Work, Technology & Experience
How Much Is Experience Worth?
A question I've been asking myself recently:
How much is experience worth?
Many job descriptions ask for degrees, certifications, and formal qualifications. That's understandable. They provide a recognised benchmark.
But what about the person who has spent 20, 30, or 40 years solving real problems?
The person who started in one career and ended up in another.
The person whose industry changed.
The person who adapted to new technology.
The person who learned new skills simply because they had to.
Today, AI is changing jobs. Automation is changing jobs. Entire industries look different from the way they did just twenty years ago. That's no time at all in either a career or an education.
Many experienced people find themselves asking:
“Am I still relevant?”
AI is causing thousands of people to ask that question. From artists and writers to administrators, designers, programmers, and managers.
I think the answer is yes.
If we think of AI as a tool that can access and present information, human beings still bring something more. We bring experience, judgement, authority, compassion, creativity, and resilience.
Qualifications matter
They demonstrate commitment, learning, and recognised achievement. But a qualification earned thirty years ago is not enough on its own. The world changes, technology changes, and we have to change with it.
Learning matters too
Learning is not something we finish when we leave school, college, or university. It is something we continue throughout life. Experience puts us in a strong position, while learning and certification help us remain relevant.
Why experience matters
Because the ability to understand problems, communicate with people, adapt, learn, and apply judgement is not easily replaced.
Some of the most valuable people I've met were not valuable because of a certificate on the wall.
They were valuable because they had seen things before, understood the bigger picture, and knew how to help others avoid mistakes.
Their value came not only from what they knew, but from the people they had worked with, supported, learned from, and guided throughout their careers.
That isn't something you learn from a textbook.
Perhaps the challenge isn't that experience has lost its value.
Perhaps we've forgotten how much value it still holds.
What do you think matters most today: qualifications, experience, or the ability to keep learning?