Absent from School

What do some of the most successful business people in the nation have in common? They did not finish college. They were too busy building empires, working their tails off, and managing growth. Have their lack of degrees hampered their careers? Hardly!

It is not uncommon for senior executives today to not have a college degree. In fact, it seems the more successful executives are the ones who didn't have time to go to college because they were too busy working. Those who went the traditional route and got all their degrees first do not always have the advantage.

Many senior executives with whom we work start to worry about their lack of degrees when they hit the later years of their careers. They worry that young college grads will be competing with them for the senior jobs. That is just not the way it goes. Sure, a degree or an MBA is nice to see but it's like icing on the cake. It's not the substance that employers seek. Employers are seeking experience, wisdom and a proven record of success in hiring senior executives.

Consider that 80% of American college graduates never work in their majors. Think about the most valuable learning you have acquired. I bet it didn't come through a professor while sitting in a class of 90 taking notes. It came through life experience and that is something that senior executives have to offer than young graduates do not have.

Just because you don't have a degree is not a reason to leave your education section off your resume. Education comes in all forms - seminars, courses, conferences, certifications, and special training programs. Include this type of information on your resume in the Education section. Leaving out the Education section only serves to draw attention to the fact that you don't have a degree rather than the reverse. It's a big red flag to employers that communicates you feel you need to hide something. That's not the message you want to communicate.

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