Work / I have a "zero" chance to succeed in Poland - I do not have a degree! [93]

In a nutshell, degrees open doors but we are not robots and will pursue different courses along the way. Critical thinking is developed and can help in real-life situations, it just depends on getting into a job which allows that to flourish. Having the necessary paperwork is like getting a drivers license, it's proof at a point in time that you were able to achieve something meaningful but it continues to serve as a door opener (valid) unless you are sb who values Continuous Professional Development (CPD). Careerists see it in a different light but may find themselves thwarted.

Work / I have a "zero" chance to succeed in Poland - I do not have a degree! [93]

Try telling the authorities that, HB. I was making many contributions but they were ripped off by my Profs and used for their own gain. I had a free-ish hand at Uni and could really offer some original thinking. When I left, it was out into the world of refusals and rejection. As I said, transferable experience is crucial.

Work / I have a "zero" chance to succeed in Poland - I do not have a degree! [93]

Experience never hurts, hmm.....The classic thing upon graduation back home was getting into a job when people told you, 'sorry, you have no experience'. Eh, because I've been studying for the last 5 years you f*cktard!

Frd, gotcha, thanks for the clarification :)

Work / I have a "zero" chance to succeed in Poland - I do not have a degree! [93]

Is that from a life of thievery, mental hospital or prison/jail? ;0

News / Poland. Sold for nothing. [341]

Poland got caught out there :(

News / Poland. Sold for nothing. [341]

Another? You mean beyond when the Nazis dressed up as members of the Polish army and then proceeded to slaughter them?

News / Poland. Sold for nothing. [341]

Poland sold itself out by releasing Podolski. Many are unhappy here in Gliwice, his city of birth, because he wasn't looked after properly. Just like when Lewandowski pulled the guy down for a penalty (which led to hatred of Howard Webb), they let him slip from their grasp. Mishandling of the situation both times.

Yes, it was a light penalty and Podolski wanted to leave too but still....look inwards!

Work / I have a "zero" chance to succeed in Poland - I do not have a degree! [93]

I agree, Randal. Give them the information on which to base conclusions and opinions. Let them form them. I loved my degree teachers for that reason, they retained their neutrality and presented things objectively for the most part.

It depends on what is "useful". To some people, Liberal standpoints are just that.

Work / I have a "zero" chance to succeed in Poland - I do not have a degree! [93]

Are you saying that a Conservative education, by virtue of being so, equips you with more practical skills, Randal?

Work / I have a "zero" chance to succeed in Poland - I do not have a degree! [93]

I thought it was an internet service provider (ISP), a company of sorts. Aha, is it done through TP?

News / Donald Tusk - the worst PM of 3rd RP. [79]

The price you pay for an imperialistic agenda, I agree guys. The PNAC brought this about and it's totally unnecessary.

Tusk would likely be all for this too.

News / Poland. Sold for nothing. [341]

There was an embargo that Kaczyński fought over against Russia and he had the support of the people. He also stalled on the missile shield, biding his time for extracting concessions and a better deal.

As I said, I am not a major fan by any stretch.

News / Poland. Sold for nothing. [341]

BB, Kaczyński saw through nonsense. I'm not a fan of his but he had the balls to stand up to Russia, the EU and America. He was a little too uncompromising but he was firm.

Tusk waltzes into things without providing justifications to the people.

News / Poland. Sold for nothing. [341]

Having dissed PiS elsewhere, I think it is time to diss PO. Tusk sold Poland down the river, quite a few Poles think so too. One thing Kaczyński had was principles and he strung the deliberations out much longer until he got what he thought was a satisfactory position. I think he has a better nose for such deals.

Tusk is patriotic when it comes to football but it's more questionable in other areas.

Work / I have a "zero" chance to succeed in Poland - I do not have a degree! [93]

Hard not to agree with that. Headstrong individuals are not in short supply here (yes, I know I know, everywhere).

People can put themselves into certain positions without formal appointments ;) ;)

Work / I have a "zero" chance to succeed in Poland - I do not have a degree! [93]

That's a good point. It's important not to tar the whole Polish education system with the same brush. We have Further Education (FE) and Higher Education (HE). Though not being mutually exclusive, there are noteworthy differences. According to mainstream opinion here, the MATURA qualification is getting progressively easier.

What I don't know is the conduit/intermediary bodies between tertiary education course providers and employers or EU schemes like Comenus and Erasmus/Sokrates. Transfer of knowledge and expertise is so important, otherwise it becomes redundant. I often felt peeved when I passed courses with a linear progression only to the next year of study. Yeah, this is common but I still felt that it was doing little more than what I was doing at secondary school. Course selection only came in my Honours and postgrad years, even then the syllabus was pretty tight.

What I feel that Poland could do is hammer home the importance of doing company research. This was spelled out to me in my first course, know your target companies well and take an interest. Tying it into the thread, there are many online tutorials and ways of improving your skillset which don't involve degrees. They are just door openers sometimes and even then.

News / Donald Tusk - the worst PM of 3rd RP. [79]

Well, they defended the Polish corner quite well but to an obstinate level, running against the spirit of negotiations. There has to be some sacrifice and compromise in the EU. Such intransigence had rarely been witnessed before but it was funny to see the Lisbon Treaty stymied.

Work / I have a "zero" chance to succeed in Poland - I do not have a degree! [93]

It has a lot to do with perception. I take delph's point with regards to some courses not providing real-life skills and know-how. My first course was vocational and taught me things beyond just producing the goods come exam time. It was perhaps overly generic but balance is seldom easy to find these days. I coupled it with an academic law course, largely due to my grandparents fronting the money and me getting a scholarship. However, many companies didn't wanna know, leaving me in the lurch. It comes down to what many people say in Scotland, 'it's not what you know but who you know'.

Mafketis was right above. There needs to be more emphasis placed on practical application. I had a compulsory 6-month placement in my Bachelor's and I was grateful for it. It taught me the importance of working to deadlines and accurately collating data.

There are many components in a degree that are redundant and useless for some firms, this is also a problem.

News / Poland. Sold for nothing. [341]

And the Soviets were second ;) ;)

News / Donald Tusk - the worst PM of 3rd RP. [79]

PiS complicated the position of Poland in Europe. They were perceived as the 'awkward partner' in European affairs. The basic ideological dig came from the twins, harbouring/bearing old grudges from the past. What, and France didn't way back? They even signed the EEC agreement as early as 1957 despite having their ranks decimated during WWII. They understood that Hitler was a madman and moved on, they got over it.

47 years later, Poland signed to join the EU. Still the barking went on. Kohl and Mitterand had patched up many things and the party shouldn't have been spoiled.

News / Poland. Sold for nothing. [341]

You should remember that it isn't always pure Americans who do the exploiting.

News / Poland. Sold for nothing. [341]

Name me a country which isn't exploited by forces within America? De facto, I agree.

Afghanistan was payback for a failed Unocal bid

News / Poland. Sold for nothing. [341]

Well, I see what you are saying, Sokrates. Still, according to definitional terms, Poland is an ally. Even co-belligerence passes as being an ally but Poland has been in NATO for about 10 years now, that makes an even stronger case.

Poland agreed to fight in the War on Terror. This fits the description of 'for mutual benefit or to achieve some common purpose'.

News / Poland. Sold for nothing. [341]

I completely agree, sorry McCoy ;) A strategic partnership between Poland and Ukraine would be a healthy one. Collaborating with parties in the regions you mentioned would be to gain a strategic advantage.

I meant politically, freebird. Relations got better for a while under Tusk. Kaczyński was overly hostile in his tone. Tusk then got bought.

News / Poland. Sold for nothing. [341]

I don't agree with CK on many things. There's much on here I challenge. It just so happens that I agree on this one.

News / Donald Tusk - the worst PM of 3rd RP. [79]

Just as I thought. I'd like to interview him, just casually to see some of his views.

News / Poland. Sold for nothing. [341]

This will be spun out for a long time. It's my understanding that inspectors aren't being allowed to check certain sites. As JohnP has said, they can't be sure that underground complexes aren't producing nukes as we speak.

If intel cannot get that kind of info then this excuse will be trotted out indefinitely. If Israel or the US don't have actionable intelligence, how do they expect to snuff out or even know of definite threats? If they do know of those threats then they should act accordingly.

News / Donald Tusk - the worst PM of 3rd RP. [79]

Half a year on, has he done anything more?

News / Did you heard for Polish tourist-bus tragedy on the road, in Serbia? [12]

Hmm...I'm off to the Balkans in 25 days. I hope this doesn't happen again.

Nice respects, Crow.

Work / I have a "zero" chance to succeed in Poland - I do not have a degree! [93]

It's just elitism, delph. Many Poles are very defensively proud and will attempt to raise the profile in any way. They often cheat their way through. This is an inbuilt mentality, to get a good result by fair means or foul.