College degrees aren’t the only path to success. In this Career Chat episode, we explore how real-world experience, certifications, and connections are shifting the way we define career readiness and advancement.
✅ Many professionals and entrepreneurs succeed without formal degrees
✅ Industry certifications are becoming key, especially in tech fields
✅ Networking and personal connections drive career opportunities
✅ Lifelong learning and adaptability matter more than any single credential
Connect with Elena https://www.linkedin.com/in/elenadoolan/
🎙️ Don’t miss our recent episode on work-life balance with Elena and Mario! (Ep. 14)
#CareerSuccess #SkillsOverDegrees #TransparentHR #HRInsights #WorkforceTrends #NetworkingMatters #LifelongLearning #CollegeDebate #CertificationsCount #CareerGrowth
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Episode Transcript
Hey and welcome to another Career Chat.
Bite-sized inspiration on theTransparent Nature podcast.
Today I'm joined with myco-host, mario Hunt, and a very
special guest, elena Doolin, aswe dive into a big question does
a degree really matter intoday's workforce?
(00:30):
Welcome to the Transparent HRpodcast.
How are y'all doing today?
Speaker 2 (00:35):
Doing great, doing great.
Speaker 1 (00:36):
Absolutely wonderful.
Awesome, awesome.
So let's get into today'scareer chat.
Does a degree really matter,elena?
Can you help us answer thatquestion today?
Speaker 2 (00:50):
So I'm a little bit biased because I work for a
company that helps collegestudents get their degrees.
But I will say that in thegeneral workforce a lot of what
is necessary for a job can betaught and learned on the job,
(01:11):
so a degree is not necessarilyrequired.
For example, I have abachelor's in health sciences
and I'm currently an HRdevelopment manager.
I'm getting my master's in HRmanagement because I wanted some
sort of formal education and Ilove school, but I don't think
it was necessarily required inorder for me to continue with my
(01:36):
career.
Speaker 1 (01:37):
Gotcha, gotcha, mariette, what's your take?
You've been going to school.
I think you have yourbachelor's and master's degree,
and so I mean what's your takeon this?
Speaker 3 (01:49):
I've got a few degrees actually.
Oh, it's still thinking about afew more, which is crazy.
But yeah, I think it only, itonly matters if the job
description minimum requires it.
That's the only way I would sayit really matters, because
(02:12):
nowadays, if you notice, thereare a lot of people in very high
positions in places that do nothave what we would consider to
be the degree, type or level tobe in those positions.
However, a lot of it is, asElena stated, you can gain a lot
of experience just from workingin the position and picking up
and learning cross-training aswell.
(02:34):
And then there's this certainthing that's always been really,
really big in the workforce, orjust in the world, or the
weight of the world period, isit's all about who you know.
Speaker 2 (02:45):
Oh, yes, those are important.
Speaker 3 (02:55):
So only in circumstances where the
requirements and the minimumsfor that requirement says that
you need that education is whereI feel like it's required that
you have it.
Speaker 1 (03:00):
So, in other words, you don't really need a degree
to be successful.
Speaker 3 (03:04):
So, in other words, you don't really need a degree
to be successful.
Speaker 1 (03:16):
What it really takes is, yeah, what it really takes
is self-determination and reallyachieving goals and trying to.
You know, think outside of thebox.
I think, especially for a lotof entrepreneurs and business
owners, you'll be surprised.
They don't have degrees.
They they dropped out ofcollege, right.
You'll be surprised, they don'thave degrees.
They dropped out of college,right, and we know a few, but I
(03:36):
won't name any names.
But you know, having a degree,you know that doesn't mean that
you'll be successful.
What matters is that you aresetting goals for yourself and
achieving things that you'venever seen before.
But this goes into my nextquestion, because I think, in
the space that we're in today,we see a lot of technology
happening, a lot of AI, and so Ilook at the IT field, right,
(03:59):
and with the IT field, some ofthose individuals they don't
have IT degrees, but they havecertifications.
So let's talk aboutcertifications.
Are certifications important aswell?
What is your take on this,mario?
Okay?
Speaker 3 (04:14):
Well, to me I think there again it's just like the
degree only if needed.
A lot of things you can learnbasically just from basic
training experience and ifyou're paired up with the right
person, they can teach you.
However, sometimes there aresome specialized skills and
things that you may need to knowthat going through to get that
(04:37):
certification or going throughto get your education, get that
degree, will benefit you on whatthey would probably say the
book sense wise.
However, a lot of it, mostthings, can be taught, because
how did we get to puttingtogether the curriculum?
You're teaching it so mostthings can be taught.
(04:57):
Most things people can betrained on, however, just
depending upon the institute, ifthey feel like you need a
little bit more knowledge,because most of the time on the
job, training is specificallyspecified to that actual
institute or industry.
So just because you've beentaught how to do this job in
this industry, there could besome changes based off you being
(05:20):
in a different industry orbeing in that exact same role at
a different institute.
So I think that's where it kindof goes into play.
Like when I went to get mybusiness degree, they taught us
a lot of different things andthen they had the lean version,
where you can learn how to keepthings lean when it comes to
your numbers and things likethat.
(05:41):
And once I worked for afacility where we had people
that were really great at, Iguess, the thing to keep the
money flowing and the revenueflowing in for that facility,
because they've always beenthere.
However, they didn't know how tothink outside of the box
because they had never had anyexperience anywhere else or they
had never been taught other.
However, they didn't know howto think outside of the box
because they had never had anyexperience anywhere else or they
(06:01):
had never been taught othermethods which I was taught in
through my education, so it wasvery beneficial, besides just
being trained specifically inthat environment.
So sometimes it is needed.
Sometimes it's really good tohave those certifications and
that education behind it,because some people can learn,
but they learn specificallywhere they are but there's a
(06:21):
great big world outside of whereyou are and some of the
education that is given is basedoff of the world itself and the
difference within industriesand within other environments.
So it can be beneficial.
Speaker 1 (06:37):
Yes.
So, my take on this is and basedon my experience right, I think
for me, college and reallygetting a degree helped me to
get into the workforce, get intoa nice paying job, a really
(06:58):
rewarding career.
But I do believe that there arelimits to what you can do with
a degree.
So I often tell people whenthey ask me, how did you become
an HR business partner so early,how did you become a HR manager
so early?
(07:18):
And I tell them well, you know,you get your bachelor's degree
that helps you to get in thedoor.
It doesn't matter, it reallydoesn't matter what type of
degree it is, just get a degree.
But I often tell people, ifyou're going to get a degree,
you might as well get a businessdegree.
That could get you into any job,yeah, and so then I then I tell
(07:41):
them once you get that degree,get your certification.
A lot of people go straightback to school get a master's
degree, but for me, getting thatcertification in that area, in
that field that I'm in, is goingto help me to become more of an
expert in that role, and so Ithink that you know that was
(08:02):
important for me, that wasreally important for me.
So what is your take on this,Elena?
You know, getting acertification I think you're
certified as well in your fieldwhat is your take on this?
Speaker 2 (08:15):
So I work in the tech industry now.
So and the students that wework with they are continuously
getting certifications whilealso getting their degrees,
because that is the shift thatwe're seeing in the field right
now is, you know, certificationsare becoming more and more
relevant and more and moreimportant when it comes to
(08:37):
landing jobs.
For me, like I said, I have abachelor's in health sciences.
Within a month of graduation, Iwent to my company and I said,
hey, I want to be SHRM certified.
So I immediately jumped rightinto that and then I finished
(08:57):
with that and I'm just.
I love learning, but I considermyself a continuous active
learner.
As soon as I was done with that,I was like all right, what's
next?
So I enrolled in my master'sdegree.
So I believe that you know it'sa mix of both.
But certifications, trulythat's a shift in the workforce
that we're seeing is they'reimportant and that is really
(09:19):
what um employers are lookingfor.
Um, that's one of the thingsthat they're looking for on
resumes.
Um, because I part of my, myjob is helping coach um students
and and new graduates for theirfirst interview, for their
first, their first big job.
Um, and's.
That's something that we'reseeing and they're they're
(09:39):
coming back to me and they'resaying, hey, I need, I need a
certification in this, I need acertification in that.
So that that is a shift and Ido think that it's very
important right now and it'svery relevant.
Speaker 1 (09:49):
Yeah Well, thank y'all so much for this today's
career chat and joining us inthis really important topic.
You know does does a degreereally matter in your success.
So thanks for tuning in intoday's career chat.
If you've enjoyed thisdiscussion, be sure to check out
our latest episode on work-lifebalance with Elena, as well as
(10:09):
with Mario.
We'll be back with more careerwisdom soon.
Until then, keep navigatingyour career journey with clarity
, confidence and purpose.
See you then.
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