Hunting for a new job but bombarded with positions asking for a 4-year degree
In today’s world, when we are out hunting for a new job we’re bombarded with positions asking for a 4-year degree. This is great in theory; the organization is seeking someone with knowledge of job processes and a fresh perspective. However, what most job listings don’t tell you is, quite often, experience is accepted in place of that degree! The advantage to having experience in your realm of expertise is less time/money spent on employee training, you’re able to overcome obstacles having possibly faced that challenge before and you already know how to apply your knowledge because you’ve done it firsthand. Real world experience is invaluable. Always assume that “experience in lieu of a degree” is implied and don’t be intimidated to apply the jobs that don’t specifically list that.
Are you worried you aren’t getting calls back because you don’t have a degree? STOP! You are a gold mine for a company. You don’t realize how much it saves them to hire someone with experience:
“As a business owner, I can tell you without hesitation that I would rather hire someone with no degree and 2 years of relevant experience than someone with a degree and no relevant experience. Now granted, having both would be nice, but a degree is not a reflection of knowledge or ability, whereas experience and success in a given field is a direct reflection of both.” – Sam McRoberts
A great example of this can be found in the Sales and IT world. In sales, results talk, that degree doesn’t show that you are able to apply anything you’ve learned or have that special something that sales people have allowing them to be successful. In IT, if you have a degree and it’s 20 years old, it’s not valuable or even relevant to technology today. Someone who has 5 recent years of IT experience is far more valuable than someone who has a 20 year old graduate degree but hasn’t touched a computer in the last 12 months. If you’re pursuing a degree, many organizations will also hire and many offer tuition reimbursement. The bottom line, you are valuable, let your experience work for you and don’t forget to follow up with HR or the hiring manager once you’ve submitted your Resume. Let them know you’re interested, experienced and have a wealth of knowledge in your field.
