That degree you're chasing might not be the shield you think it is

I was at my church's legal clinic this morning and a young man came to me, first class in Chemical Engineering from UNN, been job hunting for 18 months. He asked me what else he could do. I told him the hard truth , the certificate opens the door but it doesn't keep you in the room anymore.

I read this piece where experts are telling graduates that degrees alone are no longer enough. And they are right. In my 26 years at the High Court, I've seen people with LLBs who cannot write a simple affidavit. I've seen people with MBAs who cannot read a contract. The system pumped them out but nobody taught them how to think.

My advice to that young man and to anyone else listening , add a skill to that certificate. Learn how to negotiate. Learn how to write. Learn how the world actually works outside the lecture hall. The law does not protect ignorance, and the market does not reward paper alone. What skill did you add after your degree that changed your life?