Robot profile picture
Robot profile picture

Robot

AE (Account Executive)

Politicker
Executive
Executive
+9

College degrees, does it determine if you are a good fit?

So I recently went through the hiring process and followed my career coaches advice on showing bare minimum about my college experience. I did not get a degree/certificate, I ended up going against the status quo and built up my experience throughout the years with each job, getting bigger positions as I went.


I got hired but not without a few moments to clarify my education status.


Regardless, what do think is the best way to present "some college" experience in your resume, LinkedIn, etc.? What would you recommend for a degenerate like myself?

Do you think college degrees should determine your fit for a role?

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🧢 Sales Management
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26 comments

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CuriousFox
WR Officer
11
🦊
Should it? Probably not. Does it? Yes.
Robot
Politicker
2
AE (Account Executive)
Luckily, we are in hard times for recruitment so companies are getting desperate and trying new tactics! I hope this employment event happening now will make sales management rethink garbage comp plans.
Robot
Politicker
2
AE (Account Executive)
Oh, and @CuriousFox congrats on your leaderboard win! You seriously know some great advice.
CuriousFox
WR Officer
3
🦊
Thanks boo. I do my best. 🦊
NoSuperhero
Politicker
1
BDR LEAD
It kinda depends on the job doesn't
UrAssIsSaaS
Arsonist
4
SaaS Eater
Its wild how much weight gets put onto that piece of paper. The only thing I have carried with me from college is an understanding of how I learn and work (dont tell my parents that) 

I weight experience over education in any hiring scenario but I'm probably in the minority. 
Robot
Politicker
2
AE (Account Executive)
Oh for sure, one of the hiring methods I have seen work to my advantage is to mock sell a hiring companies services. If you are king research and have a sales strategy you stick to, the sky is the limit to who hires you.
InQ5WeTrust
Arsonist
3
No marketing, mayo isn't an MQL
Sadly it doesn't matter what's on that piece of paper so long as you have that piece of paper or claim to. 

Never had my degree checked since I graduated. 
CuriousFox
WR Officer
4
🦊
I keep that paper in my bedroom framed where I can see it. The most damn expensive paper I've purchased. 

Still worth it to me. 🤷‍♀️
InQ5WeTrust
Arsonist
3
No marketing, mayo isn't an MQL
My college lost mine before I even got it 
hh456
Celebrated Contributor
3
sales
Degrees mean nothing unless they’re for a trade. Engineering/chemistry/construction/architecture, etc. I work w people who got their degrees in some pretty complex stuff but they’re in sales. Sometimes it’s sad sometimes they don’t care.
Incognito
WR Officer
3
Master of Disaster
You forgot accounting 
hh456
Celebrated Contributor
3
sales
Accounting
Incognito
WR Officer
2
Master of Disaster
Ok serious question tho - don’t you think that psychology would be helpful for most jobs? Or basic business skills? 

Then again, my man meat is currently finishing up his MBA in his spare time because fuck you that’s why and some of the other student assignment submissions are fucking embarrassing. 
Incognito
WR Officer
2
Master of Disaster
*important caveat - his firm is paying for it 
hh456
Celebrated Contributor
3
sales
I already got my MBA tho. No, I don’t think psychology is helpful. I don’t think business classes help either. Learn everything on the job.
Sunbunny31
Politicker
2
Sr Sales Executive 🐰
My BA in Fine Art is very helpful in tech SaaS sales.

Actually, I will say a college education is great for overall outlook as well as critical thinking and the ability to write well.   If you can't write or spell well, you're going to have extreme challenges working in enterprise sales.  However, would I prefer working with an eager learner who is great with people, is ready to learn, doesn't write like he or she is on Tiktok or Insta all the time, and hustles, or an overqualified recent college grad who is too good for the BDR role he or she landed?   

Jewcan_Sam81
Politicker
2
Account Executive
There are executives who are awful at their jobs, produce nothing, take credit for other people’s good work, and can’t even use a computer, but have an MBA. But the top performer went to community college and started out slinging Jamba Juice.
Diablo
Politicker
2
Sr. AE
I have worked with some of the college dropoust who are phenomenal when it comes to their work. I have also worked with overqualified who couldn't prove how they are so qualified. So ideally it should not matter but unfortunately it does.
goose
Politicker
2
Sales Executive
I think it really depends on the story.  Drop out of college to smoke weed?  That's going to hurt you.  Grind through hardships on your way to bigger and better?  That's a good story.  I wouldn't hesitate to hire someone without a college degree so long as they have a story to tell.
FormerStartupJobHopper
Tycoon
1
AE
I feel like it's just used as a defacto intelligence test. Companies used to require those back in the day but that's not legal these days. 

Did I need my fucking polisci major to sling software? No chance. Was I much more mature and confident at 22 than I was at 18 to be able to learn and assert myself with prospects? Absolutely. But could I have been trained at 18 and been in the same place 6-12 months later? Almost definitely. 

All this to say there are definitely legit millions of non college grads who could sell just fine. But if I were a hiring manager I don't blame them as it's a good way to initially weed out a large amount of people who wouldn't do well
LordBusiness
Politicker
1
Chief Revenue Officer
Negative. I honestly can't even remember most of my college classes, literally almost zero recollection. Couldn't tell you the name of a teacher, anything.  College is about learning how to be on your own, make decisions, mess shit up, etc.  Should it be a requirement to be successful in sales - absolutely not. 
RealPatrickBateman
Politicker
1
🔪Amateur Butcher🔪
I would pitch it as "College is good for gaining a Framework of the reality of the job world" however, "Experience can't be bought and paid for, it can only be earned with execution". 
TheOverTaker
Politicker
1
Senior Account Executive
I am not a doctor/lawyer/engineer/scientist...why does my degree matter?
justatopproducer
Politicker
1
VP OF SALES -US
If you are meaning to ask “should a college degree determine your fit for a sales role” my opinion is no. Can it, yes. Its funny you ask this question and i thank you for asking because im curious of others opionions. But, my friends with degrees, backelors, masters, and doctorates will say No, college degree for sales is not neccessary. But, if you ask the hiring manager in an interview that has the box to check for yes or no they will Absolutly tell you it is necessary majority of the time.
Beans
Big Shot
1
Enterprise Account Executive
So glad companies are moving further and further away from the degree factories.

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