"Given a choice between hiring someone who learned on the side with no real world experience and hiring someone with real world experience - the latter wins."

"Given a choice between hiring someone who learned on the side with no real world experience and hiring someone with real world experience - the latter wins." Lol so I'm in a catch 22 and your precious advice does not apply. "That’s why you do volunteer for opportunities where you can up skill on the job" That's not how my org works.