Between rapidly evolving skillsets and an airtight labor market, business leaders and job seekers alike are questioning the relevancy of a college degree. I was surprised to hear a very promising candidate for our marketing team who had just graduated tell me in a second interview that his motivation for joining our staffing company was to find mentorship. He discovered that the most lucrative opportunities available were working as a freelancer and that it was indispensable to learn tools like Asana.
This got me thinking that these areas were almost more valuable to him than college. The workplace has changed dramatically since my own graduation when success was tied to a four-year college degree and a doctorate raised earning power. There’s a growing consensus that higher education isn’t necessarily a certain path to riches and can even create a false sense of security. Another factor to consider is the soaring cost of higher education, which is saddling graduates with enormous debt. Nearly 70% of the fastest-growing skills are not taught in college. They include development tools, coding, sales acumen and nuance behind relationship building.
Google has a new certification that costs just $300 and can help those who pursue this program in lieu of college land a high salary. More employers are warming to the idea of hiring candidates who don’t have a four-year college degree and one state, Maryland, recently decided to no longer make this a requirement for job candidates. In addition, the stigma attached to foregoing college appears to be dissipating. Change is obviously coming at a fast pace. There are kids in grade school who are probably going to have jobs that don’t even exist today. It’ll be fascinating to see where this all goes.
Related Article: An Examination of Gender Pay Disparity Among Freelancers