The Trouble With Education

Education is another of those areas in which the prevailing wisdom is simply incorrect.  I’m noticing that tech companies are starting to have a negative view of education, particularly in the area of network administration.  Several hiring managers I’ve spoken with tell me that their Ideal Candidate did not gain the required skills at a community college networking course, but learned it on their own.  In the mind of the hiring manager, this reveals a passion for the work and ensures the motivation to stay abreast of developments in this rapidly changing arena.

A similar disregard for education in other fields has been emerging for some time.  Many times hiring managers are using education not as a measure of KSAs, but as a way to screen applicants.  The increasing requirement for a college degree for jobs that do not require one is a good example of this.  I’m seeing secretarial and receptionist positions requiring a two or four-year degree, even though there is obviously little need for such an educational background.  I recently spoke to a woman here in Tucson who placed such an announcement in Monstor.com.  She told me that she was looking for someone “more sophisticated” to interact with her customers when they called or visited.  The job only paid $12 an hour, though, and plenty of people were applying.  Imagine that!  Getting a fifty thousand dollar education in order to apply for a $12 dollar an hour job!

So don’t list your MBA unless the job requires one.  Doing so will only prompt the reader of your resume to start asking questions:

“Why is this person applying here?  Can’t they find an $80k job like every other MBA I read about?

“If I hire this person they will just leave for an $80k job in three months.”

“I don’t want someone smarter and better educated than me around here.  They will make me look bad and might take over the business.”

The old days of applying for jobs for which you are over qualified are gone.  Old time respect for education and admiration for people who have advanced degrees, yet are willing to work for a lower wage are over.  From the hiring managers perspective education is a screening tool that doesn’t necessarily speak to what your functional abilities might be.

The rationale for earning an advanced degree is no longer that it impresses a potential employer, but rather that it adds skills that translate into business accomplishments that will impress an employer.  A proven record of accomplishment in the business environment is the credential that matters most.  Education can be an advantage or a disadvantage in the hiring process.