Have you ever wondered if it is ever going to be possible for somebody without a degree to actually get a good job requiring one? And if you happen to be the one what would you do? That is the essence of this article. There could be many a times when some aspects in your CV will be less than the requirements of the job you are applying for, when you are a perfect fit for the job but you have no degree. So what would you do under such circumstance, Give it up? Absolutely not! Before we continue, bear in mind that there is absolutely no perfect man/woman for any job instead you could get 80%, 90% or more or even less of a fit to a job and this is the sole reason employers conduct interviews; just to get whom they think would fit better and not fit completely to the job.
Let us go through what you might do if you happen to be the job applicant without a degree. In this case, focus on what you do have. What do you have that can compensate for the lack of degree?
• Special personality traits: In this case, you will definitely get preference over people who are more qualified and more experienced than you. Be sure you highlight your traits properly and that those that are highlighted exactly match the requirements of the job (otherwise it will dilute your case still further, labelling you as totally misfit for the job) Are you an artist by birth? Is acting a second nature to you? Are you a born leader? These all are personality traits that can stand you in good stead when you apply for those trait-specific jobs.
• Additional skills: Do you have any additional skills that pertain to the job? Have you undergone any special skills training program? Are your talents pertaining to the overall goal of the company? Then by all means write them down in the CV first before other things.
• Avoid the educational column altogether: A lot of people who are uncomfortable writing ‘undergraduate’ on their CVs, can simply omit the column of education altogether. However, this will not be questioned much in the CV when the other skills and traits draw the attention of the employer away from the need to know the qualifications.
• Additional skill/experience: Do you have a long and accentuated experience which has put you in the league of experts? Write the details and offer them references for the purpose. In many cases experience far supersedes qualifications; hence put your best foot forward and apply. It works.
There are a lot of other qualities that can overshadow the need of the degree. Be confident when you state your special qualifications and skills and learn to draw away the attention of the interviewer from the need to know about your qualifications.
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