My cousin has the opposite problem- he feels he's being passed up for jobs he wants because he has a PhD in engineering, but he doesn't feel he has enough real-world experience to apply for the jobs requiring his degree.

This happens in the STEM field. Attorneys in the life science fields often need a PhD while those with engineering backgrounds are fine with a BS or MS. Clients expect it.

Some people think that if you have a masters and the job doesn't require it you will always be looking for the next best thing. It is true! I wouldn't put an MBA on my resume unless it required an MBA.

15 years experience and a demonstrated skill set in the field vs. 5 years with the MBA? i guess my question is what is the value added that MBA degree brings to my firm?

I have a very good friend who is now the President of a major company's international sales division and he doesn't even have a BA. However, he has a record going on 20 -30 years of successfully starting businesses and spinning them off, and in developing overseas sales channels for recognized brand name companies.

Two things. One, I have an MBA, and my boss doesn't. My company (a major fortune 200 one in the area) doesn't really care that I have a grad degree and she doesn't. i've found the opposite of what you're saying is true--that having an advanced degree isn't that important sometimes.

Second, if I'm hiring for a job, and I have 300 applicants, and many of them have similar experience, wouldn't you rather have someone with a masters or beyond, instead of an AA, all other things being equal?

I was having a conversation with one of my DD's friends parents this weekend about jobs and degrees. We both felt there is a lot if degree inflation in this area, i.e. jobs requiring a BA when just an AA or HS diploma will suffice, an MA instead of a BA, etc. I had told her that I was wondering why a job I was interested in required Ph.D when that was not rely necessary for the skillet required to do the job. She says she sees the same thing in her industry - people with years if demonstrated experience getting passed over by less-skilled and less experienced people b/c they have a degree that is not necessarily relevant to doing the actual job. She felt that this type of degree inflation goes on in this region b/c we are so top heavy with JDs, MBAs, MAs, PhDs, etc. that managers feel they need the degree and dpsomehiw weight more then skill and experience.