Education vs. Experience - Courtesy of the Trump Blog

I read this posting a week or two ago on Donald Trump's blog. Not only do I think Trump offers sound advice, but his is also timely since many students have graduated, or are getting ready to graduate, from college and post-graduate studies this season. The "education vs. experience" argument is often brought up in the "real world," too. Again, I like what Donald has to say.

Now, you be the judge!

Here’s a topic that can be argued positively from both sides. My father, Fred C. Trump, didn’t have the advantage of a college education yet he became very successful. He was smart, focused and he worked hard every day. But he knew the advantages of having a good education. He put his younger brother through college, and my uncle went on to get his Ph.D. from M.I.T. and became a professor of physics. Education was stressed when I was growing up, and my father made sure we had the best education possible.

While I had the great advantage of attending Wharton, one of the great business schools in the world, I learned a great deal from my father. The combination of my education and his experience was a tremendous situation for me to be in when I started to work with him after college. I also watched him work hard while I was growing up and I visited construction sites with him often.

I will always emphasize the importance of education because it will equip you in the best way to succeed. But we all know people who excel in school and don’t seem to be able to make it in the real world. Perhaps they lack experience in the workforce, and think it will be like an academic environment, or maybe they just don’t have the smarts or the ambition to succeed.

One thing I’m wary of when I review prospective employees is an over abundance of ‘experience’ in the sense of having many jobs for short periods of time. It makes me think that, despite the variety of experiences they’ve had, that they won’t be around for very long. Even though I’m known for saying “you’re fired!” on national television, I prefer to keep people around. I’ve had many people stay with me for well over twenty years. That makes for a strong core, and The Trump Organization is a tight weave. That’s one reason we’re successful.

My advice is to get the best education you can and while getting experience to go along with it. Learning how the real world operates--and learning how to operate in it--will give you the double edge that is necessary for success.