Education Challenges -- Do You Lack a Degree or Advanced Certification?

You may have only a high school diploma or an Associate of Arts degree and find that most management-level jobs today require at least a bachelor’s degree (or say they do). And for those companies or organizations that have a fixed policy, the education challenges may be insurmountable . . . or seem to be.

If your chosen field is one that most companies will require a bachelor's degree and/or some special education credentials, you may have more options than you think. There are, for example, organizations like www.eLearners.com and www.WorkingMom.com that provide financial aid, including scholarships to parents (of both sexes) to help overcome the time and financial challenges to furthering their education.

When it comes to making decisions about an advanced degree, the issues are complex. It's generally felt that once you've been in the field for some number of years, going for a master's degree will be difficult to justify in terms of cost vs. income growth . . . unless you are being sponsored by the company that is employing you.

On your own, however, the cost and time commitment aren't usually justified. But then you may be in (or entering) a field that is relatively new or one where there are some extraordinary circumstances that change the equation.

Clearly, however, where lack of a degree or special education is a fixed requirement that you cannot overcome, you will have a different path to finding the right position . . . but it's not all that different from people with other challenges.

Focus On Your Track Record.

Your odds will also be greatly improved if you can identify companies where C-level executives didn’t complete college or where the company faces one or more specific challenges that you have real experience in. That’s where the research comes in. You can also find those individuals who value personal relationships (vs. number crunching) or are wary of MBAs . . . who consider them the "geniuses who invaded Wall Street and took the world financial community to the brink of disaster!" In these situations, you may face no insurmountable education challenges at all!

The recent turn down in the financial and business world has given some people pause about the value of education-driven decisions. An article on the Harvard Business blog recently gave entrepreneurs a higher score than MBAs for making superior decisions in crisis situations. And the need for experience and industry knowledge is a main driver in the emerging opportunities for consulting.

Acquire Credentials In Specialized Areas.

He began studying up on energy issues and the difficulties faced by contractors and equipment manufacturers in meeting city codes relating to solar system installations. (One example: Many city building inspection departments simply didn’t know enough about the “new” technology to write consistent guidelines, causing major delays and costly revisions due to inconsistencies between building codes and fire codes,and even inconsistencies between inspectors within the same departnment.)

He studied on his own, attended extension courses offered by colleges and signed up for correspondence courses, all of which offered certificates of completion, continuing education units or other acknowledgements (which he listed on his resume).

Instead of letting his lack of higher education remain a challenge, he was able to demonstrate management ability and people skills and couple them with considerable knowledge in an emerging industry. As a result, he landed a senior management job with an energy consulting firm.

The Right Kind Of Company Can Make Room For You . . .
If You Are Clearly A Valuable Addition To Its Management Team.

But, you just have additional work to do in finding them.

If you’re gifted or ambitious enough, you can set up a website and/or publish white papers and articles on your area of expertise that will attract people to you. Once they respect your knowledge and/or grow to like you, the path to getting hired becomes a lot easier.

You will also want to pay close attention to the advantages of using a Profile Resume or even carefully-crafted bios when making initial contacts. These, combined with dynamite Cover Letters, highlight your Accomplishments and build your credentials in advance of face-to-face meetings. They eliminate the obvious education challenges by removing a lot of the need for ”interrogational” questions that would normally get asked.

Management Skills vs. Technical Knowledge

And second, some of the most brilliant entrepreneurs and business leaders didn’t have the patience to finish college. Bill Gates is a prime example. There are many others.

What should you take away from these thoughts? Focus on your management skills, attend seminars and college extension courses, thoroughly document your Accomplishments and look for companies that are entrepreneurial. You should also purchase a book published by JIST, Top 100 Careers Without a Four-Year Degree.

Be Able To Demonstrate That You Are Knowledgeable About Current Business Topics.

And, at least consult our Suggested Reading List for Business Books. We’ve provided links to Amazon.com and many of these books allow you to review the Table of Contents and even preview a chapter or two. This list, while not complete for every field, can serve as a guide to some of the more popular titles you might be asked about in an interview. The more you know, the more valuable you become. The formal education challenge pales in the face of demonstrated competence.

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