Employers often expect candidates to have some prior training or work history in their industry. Some industries require a potential employee to have years of relevant experience or connections in the area, whereas others need a candidate with a certain level of education or certification. You may have more experience or qualifications, depending on your field and employment history, but both have a place in the search for a new job.
The general rule of thumb in the technological industry is that experience is more valuable than qualifications, as many courses, schools, and universities teach either outdated or just simply useless knowledge and skills. Personal projects are appreciated a lot, in contrast to other industries. But do you even need to have any kind of papers then? Why would you finish an expensive school course if you can start working immediately, and learn in the process? And first and foremost, how to decide? Let’s dive in!
Many candidates have both experience and qualifications, which contribute to their ability to perform their job well. Qualifications show that you have the necessary knowledge for your profession, whereas experience proves that you've practiced working in your field. Someone with experience might require less training than someone with more qualifications and less experience. Still, a candidate with specialized qualifications may have more extensive knowledge of a specific field. However, as the tech industry revolves around constant and fast-paced development, designing courses that teach up-to-date knowledge is extremely hard. Curriculum planning is a difficult job with almost daily novelties. This is one of the reasons forward-thinking tech companies measure seniority levels in experience, not education.
A candidate with experience has skills, training, and knowledge that could result in either an easy or a quite hard transition into their new role. They may be able to work faster with no need for lengthy training, or need to completely re-learn skills and adjust old, well-practiced routines to new environments. It can also mean they have transferable skills, like communication, teamwork, or leadership, that mainly come from practice. However, you shouldn’t forget that if it’s not in the employment history, it can be elsewhere. We are willing to bet you that a mother of 7 will most likely have better time management and leadership skills than someone who worked in the industry for a decade. Always ask questions.
Someone educated in a field with a proven history of outstanding academic achievements is believed to be showing exceptional interest in a certain field. What it may also indicate is excessive burnout, but that part is oftentimes overlooked. Many employers believe that fundamental understanding of a scientific field can only be learnt in seminars from people whose names start with “professor”. This approach is dated back to the times where professors were really the best in their fields, with knowledge so fresh and innovative that they were qualified for teaching. Many times, this is still the case.
But if you think about low teacher salaries, even lower entry requirements, and professors who work overtime in other places just to afford their teaching hours, the picture is not so bright. Sometimes, in lower-ranked universities especially, professors are just good students that stayed in school. Would you want your ideal employee to sit through their lessons?
And we mean ANY kind. You don’t have to be enrolled or employed to solve tasks excellently. As a beginner without commercial experience, you may have side projects, and you might have learned all you know from youtube. You may have watched your friend code, learned the basics, and that doesn't mean you can't be better than someone after 2 years of university. Or you might have finished a course, worked in your field as an intern during your studies, and been a top candidate right after graduation. Progress is measured differently for anyone, and an ideal solution will be highly different based on your own journey, preferences and icks. Doing the best you can should be just enough to succeed though.
