1. Mark your confusion.

2. Show evidence of a close reading.

3. Write a 1+ page reflection.

3 Reasons Degree-Free Jobs Are on the Rise—and How to Land One

Today, two-thirds of high school students believe they’ll be just fine
without college—and who’s to say they’re wrong?
Source: Mark C. Perna, Forbes.com, February 6, 2024

This year, 45% of companies are planning to drop degree requirements for some roles, according to a
study of 800 companies by Intelligent.com released in November. This follows the drift of the previous year,
during which 55% of employers adjusted some of their job descriptions to eliminate bachelor’s degree
requirements.
Instead of looking at whether or not you have a degree, these companies will prioritize demonstrable
skills in their hiring decisions. In fact, the Intelligent.com study found that four out of five employers say they
value experience over education when reviewing candidates.
This is the epitome of skills-first hiring, and it’s going to have its day. Fed up with the labor shortage,
companies are getting creative in expanding their talent pools and diversifying their workforce.
But it’s been a long time coming. What is finally tipping the scales in favor of skills over degrees?
There are three big factors.
1. Degrees dissociated from workplace readiness
In survey after survey, employers indicate their disappointment with the workplace readiness of recent
college graduates. No matter how great you did in school, there’s a steep learning curve once you launch your
career in the full-time workforce.
Many times, employers complain that their younger hires lack the soft skills (or what I call professional
skills) that are essential to function at work. Even if you have all the technical skills for the role, you won’t
thrive if you lack professional skills like initiative, communication, ownership, integrity, time management,
stress management, flexibility, networking and more.
Companies are wising up to the fact that merely having completed a college degree does not prove that a
person is actually ready to thrive in the workplace. They’re also accepting the reality that if they want workers
skilled in both the technical and interpersonal aspects of the job, they’re going to have to take a more active
hand in developing them. It logically follows that in a company where significant learning & development
opportunities are part of the culture, your degree status becomes less relevant.
Degree-free jobs are on the rise because degrees cannot replace or even fully simulate the effectiveness
of on-the-job learning. To land a great job without a degree, work on the professional skills that make you ready
to hit the ground running.
2. Degrees too expensive to afford
According to the Wall Street Journal, the real cost of college has skyrocketed 180% between 1980 and
2020. It now costs an average of $36,000 annually to attend a public college. Most people need almost five years
to complete their degree program. Multiply the annual cost of college by five, add the opportunity cost of lost
work while in school, plus the cost of student loan servicing, and the real cost of college can easily top
$300,000. The article notes that this is more than the median net worth of most families.
No wonder that every year sees a drop of 3 million fewer students on college campuses. Today, two-
thirds of high school students believe they’ll be just fine without college—and who’s to say they’re wrong?
College is quickly becoming something beyond the touch of most people—or at least, those who don’t
want to start their career saddled with an almost unpayable debt. This translates to fewer college graduates in the
talent pool—a dynamic that isn’t sustainable for companies to power their business.
The good news for workers is that there are so many alternative ways to get skilled today. Research the
careers that sound appealing to you and what it takes to prepare for them. Chances are, you may not need to
devote four or five years of your life (and $300,000) to learning the skills to perform the job.
3. College isn’t right for everyone
If you think about it, it’s fairly prejudicial to assume that the largely lecture format of a typical college
course is the best way to learn. As we discover more about different learning styles, it’s becoming apparent that
many people learn better through hands-on experience rather than copious note-taking. This isn’t a defect; it’s
just a difference. So why are these hands-on learners considered somehow “less” than those who thrive in the
traditional college classroom?
Of any random 100 freshmen who start college this year, 40 will not graduate. They will drop out
somewhere along the way. Whether college wasn’t built for them or life circumstances prevented them from
finishing, they will live with that perceived failure for the rest of their lives. If they have student loan debt from
their attempt at college, that will come along for the ride, too.
Of the 60 freshmen who do end up finishing college within six years, 20 will become chronically
underemployed in fields unrelated to their degree. The bottom line is that for every five students who enroll in
college, only two will graduate and get a job in their chosen field.
This is all the more reason to recognize college is not the best choice for everyone—and that is not a
reflection on their intelligence, ability or motivation. If you’re a hands-on learner, take heart: there is a growing
multitude of great jobs out there that need your skills.
What college is–and isn’t–for
None of this is to argue that college does not have value. It does. For many professions it’s absolutely
necessary, and that’s not going to change. But with the rise of credentials, certifications, licensures,
apprenticeships and other specialized industry training options, college is no longer the only way to win in a
fast-changing employment landscape.
Nor should we as a society continue to tout college as the better choice, because that depends on the
student’s career and lifestyle goals. There may be other postsecondary training opportunities that will prepare
them for a successful career—not only faster, but also at a fraction of the cost of a traditional college education.
College is incredibly valuable if you know what you want to do and college is a necessary step to get
there. But to the tune of $36,000 a year, it’s not the best place to go just to figure out life. Those decisions need
to be made before ever a student steps foot on campus, or else they could be setting themselves up for an
indebted future.
Still shifting
While it’s encouraging that more companies are dropping degree requirements for roles that don’t really
need them, there’s still a disconnect between the idea of skills-first hiring and its actual practice. An August
2023 LinkedIn study found that between 2019 and 2022 there was a 36% increase in job postings that omitted
degree requirements—but the actual number of jobs filled with un-degreed candidates was much smaller.
As a society, we have a lot of work to do—and undo. Instead of perpetuating the cultural stigmas
associated with non-college pathways, we must celebrate all education and training options that lead to
rewarding, viable and living-wage careers. We must show a true commitment to diversity by recognizing the
skill hidden in un-degreed individuals.
We’re still in the early stages of the skills-first hiring shift, but it’s inevitable. Companies who fail to
embrace it will limit themselves to an ever-shrinking talent pool, but early adopters will set the standard for
hiring skilled workers—degreed or not.

Possible Response Questions

• What are your thoughts about the rise of degree-free jobs? Explain.
• Did something in the article surprise you? Discuss.
• Pick a word/line/passage from the article and respond to it.
• Discuss a “move” made by the writer in this piece that you think is good/interesting. Explain.