Credentials Needed More Than Ever

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If you are looking for work, or looking to move up the corporate ladder, you need to be aware of things that may be standing in the way of achieving your employment goals. One of those things may be not having the right credentials.

Career specialist Priscilla Claman tells the story of a community banking executive who had been with his employer for more than 20 years. He did not have a college degree when he began working for the bank, and never bothered getting one. But then his bank was bought out and he lost his job. Even with all of his experience, no other bank would even look at him.

If you are in a situation like this – working in an engineering job without an engineering degree, or a finance job without an MBA – you may be setting yourself up for a career roadblock. In fact, Claman says, it is now true in all careers that employers expect people to be credentialed, even more so than in the past. People who have recently graduated from college are having trouble finding jobs because they lack the skills for what used to be entry-level jobs. And the trend is only going to become more pronounced.

People don’t keep their skills up to date because they assume that the experience they have gained is enough. But in a tight job market, they will be competing against others who have advanced degrees and experience, and not having the degree could prevent them from getting the job they want.

If you plan on working at least 10 more years, then it could well be worth your while to get a credential, Claman says. It does not always have to be a degree. Sometimes a professional certification is enough. And if you are planning to get a degree, many colleges accept work experience for credit toward the degree.

And you don’t have to wait until you have the degree to put it on your resume. You can list it on the resume as “degree expected” and give the date.

If you work in the construction, architecture or engineering sector, take that resume and bring it to RealStreet Staffing. We can help you land positions with some of  the top companies in the Mid-Atlantic. We look forward to hearing from you.

RealStreet has proven to be a trusted resource for me for critical facility staffing needs. They strive to understand client requirements and resource them fully with a minimum of contractual actions to enable the support. I am quite satisfied with their services and give my complete recommendation.

Colonel Stuart Harrison, PE, USA (ret)

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