Degree Free
Welcome to the Degree Free Community | New? Start Here! (DF#100)
Wed Jun 07 2023degree-freecareer transitionjob searchskillsalternative paths
Description
The episode covers various aspects of being degree-free and provides insights into career transition success stories, the value of skills over degrees, alternative paths to success, and job search strategies. It emphasizes the importance of skills, experience, and goals in finding work, encourages confidence in making career transitions, and highlights resources available for degree-free individuals. The hosts share personal experiences and provide practical advice for job searching without a degree.
Insights
Skills Matter More Than Degrees
Companies prioritize skills over degrees, and every job provides transferable skills that can be useful in other industries.
Alternative Paths to Success
Traditional education is not always necessary for a successful career, and there are creative ways to pursue jobs outside of the traditional path.
Crafting a Compelling Story
Crafting a compelling story about past experiences is crucial when applying for new jobs.
Degree-Free Resources
Listeners can access the podcast on various platforms, sign up for a free weekly newsletter, and find links to all resources mentioned in the episode at degreefree.co/100.
Chapters
- Introduction and Background
- Career Transition Success Stories
- The Value of Skills Over Degrees
- Alternative Paths to Success
- Understanding Degree-Free and Job Search Strategies
Summary
Transcript
Introduction and Background
00:00 - 07:31
- The hosts express gratitude to the listeners and the degree-free community for their support.
- One of their degree-free community members was highlighted on Business Insider for his story, which shows that people have options and the ability to teach themselves skills.
- They thank Ryan for his work in producing and editing the podcast.
- They reflect on how they started recording episodes in their living room and have gone through multiple sets over the course of 100 episodes.
- Episode 100 is designed to be a starting point for new listeners or a review for longtime listeners, providing an overview of degree-free principles and career advancement strategies.
- The hosts share their personal background, including Ryan's experience getting laid off during COVID-19, studying Salesforce administration, passing the certification exam, and landing a remote job without a computer science degree.
Career Transition Success Stories
07:03 - 14:06
- Successfully passed Salesforce Administrator exam and got certification
- Applied for jobs and immediately hired for a $70k remote role
- Continued retooling, learning different skills, and getting certifications
- Broke the $100,000 mark by the end of the year
- Helping others achieve similar career transitions
- Recognized early that job was not coming back and took action
- Encourages people to apply for higher-paying roles they desire
- Confidence is key in making career transitions
- Personal experience with college degree and lack of direction
- Party lifestyle affected college grades and admissions into business school
The Value of Skills Over Degrees
13:48 - 20:35
- The speaker had to average out their grades in order to pass a class and continue with their business degree.
- Despite getting a degree, the speaker realized they were still unemployable because companies cared more about skills than degrees.
- A study from 2014 showed a trend of down credentialing in job listings, indicating that degrees were becoming less important.
- The speaker had no job prospects after college and had to teach themselves what companies wanted in order to land jobs.
- Every job provides transferable skills that can be useful in other industries.
- Degree Free is a strategy for effectively finding work based on skills, experience, and goals.
Alternative Paths to Success
20:16 - 27:22
- Traditional education doesn't always help in getting work or figuring out valuable skills.
- For most jobs, there are creative ways to pursue them outside of the traditional path.
- When applying for jobs, don't be afraid to apply even if you don't meet all the requirements.
- Companies often hire people who don't exactly match their job descriptions.
- Start with a goal and work backwards to figure out how to achieve it.
- There are resources available to help identify career goals and navigate job searches without a degree.
- A college degree is not necessary for success or a great career.
- Language around being 'degree free' aims to empower those who feel their degrees are not serving them.
- Colleges should not determine the value or qualifications of individuals based on whether they purchased a degree.
Understanding Degree-Free and Job Search Strategies
27:11 - 32:44
- Degree-free individuals are those whose degrees have expired and are no longer relevant to their current careers.
- People who never went to college or didn't finish are also considered degree-free.
- The podcast aims to teach listeners how to be effective in job searching and acquire valuable skills employers are looking for.
- Crafting a compelling story about past experiences is crucial when applying for new jobs.
- Listeners can access the podcast on various platforms, including YouTube and podcast streaming services.
- To learn more about degree-free resources, visit degreefree.co/start.
- A free weekly newsletter is available to provide degree-free tips and job search strategies. Sign up at degreefree.co/newsletter.
- Links to all resources mentioned in the podcast can be found at degreefree.co/100, including free courses and social media profiles.
- Future episodes will cover topics such as creating businesses and side hustles. Stay updated by subscribing on YouTube and the newsletter.
- Two free courses currently offered are the seven-day get hired challenge, focusing on job search steps, and the five-degree free pathways course for alternative career options instead of college.
- For questions or comments, leave a comment on the YouTube video or email contact@degreefree.co.