Every industry and field has its own requirements in terms of level of education and experience you need to progress forward in your career. Some disciplines are so new that there’s no way to learn about it other than on-the-job.
Discovering what employers would like to have from an employee in terms of experience or education is easy. A quick review of a job description usually reveals the target education and experience levels for the position. But how do you deal with not meeting one or both of those requirements? Let’s break down each scenario and lay out what you can do to overcome the objections and get an interview.
All education, no experience
Employer’s Dilemma: This candidate hasn’t been where the rubber meets the road. Their understanding will all be theoretical, and they will have no practical experience and might not know how to apply their knowledge.
The Fix: Demonstrate any experience you have that might be relevant to the position. Include volunteer positions, internships, relevant coursework, and involvement in professional associations. Using these types of experience to build a body of practical knowledge will help you tremendously once you graduate.
All experience, no credentials
Employer’s Dilemma: This candidate will have some practical knowledge but it might lack the depth and sophistication of a formally-trained professional. Employers may worry that over time, your work will reflect gaps in your knowledge.
The Fix: Do your best to connect the dots for the employer. In a cover letter, list the requirements and how your experience matches each one. Also give evidence of professional development, such as attending conferences, involvement in professional associations, and any on-the-job training. Not all learning happens at college and employers know this, so highlight any training or professional development that you have.
Pro tip: Work on becoming a subject matter expert. If you have sufficient experience in an area, consider publishing a blog, acting as a contributing author, or speaking at a conference or professional association meeting. Publishing and speaking are both a powerful way for you to establish the type of credibility that might also come from a more formal education.
Little bit of both, but not enough
Employer’s Dilemma: The employer may think that your lack of experience and formal education makes you too green to handle complexities of the role.
The Fix: You’ll want to do your best in your cover letter to connect all of the dots and clearly demonstrate how you meet the requirements of the position. In addition to advocating for yourself, don’t overlook the power of referrals and recommendations. Early in your career, identify the people that believe in you and are willing to advocate on your behalf. Letters of recommendation, phone calls, and informal referrals are all good ways to get your resume to the top of the pile and increase your chances of getting an interview. Reach out to your network and let your biggest fans help you get a foot in the door.
Overqualified for the position
Employer’s Dilemma: The candidate is going to be too expensive or will be a bad motivational fit; they’ll be bored or will think the work is beneath them.
The Fix: Don’t be afraid to hold some things back. Use discipline and discernment when relating your experience, education, knowledge, skills and abilities (KSA’s). You don’t want to paint the picture that you are overqualified for the role. A good rule of thumb is to not go back more than 10 years in experience. Usually you can cover the relevant KSA’s just relating the last three or so roles. If you have degrees beyond what is required, consider omitting advanced degrees or moving them to a less prominent place on your resume. Last, use your cover letter to specifically express why you want the job, find the company exciting and clearly state why you are the best fit for the role and what you uniquely bring to the table. Show your enthusiasm and leave no doubt that you want the job.
Bonus Tips
- Remove the “or” from Degree or Experience with part-time and online education programs. Today’s flexible education and work options have created new opportunities to grow experience and education at the same time.
- Look for companies that teach. Some employers include educational opportunities as a part of their professional development benefits.
- When researching educational programs, look for ones that are enriched with unique practical application experiences such as labs, trips, special projects, semesters abroad, internships, and partnerships with local businesses.
- Seek out a mentor in your field that can help guide your professional development beyond graduation.
- Take advantage of Massive Open Online Courses or MOOC’s to further your knowledge in a specific area.
- Get certified. Some certifications carry a great deal of weight. Research your field and find out which could make a difference to your career and your earning potential.
- Always customize your resume to ensure that you’ve related all of the relevant skills, knowledge, and experience you have relative to that role. And remember to make sure that you make a strong case for yourself right from the start. Skip the vague objective statement, and replace it with a profile or summary that makes the best case for you as a candidate. Highlight your key competencies and skills at or near the top of your resume as well.
- Weigh any investment in education against your earnings potential and the projected demand for workers. Check out the Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Outlook Handbook (OOH) for great research and data on existing and emerging fields.
- When shopping around for schools ask about on-campus recruitment opportunities and their job placement numbers upon graduation. Review school rankings data as well to see which schools have in-demand programs and successful graduates. But know, that a great education can happen at a school that doesn’t meet the rigorous ranking criteria. Visit schools, ask questions, meet professors, and be as informed as possible before making your final choice.