Why Real-World Experience Beats Certifications in Landing Top Jobs

As a young adult starting your career or transitioning into a new field, you’re eager to make your mark.?

Whether you’re a recent graduate, a student nearing graduation, or someone with fresh certifications, you’re ready to turn your skills and ambitions into opportunities in the job market.

You’ve done the research, made a list of companies in your field that are hiring, and crafted what you believe is an impressive CV.

You start sending out applications, confident that you’ll land a role soon.?

But all you get are rejection emails.

Determined, you hire a professional to rewrite your CV, thinking that might be the issue.?

Yet, the results don’t change.

You’re left feeling frustrated and questioning yourself:

• What am I doing wrong?
• Am I not good enough?
• After all the hard work I put into earning these certifications, why can’t I even get a chance?

Meanwhile, the bills are piling up, and the lack of income is weighing heavily on you.

You have a degree, great certifications, maybe even a First Class; but employers still aren’t giving you a chance.

Now, ask yourself: would you trust a pilot who’s only read flight manuals but has never actually flown a plane? Probably not, right?

Employers feel the same way too.

The Reality of the Workspace:

As the CEO of SkilledUp Life, Manoj Ranaweera recently said at our weekly Friday event on LinkedIn:

"Education alone is no longer enough. Education gives you knowledge, but unless you practice what you've learned, you can't create. Skills come when you practice what you know, in a real-life situation. That gives you experience and skills with evidence."

Education demonstrates your ability to grasp complex information and commitment to personal growth.

Real-world experience on the other hand allows you an opportunity to apply what you’ve learned.?

By continuously using your skills, you’re not only improving them, but you’re also proving yourself capable of applying them in a professional setting.

Jobs, especially at higher levels, are rarely as straightforward as a certification exam.?

Real-life work scenarios are messy, unpredictable, and rarely come with a manual.?

Consider a project manager who has managed a team through a chaotic product launch.?

Their ability to adapt, communicate, and find creative solutions isn’t something learned in a classroom; it’s earned through experience.

Working in diverse environments helps you gain new perspectives, develop essential skills, stay up-to-date with the latest practices, and build confidence for future opportunities.

Employers want professionals who’ve faced challenges head-on, not just those who know how to talk about them in theory.

That's exactly why the experienced ones are grabbing all the job offers.

The Soft Skills Gap

Certifications rarely touch on soft skills, like emotional intelligence, leadership, or conflict resolution,?

Yet these are the very qualities that make professionals thrive in top positions.?

Experienced workers have dealt with difficult clients, motivated uncooperative teams, and navigated office politics.

All these prepare you better not just for real work experience but also for leadership roles

The Value of a Proven Track Record

When it comes to top jobs, companies are looking for results.?

A strong track record of success often outweighs certifications.

This is usually the deciding factor in landing the role.

Achievements like:

• "Increased sales by 35%."
• "Led a team to develop a product that secured $5M in funding."
• "Successfully managed a crisis that saved the company millions."?

All these demonstrate not only competence but the ability to deliver tangible outcomes.

Certifications may prove you’ve learned a skill; experience proves you’ve applied it effectively.

Closing the Gap with SkilledUp Life

This isn’t to say certifications don’t have their place.?

They should complement, not replace, hands-on experience.

In fact 90% of workers say they need to update their skills at least yearly. (Deloitte, 2022)?

According to a recent poll on our LinkedIn page, 75% of respondents believe they gained more skills through experience than education.

This clearly shows that, for you to stand out in today’s job market, you need to have experience.

Volunteer for projects, take on side gigs, or intern; anything to translate your knowledge into action.?

SkilledUp Life has made this quite easy to take on by offering people the chance to amplify what they've learned with continuous practice.

With SkilledUp Life, you just need to commit 2-3 hours a day to accomplish your tasks and all these can be done remotely from the comfort of your home, without disrupting your daily routine.

You’ll also be handed a Volunteer Experience Certificate as an acknowledgment of your contributions.

You can also get recommendations on LinkedIn.

This will go a long way to boosting your portfolio and credibility.

At the end of the day, certifications might open the door, but experience is what keeps it open.?

It’s the scars from past battles, the wisdom from mistakes, and the confidence earned through trials that truly set you apart.

The next time you’re considering investing in another certificate, ask yourself; could that time be better spent gaining real-world experience? Chances are, the answer is YES

If so, then visit us at www.skilledup.life to secure a chance to volunteer and increase your chances of landing your dream job today.

Remember, in the race for top jobs, those who’ve played the game always have the upper hand over those who’ve merely read the rulebook.

Article written by Ezinne Agbai , a copywriter volunteer.