Comments on: 10 Tips to Secure a Management Position without a College Degree

By: Joy

Joy — Thu, 20 Sep 2007 20:22:12 +0000

I have a job offer and have good skills but do not have a college degree. I told the recruiter I do have an “AA” degree and all the company wants to see is my resume faxed to them and then the company will pick the best resume. This is a temp to hire job. I really need this job and it finally will pay what I need. “Administrative” position. Will start tomorrow….but I lied about have a college degree. I should find out in 2 hours if the company picks me…….

By: asha singh

asha singh — Sun, 18 Mar 2007 16:48:35 +0000

I work in an engineering college as an Administrative officer and i am involved in all kinds of adninistration- academic as well as general. As I dont hold the relevant degree of a Ph.D in any technical field I am restricted to be designated as the Principal of the college as per the norms which govern the engineering colleges. As i am working in the institution for more than four years the Principals who come also take my advice on most matters. The management trusts my capacities and appreciates my capabilities, yet do not designate me in a positio which will place me in a higher salary slot. Ultimately inspite of all my positive attributes i still remain a n administrative officer just because i do not hold a degree.

By: Should You Quit School Because You’re Brilliant? » Silicon Valley Blog About Money

Mon, 05 Mar 2007 15:57:50 +0000

[...] If you are extremely talented, dropping out may not hinder you from making a fortune. In fact, some may argue that if you’re a business genius, school can actually crimp your style. More typically though, it’s possible to make it with some measure of success without that formal education, but you’ll have to work much much harder given society’s preconceptions. Plus don’t forget that luck plays a huge part in your circumstances. Going to school is supposed to be a safety net to make sure that you always have something to fall back on in order to survive, but you already knew that. [...]

By: Joan Schramm

Joan Schramm — Wed, 07 Feb 2007 15:49:14 +0000

Wow! This should be required reading for anyone, degreed or not, who wants to know how to get ahead in the business world. When I was in a position to hire people, I always looked for people with energy, a positive attitude, willingness to be flexible, and who wanted the job. With those characteristics, I knew I could always train them on the “mechanics” of the work, but most people can’t be trained to have the right attitude.

Great article! Thanks.

By: Monica Ricci

Monica Ricci — Mon, 08 Jan 2007 05:49:05 +0000

Great post Steve! I am SO adding you to my blogroll! And yes, education is a nice plus to have under your belt. I would never say “Don’t go to college, son”. But I truly believe that there are indeed things that can be more important than education — with the exception of a few industries such as brain surgery and rocket science — but I digress. I believe people skills, communication skills, (both writing and speaking), persistence, a positive attitude, self confidence, and a willingness to learn from others are crucial to success, regardless of how much formal education one possesses.

By: Steve

Steve — Mon, 18 Dec 2006 13:15:00 +0000

Anon,

The long hours are temporary. Look at the hard work as an education. You are learning the business. Learning to be valuable.

I know a guy that went for making 10K a year to 50K by working like this for only 18 months.

I know another guy that did it for 3 years and went from 30K to over 100K.

Learning that much about any business will make you tremendously valuable. Once you have the value you won’t have to work so many hours.

If you don’t want to work hard to get ahead, I don’t know what advice anyone can give you. For most people getting through college is 4-6 years of working a job and studying which adds up to 40-80 hours a week too depending how efficient you are with your time.

By: Anon

Anon — Mon, 18 Dec 2006 06:28:30 +0000

The reason why people don’t like this is because , for most, the price is too high for the benefits they would give. Most people do not want to work 70-80 hrs per week (or 16hrs/per day for 5 days a wk).

By: Joe

Joe — Thu, 07 Dec 2006 10:55:58 +0000

There are actually so many graduates these days that this post is a good tip on how to get a top job even if you DO have a degree.

I’m about to finish law school (with a so-so GPA from a so-so institution) and I used tactics like these to get myself a job offer as a corporate attorney–begging for a job as a part-time intern making crap money, and mastering a few key tasks so that I became indispensable.

The toughest part, of course, is hearing just about everyone say “no” and still sticking it out. It helps if you’re willing to sacrifice your personal life, dignity and checkbook for a little while.

To me, the keys are:

1) Stay awake, and jump on opportunities when you see them

2) Make people trust you, which is largely a matter of having a professional style (invest in some nice clothes, keep your hair cut, your breath clean and your armpits deodorized)

3) Make friends with your boss. This is more than sucking up: you have to get inside your boss’s head to learn what their problems are at work. Once you understand those problems, you can help solve those problems in a way that makes your boss happy. Then they’ll love you, and you’ll never have to worry about your job. (This is an incredibly important skill even when you become the boss, because then you have to do the same thing with respect to your customers.)

By: Steve

Steve — Tue, 28 Nov 2006 21:23:54 +0000

Thanks Dolf,

I know what your stories are honest. I’ve seen it many times. From the feedback I’m getting on this post, many people don’t want this story told. I don’t know why so many people are against this story.

It makes me wonder sometimes if many people are just comfortable believing they can’t get ahead. Or I wonder if other people just don’t want them to get ahead.

Dolf - this is dead on accurate. All you need to do is convince the hiring manager that you CAN and WILL do the job. That’s all any hiring manager wants.

Companies use education as an indication that a person “should” be able to do the job. The bottom line is they are looking for somebody that “will” do the job. Put yourself in a postion to show them you CAN and WILL. You will reach your goal very soon.

By: Dolf

Dolf — Tue, 28 Nov 2006 20:12:01 +0000

I do not have a degree and most would consider me poorly educated. From the age of 20, every job I have ever had I got by going to a company I was interested in and asking them for a job doing something. I would then work my way up never failing to reach atleast Vice Pres. By the time I was 35 my reputation in the industries I worked in brought in many job opportunities. The final one being Vice. Pres and general manager of the largest independently owned electronics distributor in the country.

Early in my time with that company I grabed a warehouse clerk from behind her order bench down in the basement of the headquarters. I needed somebody to replace the worthless secretary they had provided me. This young girl had not finished high school but was able to answer every question I had about anything to do with the new business I was now involved with.

Three years later I left the company and by then she had redesigned over half the internal controls for the entire company. Had developed an order system to replace inventory that she could operate in her spare time, replacing a room of workers. Had set up a core of vendors to design, produce and install booths for all the companies trade shows. In a very short period of time she had become the Go To person for the companies top management and they rewarded her by setting her up in the corner office at the apex of Executive row on the top floor of the headquarters building. All this at a company whose culture considered women just barely capable of menial secratarial duries.

So I give you two examples that prove your point and would like to add this comment for those that are looking for hope and guidance. Companies use education as an indication that a person “should” be able to do the job. The bottom line is they are looking for somebody that “will” do the job. Put yourself in a postion to show them you CAN and WILL. You will reach your goal very soon.