When I was in high school I assumed everyone went to college. My brothers were both away at Ivy League schools at the time and just about all of my friends were busy prepping for the SATs and visiting college campuses. But one good friend at the time told me he didn’t think he was going to go to college and I was shocked. I managed to convince him to go which in retrospect was not a great idea because he hated the experience and left after his second year.
I thought he should go because he was so smart. Not your typical straight A student smart, but street smart. He used his wit, charm, and good looks to talk his way out of anything and he was always able to stand up for himself, no matter what cards he was dealt. To me, it just seemed like college was a logical place for him to refine these skills and figure out how to apply what he knew to the real world. A few years after he left school he earned his real estate license and went on to become a successful agent and later start his own agency. He’s great at what he does because he knows what will sell, he sizes up people quickly, and he’s a great negotiator…people want to do business with him not because of his education, but because of his experience.
I have another friend who I met in my early 20s who was exceptionally smart in the traditional sense. He’s very well read with a rich vocabulary and an incredible imagination. He could have a conversation about just about anything from history to sports to music to literature and wow you with what he knows. He just never chose to learn what he knows through an institute of higher education. I caught up with him recently and now middle-aged and currently unemployed, he has decided to go back to school to earn a degree because he can’t seem to get past the job boards without one. His classes are way too easy for him and knowing him the way I do, he is probably bored by them already.
Both scenarios beg the question “What does a college degree have to do with intelligence or the ability to do a job well and why are many employers listing it as a hiring requirement?”
I recently sat in on a recruiter panel where a recruiter from a Fortune 500 company admitted to adding a Bachelor’s degree to the list of job requirements on job postings because it made it easier to screen out candidates. There was no discussion around the relevancy of the degree in predicting success in the job; just that the requirement made it easier to sort candidates in a competitive job market. I know that this recruiter is not alone in this practice which presents a challenge for job seekers who lack a college degree.
I meet many job seekers who are very concerned with the fact that they lack a four-year degree. Many often express regret, guilt, and even shame over not having one. They seem to have bought into the idea that without the degree, they either aren’t qualified for the position or don’t stand a chance at landing it. This is not necessarily the case. The real issue is that they are dealing with a gatekeeper who has put up an obstacle that they can’t get past. But the solution isn’t to give up or decide that the gatekeeper must be right; the solution is to go around the gatekeeper and find another door for entry.
I often write about the fact that most people get their jobs through their network. And when there is an obstacle in the way of your search, your network becomes even more crucial. So if a lack of a college degree is the obstacle, getting the degree isn’t necessarily the most efficient way around the obstacle. Here are a few things to consider.
- Rather than trying to get past a job board with a structured set of requirements, try to find an insider at the company who can advocate for you and let the decision maker know all you have to offer. Try every possible angle; talk to friends and family, reach out to colleagues and people you know through affinity groups, and search your contacts on LinkedIn and Facebook to find an in at the company. Once there is someone advocating for your candidacy and singing your praises, your academic credentials rarely become an important factor in granting an interview.
- If you have any college credits, list the university and area of study on your resume to show you have some college experience. If you have more than one year of college, you may want to list the number of credits you have as well.
- If you have licenses, certifications, or training classes that are relevant to your target audience, list them on the resume to show your dedication to continuing to gain knowledge in your area of expertise.
- When interviewing, showcase stories that prove you have been successful in your previous roles…maybe it’s a story about being the top sales person, the accountant who reaped the greatest savings for the company, the HR manager with the best time-to-hire metrics, or the self-made CEO who led the company from being in the red to multimillion-dollar profits. Your recent professional accomplishments generally have more relevancy than educational accomplishments achieved decades ago.
- During an interview, ask if there are any concerns about your candidacy to see if the hiring manager brings up your education. If they do, discuss how you have performed as well as or even better than your colleagues with a degree. Maybe you trained colleagues who had more formal education than you on a particular product or were selected to lead a project over your teammates despite not having a degree. Prove how your lack of a degree was not an impediment to doing your job well.
I learned a long time ago that education is not necessarily correlated with success in a job. I have read the success stories of corporate icons such as Bill Gates, Michael Dell, Richard Branson, Barry Diller, and Mark Zuckerberg, all who never graduated from college. If you have been struggling with your search and believe that your lack of a degree is creating a roadblock, try going down a different path to find the right contacts who can help you land your next gig.
Great post and should be a wake up call to Employers.I am now a CEO and Founder of a Network of Job Boards however prior I was a VP of Operations for 2 Major Financial Firms. I started a successful Recruiting Form in the late 90’s and was a Corporate Recruiter for 3 Large Corporations. I did it all without a degree I attended NY Institute of Finance and took some courses on Brokerage operations however the rest was having the desire to succeed.
I tell everyone that I speak with that may be concerned that they do not have a degree that “A Degree may open many doors however only those who know what to do when that door is open are successful” to everyone else it is just a piece of paper.
Personally, I agree in diversity. Everything is not beneficial to everyone, and per this article it reflects entrepreneur and other types of personalities who do wonderfully in life without degrees. I don’t think we’re all meant to go to college, and the author’s listing some of the most recognizable names in business really supports that correlation to success.
Regarding my particular company which is a full service advertising/marketing/public relations agency; our Hiring Managers most often require at least Bachelor degrees in Communications and Marketing due to the nature of the positions. They also want to ensure that candidates have exposure to what the college experience offers, group organization involvements, and specifically, the coursework background to specialize in those areas. It’s not JUST to screen applicants. In addition, internship experience is required to gain entry level Account Service and other positions as “ramping” up/training new employees is always a consideration. The ad agency is a bit of a different animal than a corporation.
Job Seekers often mistake that if they have a sales background that it translates directly into Account Service for advertising and marketing, but actually, it doesn’t. Selling products and services is only one component of the skills, knowledge, roles and responsibilities of advertising account service personnel and communications practioners such as research, public relations, sales data analysis, creatives, brand planning and management, to name several.
We do have accounting and other positions where college degrees are not mandatory, but those are the minority cases.
I support the points of this article, and would add:
I think it’s more important to be RELEVANT and appear innovative to the industry you want a job in. For example, if you didn’t get your bachelor’s in advertising/marketing/communications, public relations, etc., but want to be in advertising, then become a social media networking guru and get knowledgeable about the digital realm.
Join organizations in the field you are pursuing, market yourself on your resume including the software proficiency in applications that you have, and network and do your research on accounts (clients) because many are different and require different skills and proficiencies.
Think about your own personal brand: Find the inherent truth about yourself/experience/skills/talents/etc. and how you can make a statement and/or show on your resume or custom cover letter that will connect with that industry’s hiring manager on an emotional level and invite them to act on finding out if you’re a good fit.
Get creative, problem solve how to analyze barriers, generate ideas to solve them, do your research, and support them with results and then you’re on your way to overcoming the obstacle of not having a college degree in areas where you want to work.
Paul,
Thanks for sharing your story. I love your quote about opening doors…are you on Twitter? Sounds like a great tweet to me!
Paul, I admire you and your success! I have been with a company for over 24 years and was promoted throughout the years to top level executive with no degree. However, I am now faced with the daunting task of starting over. The roadblock of no degree drives me nuts! Will take your advice and keep the faith.
Allison,
These are excellent points and recommendations. I should clarify that my post is generally addressing the correlation between education and job success for a candidate who has been working for several years. A college education and a great internship can certainly differentiate an entry-level candidate, but as people move through their careers, I believe success in previous positions, rather than education should be the deciding factor. Thanks so much for commenting!
Barbara,
I love this post, because there are so many who fall into the category of “non college degree,” who are quite intelligent and successful. It reminds me of the book,
7 (Seven) Kinds of Smart: Identifying and Developing Your Multiple Intelligences,” by Thomas Armstrong. My daughter is not college smart, but is a crackerjack restaurant cook who is highly creative and intuitive. But she has suffered feelings of inadequacy because she doesn’t have a college degree in culinary arts.
Your tip about showcasing stories that reveal how someone has been successful in their career hits home with me. Alongside that concept, I ask clients to share any endorsements, testimonials, quotes about their work in publications they’ve received from their boss, vendors, clients, or other business contacts. Even community service awards and endorsements can be valuable to showcase success.
Best,
~Kathy
Kathy,
Good points. Recommendations from others can help build a job seeker’s credibility and help them overcome any potential bias from hiring managers about their ability to do the job.