[gacook]

I dunno...I got my job (federal, decent pay, little higher than mid-level) with a little college under my belt. I was hired based on my experience (10 years in the Army doing Secret Squirrel stuff). Actually, the position I was hired for specified "education does not substitute for experience." However, if I want to go any higher in my career (ie, stuck behind a desk the rest of my life, managing people who actually get to do the fun stuff), I need a minimum of a BS. Sad thing is, the gubmint doesn't even care WHAT my degree is in--they just want me to have a degree to get into management. So, I went ahead and got a BS in IT Management. In years past, I studied business, and was close to getting a degree in that, so I'm thinking about pursuing an MBA now...but not sure. I guess moral of the story is you don't NEED a degree to get a decent job; sometimes experience is better. But it helps to get ahead once you're in the door somewhere.