Gone are the days when degrees and qualifications overpowered potential and knowledge. Today, companies in the Top 100 Graduate Employers 2019 List stated that they prefer recruiting those willing to learn over those with a degree but no keenness to learn. With this changing mindset, degree agnostic career growth becomes a new tangent for students to explore instead of just investing their time in pursuing long-term degree courses.
The youth, now, have more opportunities to learn and acquire skills, rather than focusing on a path defined by the degrees they have earned. Today, skill-based learning programmes and certificate courses are gaining momentum. Designed specifically for students to gain knowledge, these bite-sized courses come with flexible learning modules and a short duration to deliver the professional skills and make students job-ready.
As a result of these trends, we are witnessing a major shift towards higher education that emphasises professional development and continuous learning, paving way for a degree agnostic career growth. Here are a few tips on how you can delve into this space:
Self-evaluation
It is crucial to evaluate one’s skills and interests prior to choosing a career path. Self-evaluation begins with understanding one’s personality traits, followed by exploring careers that align with them. For those interested, there are several reliable assessment tools available online. Career counselling can be helpful as well.
Career exploration
Researching the potential of different fields is essential before deciding on a career. It is important to develop a comprehensive understanding of the job market for your career path. Many tests are available to help you decide better and to offer insights into your abilities. Exploring future job prospects and employer expectations before choosing a course is very critical.
Skilling and certifications
To keep up with fast-changing technology, the skills required to perform various tasks are changing and it is becoming increasingly important to fill these skill gaps. You must measure your skills against your ideal profession and your career goal, and fill the gaps through certification courses. Online learning has opened the gates for learners to acquire new skills through certificate courses, with flexible schedules and training options. These are globally recognised and add value to one’s resume. For instance, in the case of Computer Science students, one can further filter specific areas such as Deep Learning and Computer Vision or Big Data Hadoop, and Spark.
Profile building and job search
Profile/resume building is extremely important to obtain jobs. You can create the perfect resume using Profile Building services that highlight your key achievements and skills related to the position. Portfolios should also include projects that a person has worked on or learning experiences gained during internships. A resume should be tailored to the position one is applying for and only mention skills relevant to that position to gain an edge over other applicants and obtain your dream job.
The writer is Co-founder and CEO of Board Infinity.
