That is the question I have been asking myself ever since I worked in Human Resources over 15 years ago and I still cannot answer the “Why”?
Why do Employers prefer a College Degree over Experience? #career Click To TweetI remember back in my 20’s, I was a Marketing Assistant. The Marketing Manager was terminated, so I stepped up and filled the shoes as “acting” Manager. It was then determined that the position would be filled. The job description was posted in-house as well as publicly.
Of course, since I was already performing the job, and well I might add, I applied for the position. Do you know, even though I was doing the job, that I was overlooked based solely on the fact I did not have a College Degree in Marketing?
Why is that?
I found myself in this position, once again, about ten years later. However, this time, I was performing the job for more than a few months and doing it well. Again, the lack of that “piece of paper” hindered me from being promoted into the very position I was already performing.
Have you ever been slighted in this way?
Why Do Employers Care So Much About a Certificate or Degree?
Is this the way the justify the position and the salary? Or is it merely political?
If you Google or Bing this question, you will find so many varying responses and still not have a definitive answer.
Some say that having a College Degree proves that you are motivated and have drive. Simply because someone did not have the money to attend College to earn their degree and learned the trade on their own by experience, doesn’t mean they are not motivated. I beg to differ.
You can’t even state that a person with a degree is smarter or more polished than one without. Even though someone may be “book smart”, their common sense (which is usually more important in our world), could be seriously lacking!
Shouldn’t Experience Outweigh a College Degree?
Let’s say you are hiring for a Management position. You have two candidates of which one is young and has a College Degree in the field. The other is a veteran employee who has over five years experience in the field and is fully capable of performing the job very well.
Why do you choose the young, inexperienced college degree applicant over the veteran employee that is well-versed in the field?
Did you know Steve Jobs and Bill Gates were college dropouts? #successful #entrepreneursClick To Tweet2012 Statistics
I stumbled upon this Infographic is my search for relevant information. I wanted to share it with you because it reveals how society reacts to those with a College Degree versus those without.
Created by
Varsity
Tutors – Private Tutoring & Test Prep
The Debate Continues
Should a person with a College Degree be hired before one with equal hands-on experience?
What are your thoughts on this debate? If you have experience in the Human Resources or Personnel field, what have you seen (if you can share)? Does that “piece of paper” really matter?
How does this relate to the Work-At-Home force?
Let’s discuss!
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Brenda Pace
I have over 28 years as an Administrative Assistant, including at the Executive Level. I also have over 5 years experience as a Content Writer, Webmaster, Web Designer, and Social Media Promoter. If you're in need of assistance, please Send me an email and let me know how I can help.Latest posts by Brenda Pace (see all)
- Why Do Employers Prefer a College Degree over Experience? #Infographic - February 23, 2016
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