Just as I look at that person and consider how scrappy and determined they must have been to get a start in an industry that's not terribly friendly to juniors.

Just as I look at that person and consider how scrappy and determined they must have been to get a start in an industry that's not terribly friendly to juniors. I know because I did it. Then earned a degree later that filled in some gaps, which I seldom use. Of course, it's just one tiny metric and not the most important of anything I would consider, but a degree earned or not maybe a decade or two before I meet them often tells me more about their family upbringing than it does their current ability.