brrrrrrtttt stop shooting goddammit ! Im fing hit <| sep |> Lime orange and saffron fruit hates for gt and X devil <| sep |> The 21 year old with 4 years of technical support experience . Your comparison is a false dichotomy . Here ' s what I wrote Assuming that they all have approximately the same level of passion , experience , interest , and desires . The guy with the degree is probably going to win the gig , right ? Moving the goal posts to win isn ' t the answer here . As degrees become more and more standard for young people to attain , especially degrees that include relevant vocational qualifications , the barrier for entry will go up and up until the best chances to get a juniorgraduate level job will require one . So , to make a comparable statement you ' d need to compare the 2 candidates who are roughly equivalent except one has both a degree and is certification qualified , while the other person doesn ' t . Sure , experience matters , but the stuff you learn outside of your job gives you range to adapt quickly to new things .