That's interesting, Dave. It reminds me of an experience my son, Ed, had a few years ago. After 10 or 11 years building houses, he went from a nail driver to a foreman to a licensed contractor. But then he decided, at age 29, to go to the university and become a civil engineer. After graduation, he submitted an application to an engineering firm. They would not have looked at it without the UT degree in engineering, but what got their attention was the hands-on construction background. They had applications from lots of 22 year-old engineers with good grades and no work experience at all. Ed at 33 was more mature, with the right work experience, and a degree. He got the job. When they hired him, the comment was, "We're interested in your construction experience."
You just never know what will make you stand out from the rest.
Howard