I’m in this picture. Early career, getting into industry was brutal to say the least. After I worked my way in, it became obvious that a degree was used as a proxy for socioeconomic class and IQ in a lot of places. These days, I suspect a degree is also being used now as a proxy for “loyalty” just by how much debt it puts on your credit record.
That said, there were and are places that will look for other factors when hiring. I’d be willing to bet that those opportunities are also in the small corners of the economy that are nowhere near Fortune-500 scale. But you’re going to have to get hired on referral, as having someone vouch for your character and work-ethic are things HR cannot figure out from a resume. As far as hiring risk goes, those two factors alone are massive advantages if you have a strong recommendation or two.
I’m in this picture. Early career, getting into industry was brutal to say the least. After I worked my way in, it became obvious that a degree was used as a proxy for socioeconomic class and IQ in a lot of places. These days, I suspect a degree is also being used now as a proxy for “loyalty” just by how much debt it puts on your credit record.
That said, there were and are places that will look for other factors when hiring. I’d be willing to bet that those opportunities are also in the small corners of the economy that are nowhere near Fortune-500 scale. But you’re going to have to get hired on referral, as having someone vouch for your character and work-ethic are things HR cannot figure out from a resume. As far as hiring risk goes, those two factors alone are massive advantages if you have a strong recommendation or two.