N0 DEGREE? - success is still within your grasp.

John worked in a coffee shop serving people in a large multinational company.

The longer he worked there, though, the more he decided it would be great to work for the actual company and not the coffee shop contractor. Talking to one of his customers, John learned that the company had an apprentice scheme. He applied, was accepted, and landed a full-time technical position in customer support.

Are you uncertain about your future career prospects because you don't have a degree? Don't despair. Many employers are now looking for people with basic skills rather than degrees.

For example, despite downsizing, companies such as Google, Apple, IBM, Mastercard, and Bank of America have been recruiting for skills, not just degrees. All these significant employers have a good track record of hiring employees with the necessary skills to get jobs done, with or without a degree.

The World Economic Forum projects that more than 40 per cent of skills needed will have changed within three or four years. No wonder companies increasingly search for intelligent and bright individuals who can become valuable team members with proper training and workplace experience.

Employers are also often desperate to improve productivity. Yet, Harvard Business School and Accenture research show that having a degree does not mean the holder can think critically or is highly adaptable. When college graduates do skilled-based jobs, there are, in fact, no productivity benefits.

BASIC SKILLS

Basic skills in demand include communication, problem-solving, teamwork, time management, and adaptability. You can develop these skills in various ways, such as through internships, volunteering, online courses, or even personal projects.

An organisation that insists you must have a degree to be employed there is almost certainly hiring inefficiently. Instead, hold your ground and be ready to showcase your current skill set. In a growing field such as tech, the demand for specialised skills far outstrips the supply, even though recent job losses have temporarily made that route less easy.

Employers who turn away the degreeless face a severe disadvantage. Degree requirements may even undermine an organisation’s commitment to racial diversity. For example, a US Opportunity@Work study found that requiring degrees eliminates 83% of Latinos, 76% of African Americans and 81% of rural residents from jobs that they are otherwise qualified to fill with the skills they have.

Organisations with an unnecessary insistence on credentials will, therefore, only have access to a more limited pool of talent from which they can draw. Knowing that wise employers are now looking more closely at what jobs must have a degree.

For example, a cybersecurity job would once have specified experience and the degrees required. The focus is now on a list of desired skills, attributes, and core capabilities to do the job, such as developing hypotheses and applying programming languages.

Apprenticeships can be a better route to employment than the once highly regarded degree. The company Aon, for example, offers its first apprenticeship opportunities in finance, IT, and human resources. Asking whether a potential employer has considered this in your case could be a smart move. Since its launch in 2016, Accenture’s apprenticeship programme has expanded rapidly, boosted by recruits from industries such as hospitality that were hit by the pandemic.

TRY A DIRECT APPROACH

How would you approach a potential employer if your research uncovers a role you strongly fancy? Since "nothing ventured, nothing gained”, here’s the sort of letter you might consider sending:

Dear [Potential Employer],

I am writing to express my interest in your company's [specific role] position. Although I do not have a degree, I have gained valuable experience and skills through previous work experience and training. These skills make me an excellent candidate for the position.

My experience includes skills such as [for example, I have hands-on experience via a coding boot camp and have completed an industry-related vocational class.], which is particularly useful in this role.

I am also a quick learner, highly adaptable and always eager to explore new opportunities. I can rapidly adapt to the demands of this position and make a valuable contribution to your team.

Thank you for considering my application. I look forward to hearing from you soon.

Sincerely, [Your Name]

By relaxing a demand that new hires must have a university education, around 45 per cent of entry-level roles do not now require a four-year degree. Last year 22 per cent of entry-level jobs were year filled by apprenticeships.

FINAL THOUGHTS

Being degreeless is not such a handicap as it once used to be.

Astute employers bent on recruiting talent increasingly reject sole reliance on a degree to filter out job applicants.

Some automated recruitment systems remain stuck with a “must have a degree” caveat. If you don’t have one, stay alert to organisations that emphasise what skills you have and whether you can demonstrate abilities in areas such as analytical thinking, communication, adaptability and relationship building.

Sources:

C. Ammerman et al., The New Collar Workforce, HBR March 2023.

B. Raman and C. Ward, The next era of work will be about skills–not pedigree, Fortune, January 5, 2023, https://fortune.com/2023/01/05/next-era-of-work-skills-degree-jobs-raman-ward/

B. Staton, In-house training gets staff ready to step up, FT, March 29, 2023, https://www.ft.com/content/5b962c22-1db7-4fc5-8696-5ca9efd52772