How to Find a Job with No College Degree: 20 Tips
How to Find a Job with No College Degree: 20 Tips
One of the most-asked questions out there by job seekers is if one can find a job without a college degree. According to discussions over at runrex.com, Yes, it is possible to find a job without a college degree, as long as you can demonstrate that you have the skills and experience needed for the job. To that effect, here are 20 tips on how you can find a job with no college degree.
- Look in the right field
While it is possible to find a job even if you don’t have a college degree, this doesn’t apply to all fields. According to discussions over at guttulus.com, some professions such as engineers and doctors will always require higher education. Therefore, if you are to find a job with no college experience, make sure that you are looking for jobs in the right field; where a college degree is not a requirement.
- Get some education or training
Even though you don’t have a college degree, having some form of secondary training or education will help you stand out from the crowd and aid your efforts to find a job while also preparing you for the job you wish to do. Therefore, as outlined over at runrex.com, if you are to find a job with no college degree, you should consider educational paths like employer-based training, an associate degree, industry-based certifications, apprenticeships, and so forth.
- Ask yourself if you can do the job
Also, before applying, the gurus over at guttulus.com recommend that you take a close look at the job listing, read the job description, paying close attention to the required skills and experiences, then ask yourself if you can do the job. If you have most of the requisite skills and abilities needed for the job, and the only thing missing is the college degree, then why not go for it?
- Pay attention to the language used in the job listing
On a related note, you should also pay attention to the language used in the job listing before applying. If the college degree is listed as “recommended” or “desired” instead of “required”, then the hiring manager will be more likely to consider your application even if you don’t have a college degree.
- Don’t lie
Also, whatever you do on your application, don’t lie. If you never completed part of your studies, and, therefore, never graduated, or haven’t gone to college, don’t say you have a bachelor’s degree. Employers will check your background during the hiring process, and if they find out that you lied, then your chances of getting hired will evaporate.
- Connect your skills to the job listing
If you don’t have the educational requirements, then showing that you are a good fit for the job in every other way can help you land the job as per the experts over at runrex.com. If the job listing says applicants need to have “Experience in data analytics” for example, then you might want to mention your years of work in data analytics in your resume summary or your summaries of previous jobs.
- Ramp up your networking efforts
If you don’t have a college degree, then networking can be a good way to still get an interview when applying for a job. As discussed over at guttulus.com, you should try and reach out to anyone you know at the company you are applying to, let them know that you are applying for the job, and see if they are willing to write you a recommendation or tell the hiring manager about you.
- Focus on the positives
As far as your cover letter is concerned, the experts over at runrex.com recommend that you should avoid focusing on your lack of a college degree. This means focusing on the skills that you do have and explaining how your job experiences make you a strong fit for the job you are applying for.
- Think outside the application
You should also think creatively about other ways to distinguish yourself and land the job if your resume doesn’t meet the education requirements. This includes offering a portfolio with examples of work you have done such as a personal website, writing samples, coding projects, podcasts, among others to show your drive and passion.
- Show that you understand the company’s pain points
Also, research ahead of time and find out what the company needs, then provide potential solutions to the problems the role you are applying for is designed to solve. This also means offering to solve a problem the company didn’t know it had.
- Reframe your experiences
If you have enough experience in a particular industry, then your lack of a college degree may not be much of a hindrance. Therefore, as discussed over at guttulus.com, when applying for a particular job, find ways to reframe your experiences and show how they qualify you for the job even if you don’t meet the educational requirements.
- Craft an excellent resume and cover letter
You should also take some time to focus on your resume and cover letter, tailoring your resume, and cover letter to each job you apply for. Make sure you highlight in your resume and cover letter if you have more experience than education, as covered over at runrex.com.
- Put in the work
Remember, many hiring managers are more concerned with how well applicants follow directions, pay attention to details, and if they are a good fit or not for the position. Therefore, as per the experts over at guttulus.com, you should make sure that you double-check any correspondence with the company for grammatical or spelling errors and be diligent with any task asked of you during the application process, following any instructions given.
- Demonstrate your ability to learn
Most companies hire more for personality and growth mindset rather than specific skill sets. Therefore, if you want to find a job with no college degree, demonstrate an ability to learn and hone your skills. Research the company and consider all the industry trends before applying and show whoever reads your resume that you are invested in learning about the job.
- Leverage the power of the internet
Many people are now making large amounts of money working online, without any unique skills or college degrees. Therefore, if you are looking for a job without a college degree, then you should consider opportunities such as being a freelance writer, a virtual PA, among others.
- Don’t give up
As the gurus over at runrex.com are quick to point out, finding a good job is difficult even for applicants with college degrees. Therefore, another important tip is to keep going even if your initial applications aren’t successful. Make improvements in your application process and you will eventually crack the code and land a job.
Tips for the job interview
If you manage to get a job interview, then here are several tips to help you impress the interviewers even if you don’t have the required college degree.
- Project confidence
According to the experts over at guttulus.com, you should avoid defensive statements like, “I know I don’t have a college degree, but…”. Only address your lack of a college degree when asked as if you focus too much on the qualifications you don’t have, the employer won’t see what qualifications you do have.
- Show how you will add value
Since you don’t have the required college degree, you need to go above and beyond to show that you are the right person for the job. Therefore, as outlined over at runrex.com, you should focus on how you will add value to the company. If you have helped reduce costs or increase efficiency at other companies, this is the time to highlight such experiences and explain that you would like to add value to this particular company too.
- Be armed with an answer to the likely question
Even though you don’t want to emphasize your lack of a college degree, it is very much the elephant in the room, and the hiring manager is likely to ask you about it. Therefore, you need to be ready for it and have an answer prepared, and when you answer, try once again to emphasize your qualifications instead of focusing on the drawbacks of not having the degree.
- Focus on your skills and experience
Finally, when answering questions, try to mention any keywords from the job listing, making sure to highlight your skills and experiences that make you a good fit for the job and you will be well on your way to getting the job even if you don’t have a college degree.
These are some of the tips to consider if you are looking to find a job with no college degree, with more on this and other related topics to be found over at the highly-rated runrex.com and guttulus.com.
