You’re sitting at your desk one day, going over resumes that have been sent in for your consideration. You look at the resumes with dread, never enjoying the process of finding a new hire. But the job has to be done. So you go through the resumes of those whom you have interviewed. After some time, you know that it comes down to two candidates.
The first one is a college graduate with a Master’s degree in your field. He just graduated college two years ago. He took up an internship and wants to join your company with plenty of fresh knowledge. The second person never went to college but has nineteen years of relevant experience – almost two decades of working in the same field. Let’s top it off by saying that the college-educated individual doesn’t meet all of your qualifications. But remember, they have that piece of paper.
So who do you hire?
I’ve run into many people who would hire the person who went to college, simply because they went to college. But what about real world experience? Shouldn’t that play a factor in the hiring process?
The example that I gave is a comparison between my husband and many of the people who have been hired instead of him. He has worked in the same industry, doing the same job, since some of the other applicants were toddlers. He is skilled and sought after in his industry, regularly having recruiters trying to rope him into a new (usually better paying) job. But some hiring managers find college to be more important than…well, actually knowing what you’re doing.
Now don’t get me wrong. I am not saying that all college-educated people are not worthy of their jobs. I know plenty of people who did go to college and are absolutely worth the money that they’re making – if not more (see: teachers). But the truth is that there seems to be a stigma that lacking a degree makes you less worthy. Let’s change that up. If a person is qualified for the job, don’t hold a degree over their head. Some people learn better on the job.
