I’ve had several of my more experienced clients come to me with concerns about lacking a Bachelor’s degree. They want to know whether they should be applying to positions that require a Bachelor’s, even if they aren’t able to meet that requirement.
My answer is, “It depends.”
For folks who have established careers in which they’ve held similar jobs working for a comparable companies in the past, you should always apply. For example, if you’re a salesperson who specializes in selling scientific instruments and the position in question involves selling a similar technology you should ignore the bachelor’s requirement and apply. This rule applies to experienced technologists, marketing executives, human resources types, accountants, and others. It holds especially true if the job has been posted by one of your prior competitors.
If you lack the degree and comparable experience, don’t waste your time. Look for something that’s a closer fit.
It blows my mind that degrees are so often required, especially for senior level positions. With the exception of lawyers, doctors, structural/mechanical engineers, pilots, scientific researchers, and teachers, I struggle to think of many jobs that couldn’t be done well by someone with the appropriate experience in lieu of a formal education. Some of the most brilliant, most successful people I know haven’t earned degrees or hold degrees that are unrelated to their current field. I find that the Bachelor’s requirement is a coded way for employers to signal that they’re looking for someone who can effectively read, write, speak, and engage in logical reasoning. If you can do these things and you have relevant hands-on experience, don’t let the Bachelor’s requirement stop you.
If you have a question you’d like to see answered on the Dark Horse blog, get in touch! You can email me at info@darkhorse.llc.
Keep going, friends. You’ve got this.