Does that job really require a Bachelor's Degree?
Our ultimate pet peeve is an organization not listing a salary or benefits with a job description, but there’s another thing that makes us furious: organizations mindlessly listing bachelor’s degrees as a job requirement. Of course, some positions require special licensing, or skills that you might only be able to learn in a higher education setting. The truth is: most jobs in our movement don’t. In fact, when we’ve questioned this requirement on postings, we’ve been met with “Oh, we’re taking applications without it” and “that doesn’t really matter and we don’t check anyway,” to which we wonder, “THEN WHY IS IT LISTED AS A REQUIREMENT?!”
Experts find time and again that requiring a college education limits the pool of people who apply for jobs—particularly people from marginalized communities and those who could not afford higher education—without posing any significant benefit. To add insult to injury, many jobs in our movement that state that they require a college education don’t even pay a salary high enough to cover student loan repayments, not to mention the fact that many people can learn the skills required in organizing, communications, development, programmatic, and management positions on the job rather than a college campus. (Looking at you paid internships!)
To help you figure out if the position you’re hiring for really requires a bachelor’s degree, we put together this handy flowchart. Share it far and wide—especially with your HR department and hiring teams!
Image description: A flowchart with a series of questions to answer to determine if a job might require a bachelor's degree, including:
Does the position require a certificate or degree for accreditation as required by law? If yes, the position might require a degree.
If no, can the skills be learned elsewhere (past jobs, trainings, or other educational environments)? If yes, a college degree may not be necessary.
If no, can you offer knowledge and skills training on the job? If yes, a college degree may not be necessary.
If no, can you cover training, a degree, or a certificate through tuition reimbursement or as professional development? If yes, a college degree may not be necessary.
If no, is the salary offered enough to cover student loan payments? If no, a college degree may not be necessary.