Does Education Outweigh Experience?

Job hunting is not an easy task and, with tools and techniques evolving as quickly as technology these days, it is likely to get more difficult the older you become. While you are looking for leads in your search, it is easy to get drawn into the education vs experience debate on the side of which one you have more of. There are some reasons why education can still outweigh experience for most employers and job seekers alike, knowing what these reasons are can help you design your resumes and applications to better grab the attention of hiring managers as well as choose positions where you are more likely to be hired.

Hard Skills

Hard skills are those which are integral to the industry or job position. For instance, if you earn a global risk management degree online, you are more likely to have competencies in the areas of risk management, international business relations and logistics. These are hard skills needed by companies looking to expand overseas or international offerings, break into global markets or improve international business relationships. If you have experience working for a global company on a risk management team, but no degree to list on a resume, then future employers will have less proof of these skills. This means that an employer would have to ask your references about hard skills or find them elsewhere on your resume to determine how well you meet the qualifications, and the hiring manager would have less confidence in your abilities.

Soft Skills

Soft skills are ones useful to a particular job, but not critical to the function. These include things like time management, critical thinking and research. These can be harder for potential employers to identify on your resume and they are only, legally, allowed to ask certain questions when calling past employers. A university degree from an accredited institution shows employers that you can manage your time well enough to attend classes and complete coursework, that your critical thinking and research skills are good enough to get you through a broad range of topics, and that you have the motivation to complete long-term goals. Soft skills can often translate to better job performance, more effective interpersonal communications and much more that give employers confidence in your ability to improve the company. Most of those with degrees have developed these skills during the coursework and have proven a proficiency in them by passing classes or through involvement with student groups and activities.

Certifications

Some jobs require degrees, certifications and licenses for legal or ethical reasons. One of the biggest examples of this is in legal fields. A law degree certifies to employers that you have taken courses in ethics, in practice your degree focuses on and in the many aspects of practicing law. This type of degree is required to pass the bar exam in many states, which gives you the ability to practice law without government censure and gives clients confidence in who they retain for legal matters. Other certifications can be earned on the way to a degree such as those specific to a piece of hard or software extensively used on the job. For instance, while earning a computer science degree, you can earn certifications in coding languages and in repairing various brands of computers. These certifications can be listed individually on your resume and qualify you for positions related to those skills.

Job Security

Statistics have shown that you are more likely to be employed, and earn higher salaries, the higher your education is. While the employment rates for those with a bachelor’s degree varies by subject, people who earn a master’s or doctorate have the lowest unemployment rates. This can be due to any or all of the factors above, but it can also be attributed to tradition or to employer bias. The statistics, however, show that you have a higher job security with higher education, which can be a motivating factor for more working professionals to continue with their education while on the job. Employers often take advantage of this by offering to help pay for college courses, by making promotions dependent on degrees or certifications and by bumping up the salaries of those who continue to learn.

When it comes to the education vs experience debate, having both on your resume is the best answer. With a degree, you have more job security, proof of hard skills and related certifications or licenses needed for the career field. You can also prove that you have soft skills such as interpersonal communications, critical thinking and time management with a higher education degree. While it has been traditional to earn a degree before entering the job market, higher education can be prohibitively expensive, and some employers are exploring other ways to earn or learn the things you need for the job. Experience and skills learned on the job can be just as useful, however, which is why more universities and companies are providing internships, work-study programs and on-the-job education opportunities.