Experience Vs Qualifications - what takes the lead ?
While graduates across Europe struggle to secure their first full -time employment and employers argue their lack of readiness to hit the ground running at the workplace, the conversation about the value of formal qualifications seems to be a constant point of debate for many.
It’s undeniable that cultural differences, strength of economy ( that translates in more or less employment opportunities thus creating more or less competition among jobseekers ) as well as cost of education do create a different standpoint on this topic.
Given the versatile client landscape that I have worked with, it would be dishonest to state that all organisations are ready to consider candidates lacking qualifications, in particular large size entities that often link level of qualifications with salary indexation or even take it as a pre-requisite for employment consideration. At the same time, many of our clients are more keen to employ the candidate with the right industry experience, regardless of the blank education section on the resume.
Given the current state of affairs, it is no wonder that many of the candidates I speak with are left confused. Should I invest thousands of Euros in achieving that Degree ? Or should I invest time and effort and work my way up within an organisation ? In reality, there isn’t a magic formula that works for everyone. The ideal candidate is a combination of both qualifications and experience; but that does not grant anyone immediate career success.
The below list marks down a few of the pro considerations on both ends of the debate, gathered from my own day to day experiences in commercial talent advisory.
Pro Qualifications
- A Degree isn’t just about getting a certain title; an individual builds his/hers first network of professionals at University. A Degree isn’t even solely about getting that dream job; it impacts almost all aspects of life.
- Education teaches you how to learn, that can be applied at all career stages
- Qualifications are seen by many employers as a self- explanatory proof of one’s perseverance and commitment
- Many job opportunities and internal promotions are open only to candidates with a certain level of qualifications
Pro Experience
- Experience means that the individual needs minimum training and is operative within days, whilst a graduate who has barely experienced working life requires further training to contribute to the business operations
- With the world of graduates being saturated, and with the increased percentage of highly skilled workforce, employers have become widely unimpressed by academic achievements
- Practical experience demonstrates more capabilities and qualities of a candidate ( team work, performance, adaptability, dependability and more )
- Number of job openings I have worked on reference to required qualifications as ‘ideal’, ‘welcomed’ or ‘beneficial’ rather than essential
To conclude, there isn't a particular qualification or a particular working experience that will grant you instant success. The right attitude and continuous investment in building your skill set, whether in theory or in practice, is the only key to efficient career building.
Head of Research & Development API at Medichem
3 å¹´I agree with you Tijana. Pretty much “it dependsâ€.... on the role, on the person. Also, everyone is on a spectrum when it comes to both “experience†and “qualificationsâ€. Finding the right fit is about finding a person who is the right place on the spectra of experience and qualifications that match the role requirements imo.
MSc Mgmt
3 å¹´May I add to the equation? Or potential ability to carry out respective duties, if employer is willing to train ..... a rarity it seems at this day & age.
C.O | R&D @ EmberLabs
3 å¹´I would say that there is a combination to consider. A degree, gives you a foundation in a subject matter, and forms the platform on which you stand on. However, specific subject matter knowledge can quickly become obsolete or outdated, and very much so in IT, and this is where experience comes in, as experience often can make up for this now obsolete knowledge. Having a degree with current knowledge, may not always be enough alone, as for example in development, you don't yet as a new graduate have the full knowledge of patterns, what works or not, and things that you think may sound a good idea, really isn't, proven by cold hard reality and experience, and so forth. Over a long time, a well-experienced person can make up for the lack of qualifications, and even exceed them, but the best will always be a balance somewhere between the two, as long as you don't go unrealistic as an employer - "we require someone with a PhD qualification and 20 years of work experience for this junior role..."