The following is an article “You Don’t Need a College Degree To Become Successful” by Marc Primo.
In today’s modern age of startups and co-working spaces, some companies couldn’t care less if you are a college graduate or not. Similarly, there are hundreds of individuals who have attained prominence and power without the college degree. From talk show host and comedian Ellen DeGeneres who is worth $400 million, to Hollywood’s richest man David Geffen who is estimated at $8 billion, successful undergrads have proven time and again that you can succeed sans diploma.
This is not to say that there is no need to pursue a college education. The academe will always help an individual develop into a well-rounded professional no matter what. However, there are just some characteristics that we can’t learn from school, and can only nurture from within.
Check if you have these traits that can serve as advantages when you enter entrepreneurship:
Skilled. Soft skills such as strong work ethics, positive attitude, and good communication are sometimes innate characteristics that you can further hone through experience. Sometimes, these soft skills even serve as the drivers that will allow you to get what you want professionally. Others have soft skills that are developed through vocational learning. These usually signify where their strengths really lie. Polyglots can be good communicators, and those who can write music can integrate technical information and creative design quite effectively. Your soft skills will definitely speak a lot about your talents and what you can contribute to a company.
Inquisitive. Employees who ask a lot of questions are always willing to learn. They always want their thinking gears in motion as this sharpens their cognitive abilities and leadership skills. These individuals are usually skilled experts in their respective fields who, through years of experience, can do multiple functions and comprehend complex ideas. College degrees usually confine individuals to one expertise. If you have within you an array of skills and unique knowledge, these can truly help you land a position in a company that only a small percentage of the populace can really accomplish.
Logical. Everyone can be innovative, but not everyone can apply logic to what they try to innovate. Believe it or not, numbers have a lot to do with being innovative. Statistics teach you to analyze details and be meticulous, but developing foresight is another matter. During the 2010 House of Representatives campaign period, Facebook claimed that candidates with more social media followers are most likely to win their campaigns. If you practice analytical thinking, you would think that this is highly argumentative. And it was as not every politician who had a substantial following on Facebook won in the 2010 elections. Studying data requires applying causality, formulating patterns, and developing insights from past studies. Train yourself to spot loopholes and offer logical solutions. Being analytical and creative will help you go a long way in your career.
Gritty. Persistence, more than knowledge, is the main trait that drives any employee to succeed. Going to college is manageable for many of us because we only need to acknowledge specific responsibilities. However, being smart and hardworking is learned outside the campus. We become smarter by facing real challenges rather than dealing with them on paper, and we learn how to work hard by knowing that others are relying on the quality of our efforts. You can be highly-intelligent and graduate with honors, yet refuse functions that don’t suit you. Companies today are looking for people with initiative and impressive skill set that allows them to handle multiple roles, because no one really learns such valuable lessons in school.