As education costs continue to rise, many people question the wisdom of a college degree or other relevant academic certificates. The issue is more significant regarding STEM courses, where employers might be more inclined to consider job experience over a university degree.
Does work experience matter more than a degree? It is a debatable question, particularly when considering the different points of view held by people in the employment sector. This article discusses why some employers prefer either of the two during recruitment.
The value of education in the job market
The dream and pride of every individual are to reach the highest level of education possible. However, the most incredible feeling comes in enjoying the fruits of the hard work, mainly since college life is associated with considerable pressure in terms of assignments and other academic tasks. Here are some of the reasons why employers might prefer graduates:
- Teamwork skills: college studies effectively prepare scholars to work as a team. In most cases, students are subjected to various academic tasks necessitating cooperation to find the best solutions. As a result, they grow into professionals who understand the value of collaboration, hence thriving in a cooperative environment.
- Problem-solving skills: graduates have the best problem-solving competencies. The university environment has allowed them to explore different perspectives on problem definition. Thus, employers find them suitable for a competitive work setting that needs a robust decision-making approach.
- Strong work ethics: colleges promote a competitive learning environment that reflects the job market. It allows the students to know what is happening, rendering it possible to transition into the market without experiencing significant challenges. Based on this training, employers find graduates more suitable for jobs compared to non-graduates.
- The degree is proof of skills: some employers feel that a certificate is proof of the potential employee’s skills. For this reason, some companies and individual proprietors opt for graduates as they trust institutions of higher learning to accredit only those with the needed skills. Thus, graduates find it easier in the job market as they look for employment prospects.
The value of real-world experience in the job market
While many employers look for graduate employees, some seek practical experience. There are several reasons why the latter aspect has greater worth than education regarding employment. Some of the key justifications or incentives include the following:
- Workplace reality: employers look for people with realistic expectations about the work. In such an instance, pursuing and recruiting people with real-life work experience is a more viable option than choosing college graduates with only a degree certificate to validate their skills and competencies.
- Increased self-awareness level: experienced people have better leverage regarding work experience. This group embodies a class of employees that have endured a period of self-learning, using services such as CWassignments.com to get help with assignments and other papers necessary to develop skills. Further, the service provides cheap custom papers to assist learners in gauging their proficiencies against what the experts present. It is one of the best learning ventures. For this reason, employees who have undergone self-learning experience and used such a website to understand the techniques involved when writing a professional paper have an advantage in the job market. The online resources provide the best grounds for people to prepare for the dynamic work industry, presenting the non-graduates in a better position than their learned counterparts.
- A true differentiator: self-taught people have a better grasp of the trends in the industry. For instance, experienced employees are more likely to explore other avenues to develop their skills and competencies. Usually, they use course websites to build competencies and find market trends. There is an option to purchase prewritten papers to keep abreast of the changes in the academic sector and the employment scene. As a result, they become the best workforce members as they bring different perspectives to the industry.
- The power to build networks: most experienced people understand how to establish mutually beneficial networks. They can explore issues beyond the minor social circles to bring new approaches and perspectives to management. While people with college degrees are used to being pushed through college homework, so they explore other avenues, non-graduates leverage their need for a better work environment and an opportunity to learn from others as the only way to achieve their professional dreams. Thus, they become the best employees whenever they can work in any firm.
- Technical know-how: while most colleges focus on the theoretical knowledge of the various majors, self-learners focus on the technical aspects of their majors. As a result, they become more technically oriented and ready for the job compared to college graduates. In most cases, non-graduates have the resilience to keep up with the pressure of being in a competitive work environment. Hence, they become more viable to most employers within the STEM industry.
Final thoughts
Job seeking is one of the primary concerns for the adult population. However, there are differences in how employers hire, with some preferring graduates to non-graduates. From the industry tendencies, employers in STEM are more inclined toward experienced workers than college graduates. Based on the trend, it is crucial to be experienced and have the degree as a backup for the workplace environments that may need it.