Your Degree Doesn’t Define You – Here’s Why
“If opportunity doesn’t knock, build a door” – Milton Berle
I made a short post on LinkedIn about why your degree doesn’t define you and it generated quite some engagement, so I wanted to develop it into a full piece.
I grew up in an academic environment in which there was so much emphasis on going to university or pursuing some form of post-graduate studies. Otherwise, you would fail at life.
Additionally, in Canada, there was pressure to have it all figured out by the age of 15 or 16 (even earlier for some) – which degree you’d pursue in university, what the end goal was career-wise, etc.
A decade out of high school and two-and-a-half degrees later, I’ve learned that none of this really matters.
At the start of your career, you can feel a bit handcuffed by the degree that you got, limiting your opportunities, and ultimately your belief in yourself.
Don’t fret – here are three reasons why your degree doesn’t define you:
1. It’s not about what you studied, but the skills you gained
The general idea behind university (today, anyways) is to study a particular subject and try to get the highest possible grade which will hopefully help you leverage good career opportunities related to what you studied.
In reality, a university degree is a test to see how much you can memorize and how well you can manage an intense work load.
It’s about fine-tuning your ability to write and express your thoughts.
It’s about seeing how well you can manage and operate under varying levels of stress.
It’s about how well you can prioritize and work on a tight schedule.
It’s about the skills that you gain. The soft skills, that is.
If you leverage this properly in your CV/resume and in interviews, you’re already starting on the right foot.
2. You can learn anything online nowadays
The internet can be your best friend when it comes to learning new hard skills. There are so many available platforms that you can use to learn.
Do not underrate this – maybe you’ve had an initial experience in a field relating to your degree, and you realized that it wasn’t for you. That’s fine. It doesn’t mean that you have to go back to school or pursue another degree.
Of course if you’d like to be a doctor or lawyer, you’ll have to go back to school for that. But in a lot of other fields, you don’t.
Use the internet to your advantage. Use Coursera, Udemy, SkillShare, LinkedIn Learning. They all issue certifications that you can add to your CV and ultimately showcase to recruiters and hiring managers.
If you want to pivot or make a change, you have available resources. Put a plan in place, and see that plan through.
3. Networking is your key to success
I have a bachelor’s degree in political science and a master’s degree in Italian Language & Literature. When I started my bachelor’s degree 10 years ago, I thought I’d have a political career as a diplomat. A few years later, that switched to university professor.
What happened?
I tried both out and realized they weren’t for me.
But that’s okay, because that’s life.
What happened next?
I worked at a bank. I worked in marketing & PR. I worked in international education. I helped build a language division for a start-up. I worked in sales, as well as in recruitment.
Across four countries, I must add.
Not to discount my own drive and motivation here, but I have to fundamentally acknowledge how crucial networking was in achieving the opportunities that I’ve had.
Networking is literally your key to success in life (let alone your career).
If you really want an opportunity, and you truly put your mind to it, networking is the final piece to your puzzle.
Do your research.
Utilize LinkedIn as if there’s no tomorrow.
Connect with people that have the career that you want.
Ask as many questions as possible.
Learn from their stories and experiences.
Get them to refer you, or ask if they could keep you in mind for future opportunities.
This will get you much, much farther than the degree that you received, or the university from which you received it.
Your degree doesn’t define you, and it never will.
Write that down.
