Why Work Experience Matters More

When I had my own technology consulting firm, Amplified Technologies, I took a chance on someone that I had met at Kaplan that was not yet finished with his degree, but he had such amazing ideas and a learning spirit about him that emanated from all of his pores. Michael Bollhoeffer had done work in the SharePoint space, but did not have a degree. It was the best decision I had made for my young consulting practice. He not only applied what he already knew, he adapted and learned and ended up having a storied career that continues on to this day. He did eventually graduate with a bachelors, but a degree did not affect his brain capacity or the knowledge he had already. It was literally a piece of paper.

Another such person I can talk about is Matthew Ohlandt. He has been a very dear friend of mine for a long time, we met actually online in Ultima Online in the late 90s. He had been working in web design for a while, had not been able to go to college full time. He was making minimum wage in Michigan when I invited him to apply at Kaplan as my Junior UI Designer to learn from me and my knowledge of SharePoint Design. I took him under my wing and he has flourished in this field now for decades. He never has gotten a related IT degree (exactly like my situation) and like me focused entirely on certifications, which to be honest I value much more than a degree.

Now that I face displacement from my wonderful job at CA Technologies due to a hostile acquisition, I find it hard to believe that companies and/or recruiters are still stuck in the stone ages by demanding certain TYPES of degrees or even Masters degrees, etc. So many applications I've read say "Bachelor's in Computer Science Required" or "Masters in Business Administration Preferred". But in all honesty, I still stand by the fact that it is work experience that matters the most. A college or university can only teach you so much, the rest is really up to you.

So I am still going to implore companies/recruiters to bypass these degree requirements and add an "or equivalent relevant experience" tag to their job postings and focus on the work experience that people bring to you. Like me, you might be pleasantly surprised by the tenacity, learning capabilities, and general experience someone brings to your company that has never set foot in a higher education facility.

What has been your experiences with applying for jobs that require MBAs or very specific Bachelors? Have you been able to get the hiring managers to look at your skill sets and work experience instead of focusing on what you don't have? Tell me your story.