SaaSam

Account Executive

To hiring managers. Why in the hell are companies asking for college degrees for sales positions.

It chaps my khakis whenever I see a company listing college degrees as requirements for sales positions. More so when the position is more or less entry level.

That being said, I'm willing to admit when I'm wrong and appreciate all viewpoints.

So, tell me, am I wrong to think this requirement is beyond stupid?

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WR Officer

👑

A college degree is the new high school diploma. A lot of companies ask for it because other companies ask for it...I haven't heard one good reason as to why a company would prefer someone with an irrelevant degree to someone with no degree at all.

SaaSam

Politicker

Account Executive

Hell even relevant degrees offer little benefit to an org IMO over someone that spent that time gaining relevant experience.

The way I see it, there isn't anything you'll learn in school that you can't also learn through experience.

I love wilderness survival. Read about it, have taken some classes, consume a decent amount of video content on it. But nothing I learn ever really works out until I've spent a decent amount of time applying it.

funcoupons

WR Officer

👑

I agree for the most part. The only time I feel degrees make sense would be for highly technical positions or industries like pharma where someone needs to have an understanding of what they're selling in order to be taken seriously by DMs.

SaaSam

Politicker

Account Executive

Agreed, using your example of pharma a decent knowledge of biology and chemistry probably helps when having conversations with champions and decision makers.

GDO

Politicker

BDM

Exactly! Degrees are devaluing by the minute.

FlintIronstag

Notorious Answer

Chief Marketing Officer

It’s over rated but the theory is it shows you can process information, aren’t a quitter and can complete a long project. I’d still rather hire the guy smoking a cigarette in the back alley with a flat brim on. He will sell better than the recent college grad.

deathbysales

Politicker

Vice President, Sales

I did not finish college. I got a job during the dot com boom and made a shit ton of money and never looked back. A buddy got a job in sales told me how much he was making and I was sold. Figured I would take a break from school make some cash and go back. I have not regretted this decision once in my 20 year sales career. I am fairly certain I am the only one on my team without a degree and I am also certain I make the most year over year. I may be unique in the fact I have no desire for management or to move up. I am an individual contributor and prefer to stay this way. I am sure if I wanted to move up, not having a degree might be an issue.

I am the person our VP/CEO come to for help or to run ideas by, they are not asking the Stanford grad to step in and solve problems.

chillandcloseit

Good Citizen

VP of Sales

I actually don't ever look to see if someone has a college degree or not. There is zero relevance in my interview process for this information.

SaaSam

Politicker

Account Executive

You're one of the good ones. Bringer of light and giver of hope. Keeper of wisdom.

For real though more hiring managers need to take a page from your book

chillandcloseit

Good Citizen

VP of Sales

Gee thanks!! Nice to hear something kind at the end of a long day!

SaaSam

Politicker

Account Executive

Sales folk need a bit of a moral boost every now and again

chillandcloseit

Good Citizen

VP of Sales

Lmao. But do we really? 🤣

SaaSam

Politicker

Account Executive

HA if we aren't closing anything haha

chillandcloseit

Good Citizen

VP of Sales

Truth! 🤩

poweredbycaffeine

WR Lieutenant

☕️

4 years tells old school HR teams that you can stick something out for the long haul and won't piss off to the next role when things get tough. Does it make sense in a modern world? Maybe not. However, as we see the next generation (currently in high school) change the way the market works, then perhaps we'll see the 4-year degree requirement loosen up.

SaaSam

Politicker

Account Executive

This makes a little sense. Just about the only part of the degree requirement that does. I do think it's slightly misguided in today's age.

youKNOW

Politicker

Sales Manager

For the most part, I get wear you're coming from on this. I tend to be one of those people that believe that "excellence in anything increases your potential in everything." So a college degree, in my mind, doesn't hurt but I'm not sure it would ever be a deal breaker.

CaneWolf

Politicker

Call me what you want, just sign the damn contract

Because HR decided that twenty years ago and nothing changed.

TheRealPezDog

Notable Contributor

Account Manager

My best guess is this: They want someone who can articulate to their clients professionally and represent the overall brand well. When you don't use them good talk words it might could make them there corporations look kinda silly...

SaaSam

Politicker

Account Executive

Hell, I know folks with Masters degrees that sound like they got hit in the head when they talk

Calico

Celebrated Contributor

Corporate Trainer

Can confirm. I am that person sometimes.

Honestly though, I think most of the issue is that companies are looking for well-rounded individuals and high school diplomas aren't an indicator of that. At least college graduates have a higher chance of being "educated" since they have paid for that education. That's the theory anyway.

RampagingDog

Politicker

Recruitment Consultant

Well there feller, I've met quite a few individuals that have reached that top rung that're from podunk and still sound it. Personally, I'm from down home and it has helped me land some roles as well as close some deals. Something about being relatable.

I've actually found that by NOT covering my twang, people are a bit quicker to trust me than when I speak in my city voice.

TheRealPezDog

Notable Contributor

Account Manager

Just to clarify... My stance is this: Requiring a college degree for a sales job is ridiculous. If I could do it all over again I would NOT go to college, just read some sales books and get to it. College was a huge waste of my money.

Justatitle

Big Shot

Account Executive

Funny enough 2 weeks ago I asked my current manager about this. To him it shows commitment and a willingness to work hard to achieve something. That said, I don't believe college degrees are relevant in sales. By his own admission he always talks about how well failed actors/actresses perform in sales roles...

SandwichMan

Catalyst

BDR Team Lead

"Chaps my khakis" earned the fastest upvote from me

SaaSam

Politicker

Account Executive

No idea where I first heard it to be honest. Just fun to say

CuriousFox

WR Officer

🦊

Probably to show you can stick to something and see it through.

E_Money

Big Shot

💰

I've been saying this for years!

College degrees feel pretty irrelevant for the most part (I use NONE of what I studied) and create a gap between people who can & cannot afford to go being able to get well-paying sales jobs. It's all bullshit

SaaSam

Politicker

Account Executive

Very good point. How much awesome sales talent is going undiscovered because they don't have a degree in liberal arts?

E_Money

Big Shot

💰

exactly...

alecabral

Arsonist

Director - Digital Sales Transformation

I don't think it should be a requirement really, but I've been instructed as a hiring manager to somewhat prioritize those resumes of people who had at least a college degree. I think it's nonsense.

SaaSam

Politicker

Account Executive

How often do you ignore that instruction because you see someone that's clearly a better fit in spite of not having a degree?

alecabral

Arsonist

Director - Digital Sales Transformation

I did it multiple times, which made quite unpopular with recruiting and HR, but they couldn't stop me anyway. Admittedly, not all my picks were great but that had nothing to do with them not having a college degree.

SaaSam

Politicker

Account Executive

In my opinion if sales is your chosen career path, you're better off investing the time you would put into a degree into gaining experience instead. 4 years of experience will almost always trump no experience but a piece of paper saying you passed some tests.

alecabral

Arsonist

Director - Digital Sales Transformation

Absolutely. You just me reminded me of this woman I hired around 12-13 years ago. She had a ton of sales experience, but no college degree. HR said no, I said fuck it, let's hire her. She was a BDR, and in 1 year she made it to ISR. The one day she comes up to me and says "I want to grow more", so I helped her get a AE job (I was BDR/ISR manager back then, so no AEs) with another manager. She then moved on to another company...and years later, I was at another job and I re-hired her, this time as a manager. Same kid, 3-4 more years of experience, hell of a manager, no college degree.

Sniper

Valued Contributor

Enterprise Account Executive

I got a my bachelors degree in biology, turned down my one acceptance letter into medical school, and my degree does not benefit me at all in my sales career. I don’t know the answer to your question, but I could not give any less fucks if someone has 10 degrees or 0.

SaaSam

Politicker

Account Executive

I'd like to give college another go one day. Not to pursue a degree so much as to learn about something that actually interests me.

datnillawafer

Big Shot

Account Executive

The viewpoint I’ve heard on this is that they get droves of applicants and it’s an easy way to filter down since only a percentage will have Bachelors degrees. Just an arbitrary line in the sand. They admitted they’re probably missing out on good talent but just don’t have the time to sort through every application or figure out other ways to pre-screen who the best candidates are.

goose

Politicker

Sales Executive

Without work experience a college degree shows you can finish what you started.

Boutdamtime

Politicker

Client Executive

Guess I’m old school. Depending on what you’re selling….I’d prefer a college degree 🤷‍♀️

bareknuckles

Valued Contributor

CEO of my kitchen table

Being an Australia - I just don’t understand the whole college thing especially with Sales.

TheLoneGun

Opinionated

Extremely Rad Product Offloading Specialist

Tons of candidates. Whether employers admit it or not most suck at hiring, so they add lines in the sand to give them a smaller pool to pull from and sort through.

The way things are going a Masters will be needed, especially if they start offering free college or student loan payoffs for a period of time.

Unfortunately most people hire strictly based on data and not context.

RandyMoss

Politicker

Account Executive

A few years ago I would have disagreed with you, but now I am not so sure. Useless degrees (Gender Studies and the like) are becoming more and more prevalent and with everything that happened last year, it is hard to sell me on the idea that >$40k a year for online school is a wise investment. Obviously if you are going into a STEM field or another field where you need a post-grad degree, you need to go to college. But if you just want to get into business, I'm not so sure if the 4 year degree is worth it anymore. I would think anyone could get a job selling SOMETHING with their high school diploma and if you hate it you can always pivot after 12-18 months after you build up some experience. You'll enter your 20's with zero debt and (hopefully) a steady job! Obviously if you want to get the degree there is nothing stopping you, and employers still seem to like seeing a college degree on a resume. I'm just not sure if it should be a requirement anymore.

salessv

Founder

It's useful if salespeople can write, think and provide context to buyers vs being a talking head, pushing their extrovert personality on prospects, which seems to be the majority of this audience.

Spongeboob

Opinionated

Account Executive II

Completely agree. 5 years into sales and I've yet to apply my business degree into my role.

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SaaSam

To hiring managers. Why in the hell are companies asking for college degrees for sales positions.

45 comments

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