How can I make my Italian high school diploma valid in the US?

How exactly does someone make $200,000 a year without getting a high school diploma or going to college?

• Edward Snowden has a GED, and yet he made $200,000 working as a Federal intelligence contractor. How did do it?

• Answer:

  In the specific case you refer to, the man is a geek with a lot of work experience in a geek field that doesn't require (or even much like) formal education. Presumably, he could deliver the goods, which is all any employer really cares about. The "you must have a college degree" is simply used by HR-types who lack the knowledge to actually recognize someone who can deliver the goods -- and often a corporate culture of college-educated middle managers hired through HR who are threatened by people who really know what they're doing. But the US and the rest of the developed world is filled with examples of high paid, successful individuals lacking formal education credentials. For example ... 1. Topnotch techs, such as a computer-network gurus. I know several who dropped out of High School, took lots of tech jobs and did private certification courses, and moved there way up the corporate ladder. I even have a good friend who was admitted to the top MBA program in the country with no HS diploma or college degree, all on the basis of his work experience, sponsoring company, and GMAT scores: he's now the CFO of a Fortune 500 company and is only 34 years old. 2. First rate salesmen on full commission. If you can sell, you will ALWAYS have a job and be paid well. No business cares about your academic credentials if you can bring in customers and close deals. 3. Successful tradesmen who become self-employed contractors and/or entrepreneurs. ... I could go on. But the fact is you've been misled if you think formal education in traditional academic institutions is essential to success, advancement, and top pay in every occupation. In England the vast majority of the population leaves traditional academia at age 16, begin work in some vocation -- including office jobs in marketing, advertising, and administration -- and take vo-tech classes (paid for by their employer) while working. The last 2 years of High School are only for those going to university, and university educations there are simply to "become educated", not get a better job, though university degrees are required to pursue careers as medical doctors, barristers, theologians, clergymen, and academics. When I worked in international marketing for Harris Corp., the only person in our British offices and Irish manufacturing plant with a university degree was a South African marketing analyst.