What college is selling: 1
What college is selling:
1. Membership to an elite club
2. A certificate to help open doors
3. A motivational whip at your back
4. A clear, “safe” path to a career
5. A social experience
If you don’t need these things, then college is overrated...
👇
If you:
1. Have a clear plan
2. Have chosen a path without gatekeepers that require a degree
3. Are self motivated
Then college is overrated.
The knowledge is out there, for free.
I went to college because I didn’t know what to do with my life. I was a marketing major. In year 4, I added CIS as a 2nd major.
College taught me outdated tech. COBOL. Visual Basic. 🤦♂️ So I taught myself web tech.
But my CIS degree proved worth it: It opened the first door.
I was a hiring manager for many years. Over a long period, I interviewed multiple people a day. So, I got very comfortable with evaluating candidates.
Realization: I didn’t end up caring if people had a degree.
Instead of focusing on formal education and resumes in interviews, I look for 5 things:
(thread)
1. Honesty: Do they know what their resume claims they know?
2. Growth: Do they know what I’d expect them to given their claimed experiences? Do they seem excited to grow?
3. Positivity: Does this person speak poorly about previous co-workers and bosses? Do they blame others, or accept responsibility?
4. Humility: Is this person willing to say “I don’t know”? Can they convey what they’d like to learn next?
5. Curiosity: When this person doesn’t know the answer, do they ask for the answer before we move on?
Summary: I’m looking for a good human who is excited to grow, collaborate, and learn from mistakes along the way.
You don’t need a degree or a fancy resume for that.