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For decades, a college degree has been the golden ticket to securing a successful career. Today, however, things are changing. Companies like Accenture are making the shift from schooling to prioritizing skills and experience. “There are a lot of ways to look at people’s experience, skills and potential. Credentials are not the only way, right?” said Beca Driscoll, a talent strategy executive who also leads the apprenticeship program at Accenture.
Here’s why new graduates are now kicking off their job interviews with their practical experience rather than their distinguished awards.
Accenture is a global professional services company, helping other businesses enhance performance through its various services. Organizations can benefit from its expertise in strategy, consulting, technology, operations and more.
Driscoll’s roles at Accenture have earned her firsthand experience in dealing with this new shift. At the heart of Accenture’s core business values stands the people. When assessing the most effective ways to reach their customers directly, it became clear that a change had to be made. “Nearly two-thirds of working-age people in the U.S. do not have a four-year degree,” Driscoll said. “Meaning that, by default, we were not accessing two-thirds of working-age people in this country.”
Accenture employers are now prioritizing agility, flexibility and, above all else, an eagerness and continual desire to learn. “The need for new skills is rapid,” she said. “There’s always more that we need to know. That ability, and the interest to be continuous learners, I think, are the most important things that we look for.”
So, is going out and getting that degree still worth it? Driscoll believes so. “I think everyone has their own journey and path – they are all valuable,” she said.
Cuesta College counselor Tyler Wilson, who works closely with students attempting to find their career path, shares the same perspective.
In the eyes of the counselor, a degree is never a bad thing to keep in your back pocket. “Degrees indicate a higher level of capacity to a lot of people,” Wilson said. In his words, it is a universal “beacon of respect” – something that shows employers you are committed and willing to put in the work.
His advice to students: “If you are not going to pursue a degree at a higher education institution, you need to make sure that you are making things outside of it, and doing that in earnest as well.” To him, a degree is not by any means a necessity. If you are not pursuing one, however, building a portfolio of real-world experience is a must.
One increasingly popular alternative to a college degree is pursuing a job in the skilled trades. Wilson explained the national urge to fill these positions. “We, as a country, are lacking plumbers, we are lacking electricians.” he said. The counselor highlights the endless amount paths there are for students to take, being sure to emphasize the importance of keeping options open.
He advises undergrads to take advantage of the tools in front of them. “Talk to your counselor,” he said. “Find out the things that you’re good at, the things that you like doing. If your path in college isn’t taking you where you need to go, try something else.”
Jackson Enerson’s story is a prime example that success does not always require a degree.
“My title is Millwright apprentice. I work on oil refinery and power plant machinery.” said Jackson, who works for Universal Plant Services.
Rather than sitting several hours a day in lecture halls, Enerson now spends his time cleaning parts, disassembling and reassembling machinery, gaining real-world, hands-on experience.
Enerson, who was a former community college student, was studying business his freshman year when he realized that this lifestyle wasn’t working. “I couldn’t sit in one place for eight hours straight – I never have been able to,” he said. That revelation encouraged Enerson to consider other options.
It was his decision to drop out of school that set him in the right direction.
Enerson’s father had worked in the same trade his whole life, but it wasn’t until Jackson turned 18 that it finally sparked his interest. He joined the carpenter apprenticeship union and was eventually dispatched to work from there.
“Now, I’m learning things that are actually benefiting my life instead of studying things I’ll never use again,” he said.
Jackson’s story is one of several that represent a greater shift in how success is defined. As Wilson puts it, “There are so many things out there that people will enjoy and find satisfaction doing, and we don’t find out about those because we are often so steadfastly stuck on the thing that we were going after already.”