Strategies to minimize the impact of not having the required college degree

Dear Sam: I read your column often and have never seen anyone’s question on this topic. I am 49 years of age and for the past 7 years I was a senior plant manager of a small food processing plant in the area. Recently, I was replaced. My focus now is to find a new job and I haven’t had any success to this point. I think there are 2 major issues confronting my quest: I am nearing 50 and I feel the biggest drawback is that I don’t possess a degree. I am in no way criticizing those that do have degrees, but it frustrates me that so many employers require it with positions I know I may qualify for. For example: I did all of the hiring for inside operations at our plant. I hired several employees with Associates, a few with Bachelors, and even one with a Masters degree. Just because one might have a degree doesn’t always mean they are the best ones for the job. Certain positions many times call for specific types of personalities or talents or attitudes, which a degree will not supply.

When I read the qualifications in a particular ad thinking to myself that I have the experience and I could qualify for this position, then I read the requirements for the job and the dreaded "degree" word takes the wind out of my sails. Am I wasting my time sending a résumé anyway? I loved my job. I want to believe that there is someone out there who is in dire need of my unique background and personality. I think surely that there is a need for a strong leader with hands-on talents, many years of experience, and I do have approx. 60 credit hours of college work completed. Any advice? - Jim in Baltimore

Dear Jim: Absolutely, there are a number of strategies you can employ to minimize the impact of not having a degree when one is required for a particular opportunity. Let’s touch on a few:

Never mention that you don’t hold a degree: The worst thing you can do is to explain on your resume or cover letter that you do not hold a degree. There is a possibility that if you present a strong enough image of your past, a hiring manager could qualify you for an interview before even noticing you don’t hold a degree. I always tell my clients not to mention disqualifying factors, particularly in their cover letter, unless of course by not doing so you don’t stand a chance of being brought in for an interview. Only then is highlighting a disqualifying factor worth the risk.

Define unique skills/strengths gained through hands-on experience: You possess a unique background and skill set, and your challenge is to sell that to the hiring manager. Review your background and identify what makes you different from candidates that hold a degree but may have less experience. Use your qualifications summary to promote your value to the hiring manager, never mentioning that you don’t hold a degree. This is really of key importance, as if you are brought in for an interview and are competing against those that have degrees, you will have to sell yourself by articulating how you are more qualified for the job.

Highlight professional development and training: When you don’t have a degree it is imperative that you highlight all of your related training and education. Whether these are classes that you were sent to by your employer, training programs that you pursued personally, or even more informal seminars you attended, highlighting these showcases your continued development in the field, and goes a long way to minimizing the impact of not having a degree.

Highlight the college education you do have: When a degree is required I tell my clients that it is best to highlight the college education they do have versus omitting the education section entirely. The latter strategy is often best when a degree is not required or simply preferred, as by placing an education section on your resume in this situation, and the incomplete degree, you only highlight the fact that you do not possess that qualification. In your case however, and in most cases where degrees are required, it is advantageous to communicate that you completed some college. Simply present this as such:

Columbus University, Columbus, Ohio
Completed 60 Hours Towards a Bachelor of Science Degree, 1985-1987

If you completed your college further back than the amount of years of experience you are including on your resume, then consider omitting the dates to avoid unnecessarily aging your candidacy.

Enroll in a degree program: I’m not sure if it is a possibility or not, but if not having a degree is a barrier to entry back into the jobs you want, then enrolling in a degree program might be a good option. As soon as you are enrolled you can place the college name and anticipated degree and graduation date on your resume. This would appear as such:

Columbus University, Columbus, Ohio
Bachelor of Science, anticipated 2007

You may be lucky enough to get in the door to a company that offers tuition reimbursement, and is willing to fund the remainder of the degree.

Lastly, in response to your question of whether to apply for these positions when you lack the degree required, I’d answer yes every time! Most of the time you will be able to apply via email which costs just a few minutes of your time. While I always recommend sending a hard copy of your resume too, if you want to save the price of a stamp then at least you have applied and have the prospect of an interview. It is always better to have more possibilities rather than less, so I’d take any opportunity to apply for a role you feel qualified for, regardless of not having the required degree. After all, you’ll likely also be competing with candidates who lack other qualifications, so the playing field may be more even than your think. I hope these strategies help get your resume and your job search on the right path. All the best!