Skills, ethics, and experience matter more than your degree to most employers
Undergraduates are waking up to a grim reality: their years of study, although valuable, are simply not good enough for a successful career.
In fact, not only are they not good enough, they are sometimes wholly irrelevant to their future career choices, or simply not necessary.
In fact, the percentage of jobs requiring a college degree—bachelor’s or postgraduate—was 44% in 2021, down from 51% in 2017, according to HBR (Harvard Business Review). Employers such as Google, IBM, and Tesla, are removing degree requirements from many of their roles, in a bid to pivot to skills-based hiring.
The same HBR article also noted that the actual financial rewards you reap from getting a degree are conflicting. Citing research from Georgetown University, “the lifetime earning potential of a worker with a bachelor’s degree is $2.8 million,” HBR said. “Without a degree the expected earning power is $1.6 million. But in a study of universities in Massachusetts, college graduates were found to earn no more than high-school graduates. Plus, they must work 20 years to recoup the cost of their tuition, money they could have used to purchase a home, invest, or save for retirement.”
Additionally, the prevailing sentiment amongst graduates is increasingly turning away from degrees and in favor of other forms of learning to qualify for their careers.
Enter…certifications.
How To Get A Job Without A Degree In 2024
“Nearly two-thirds (61%) of graduates think a professional industry qualification or certification will be more valuable than a post-graduate degree in helping drive their career forward,” says Staffing Industry Analysts when commenting on the findings of the 2024 CFA Institute Graduate Outlook Survey, which surveyed nearly 10,000 Gen Z graduates globally.
“At the same time, 95% say upskilling or acquiring certifications are important to the job market, and 71% say certifications will have a large impact on their job opportunities.”
Take Olivia Smith, a 25-year-old marketing manager in Texas.
As a non-degree holder, she says “there were hindrances along the way that prevented me from achieving my current job without a degree. At first, some employers seemed doubtful of my lack of any formal education. To combat this I confidently talked about my practical experience including skills acquired and achievements accomplished.”
The average marketing manager’s salary in the U.S. is $120,414, according to data from Salary.com. The median salary for marketing managers in the state of Texas, where Smith lives, is about $118,000. This sets her at a competitive and highly enviable compensation range, making six figures, without needing to worry about student debt repayments eating into her salary.
Smith continued, “Proving myself in the workplace required going above and beyond in my roles all the time producing high-quality work as well as accepting more responsibility to prove one’s worth.”
What steps did you take to stand out as a non-degree holder in the job market?
Smith credits her success in securing her job as a marketing manager to several factors.
Gaining an industry qualification dramatically boosts your chances of being seen as relevant by … [+]
1. Hands-On Experience
“My worth of experience and marketing skills helped me acquire the position,” Smith remarks. “I opted for practical training from part-time jobs, internships, or e-learning initiatives which gave me hands-on know-how. It was through such exercises that potential employers got to realize my worth in marketing-related tasks.
“For example, a strong portfolio that had things like some successful ad campaigns and projects provides actual evidence that proved my capacity in such work thereby impressing prospective employers while hiring me.”
2. Networking And Industry Events
“Also, I associated recurrently with the industry by attending events like the ones staged by marketing associations and connecting with professionals on LinkedIn. Therefore, these contacts often gave rise to openings among other things, leading to referrals facilitating considerable career growth.”
3. Career Certificates
Smith also gained relevant skills certificates from Google Analytics and Facebook Blueprint amongst others, that confirmed to employers that she had strong competence in various sectors with advertising.
4. Being Proactive
Additionally, the 25-year-old marketing manager was clear to state that she was extremely proactive in her job hunt as a candidate who did not have a bachelor’s degree or master’s degree.
“I spent so much time building my brand and having an active professional online presence,” she says. “Sometimes I would share insights about the industry, participate in content, and even write articles on marketing trends and techniques. And it was also significant to show that I value continuous learning.
“Therefore, to update myself with new skills and information I attended workshops, and webinars.”
5. Showcasing Results
“In addition, another critical strategy was highlighting my results-oriented approach in job applications and interviews,” Smith continues. “That is why, when preparing for interviews or writing cover letters, I would enumerate how particular successes were made like increasing engagement rates or driving sales through targeted campaigns.”
If you’re on the fence and considering whether or not to pursue an undergraduate or postgraduate degree—think twice.
You need to evaluate several considerations, including: overall value, return on investment (and how long it will take for you to realize return on investment), your career goals, and if a degree is mandatory for the profession you wish to pursue.
There are myriads of career certifications that boost your work competency, and provide you with foundational and advanced understanding of in-demand skills needed by employers, such as:
- Google Career Certificates: Google Data Analytics, Google Project Management Certificate, etc.
- HubSpot Academy digital marketing certifications
- PMI (Project Management Institute) certifications
- Other courses on Coursera, Allison, LinkedIn Learning, edX, Udemy, etc.
Certifications, short courses, and hands-on experience are the future. In fact, they are the now.
Be proactive to show that you value continuous learning, and emphasize your track record of results
Not only are they relatively inexpensive, but they equip you with tangible, job-ready skills—the kind that employers are lacking within their current workforce and that they are desperately searching for.