properly, and they always seem to have to wiggle the needle around in my body before finally taking it out to try again.