Skills or Degrees? You may need both to thrive
By Nusaiba Ibrahim
For over a year, I have been working alongside other creatives in my department after I assumed my role as a content writer and website manager with a higher education institution. The department in which we work is formally referred to as the Media and Communication Department, but somehow, maybe before I joined, it became known as the Creative Department.
Whenever we attend a meeting, we are termed the creatives. Only along my journey did I realise that two or three of the team members had undergone degrees in disciplines that had little or no bearing on the creative industry. The team—a social media manager, a content writer or website manager, a graphic designer, a motion designer, and a creative support staff member—has one thing in common: we possess skill sets that are within the creative industry. Yet, we all have degrees.
During our usual chitchats, I realised that the social media person I had met was a history graduate with a second degree in the same field. He’s doing wonderfully well today in Lagos because of his exquisite skills as a brand marketer and manager. The new staff member who assumed the role is a biology graduate; the motion designer studied industrial design; the graphic designer and I studied mass communication; and the creative support staff studied quantity survey and obtained a postgraduate diploma in the same field.
From the faculty to operational staff to even students, the creative department comprises geniuses skilled in producing exceptional creative pieces that would be admired by the university’s community and beyond. Hence, the department is admired by many. Simple casual discussions with students and staff, whether in or out of the office, never ended without passionate statements like “I will stop by to learn one or two things” or “I’ll come to learn a few things.”
When I was putting this piece together, a faculty member, a friend of the creative department, had come in to drop a request. While going out of our office, he was tempted to read the title of the article. He read it carefully and said, “I think I disagree with you. I am of the opinion that skills are better than degrees.” I turned and tried to explain that the topic didn’t mean degrees were superior to skills or vice versa. They could be used to complement each other when necessary.
This particular faculty member only left me with more thoughts about the debate. He’s a faculty member with a B.Sc. and Master’s degree in International Relations and is very much appreciated by the institution due to his expertise in teaching. He is yearning for a skill set. I understand he must not have realised he could do well as a public speaker, as that is what he’s most notable for. Hence, he didn’t value his proficiency in public speaking, which is now widely applauded. Later that day, he came into our office to further explain his passion for learning graphic design or motion design.
With these current debates, which have awakened people’s desire to invest more in skill sets, I think we are on the path to building the future we’d envisioned to be far. We are getting closer to a better Nigeria. Nonetheless, you might still need a solid foundation from degrees that will familiarise you with values and etiquette that will propel your career.
I’d say this regarding the book title by Prof. Pantami, ‘Skills rather than Just Degrees’, that stirred the Arewa atmosphere a week ago (which I haven’t read). I’m only saying this based on the evident experiences of the revered scholar and the book title. Sheikh Pantami possesses three degrees: a B.Sc., an M.Sc., a Ph.D., and other academic qualifications. He is also a distinguished Islamic scholar who has been lauded adequately due to his skills in teaching Islamic education through his exceptional preaching.
To showcase the relevance of having both, the Sheikh used his wealth of technology experience to serve as a minister and accepted a professorial award (which has generated so much back-and-forth). In the process of serving as one of the ministers under former President Buhari, he definitely acquired more administrative and political skills, making his career stronger.
So you see, the title wouldn’t have become a bone of contention if people had realised the Sheikh was writing to explain the benefits of obtaining both, but just a little bit of emphasising skills. But works of art unleashed on the world are open to criticism. This is something authors and artists cannot control; hence, the Sheikh faced reactions due to his publications.
One of the things I’ve learned amid other creatives is skills and academic upgrades. I tell you, we’ve learned so much from each other. We often see ideas from similar perspectives when it comes to designs, motion graphics or writing. Three out of four yeses is always a pass for any content. We have become part of one another’s journey and a great team. Despite our skill-based engagements, we’d encourage one another to further our degrees.
Whether you have skills or degrees or both, use what you have to get what you want in life. With degrees, you can pursue a particular area of interest and gain something extraordinary. Likewise, with skills, you can also realise your potential. So, the big idea is to use any of the two to gain something beneficial for yourself.
Nusaiba Ibrahim Na’Abba wrote from Kano. She can be contacted via nusaibaibrahim66@gmail.com.
