For many years, college degrees were increasingly a requirement for a wide variety of jobs. At times, employers made degrees mandatory even when higher education didn’t seem necessary based on the role’s responsibilities. Often, this led candidates to assume that they couldn’t launch a successful career if they didn’t attend college, even if they were otherwise highly capable.
Today, the landscape is changing. Employers are increasingly open to other strategies that allow professionals to acquire the necessary skills. As a result, a wider variety of roles are potentially accessible to more of the labor force.
Overall, this trend is relatively new, but it’s been growing rapidly. Here’s a look at the types of companies that are increasingly open to hiring candidates without college degrees, as well as how you can pursue these opportunities if you didn’t graduate from – or even attend – college.
Companies That Are Hiring Candidates Without Degrees
One of the sectors where requiring degrees is falling out of trend is tech. Technology companies are realizing that there are many pathways that allow a candidate to earn the necessary skills. Plus, pervasive skill shortages mean that making degrees mandatory makes a limited talent pool even smaller, making it hard to achieve their hiring goals.
However, technology jobs aren’t the only ones where degrees are becoming less necessary. Companies are increasingly embracing a skills-based strategy for hiring, particularly those with talent shortages. Essentially, if it’s reasonable to develop the needed capabilities over the course of a career, whether a person also has a degree isn’t as relevant in the eyes of many employers.
For example, while many jobs for administrative professionals previously had degrees as a requirement, that isn’t necessarily as common now. Employers understand that many administrative tasks are manageable by professionals who have acquired their skills elsewhere. Similarly, professionals in the field may be able to learn the necessary ability to shift into an office management job without a degree, too.
Now, there are some professions where degree requirements aren’t diminishing. Generally, this will apply to roles where licensing or regulatory requirements make college degrees functionally mandatory. For instance, it can apply to many healthcare or financial positions, as licensing and regulations play a role in hiring.
How to Get a Professional Role Without a College Degree
Generally, getting a professional role without a college degree means developing the necessary skills through other means. On-the-job experience may work in some cases. For others, alternative types of formal training – like boot camps, professional certificates, or vocational programs – may work as a substitute for a college degree.
At times, candidates can even qualify if their learning is self-directed. Usually, this strategy works best in jobs where demonstrating the necessary capabilities to hiring managers by preparing a portfolio can work. The portfolio serves as proof of the needed expertise, making it easier for hiring managers to determine if a job seeker has the right skills.
Ultimately, getting a professional position without a college degree is increasingly possible, but it’s critical to remember that this trend is relatively new. Still, it means that candidates may have more options to explore, particularly if they’re already developing transferable skills that prepare them for their target position using other means.
Start Your Job Search Today
If you’re ready to launch an exciting career without having to get a college degree first, you have options. Contact the team at A.R. Mazzotta to learn more, or visit our website to check out our open jobs today.