Home | Business | Careers
Want to change careers... but concerned that you're not qualified? Well, your concern may justified - you may need a certain credential, qualification or background to be qualified for the job. But in some cases... you don't need to be worried at all. In fact, you may have a condition I call "credentialitis". Basically, you erroneously think that you must go back to school, or do some course, or get some credential, in order to be qualified for that career change, or to get that new job or promotion. It's crazy. I've always regarded credentials and qualifications as proof that someone graduated from some kind of course or program... but not necessarily proof that they have the critical skills and talents to perform a certain role. For example, what if you're an entrepreneur who left high school before graduating, launched a super-successful business which you ended up selling, and now want to be the marketing manager of a large, established company? As a victim of credentialitis, you might wonder if you're qualified to perform the marketing management role. You may even consider going to business school and investing thousands of dollars, not to mention one or two years in time, to get an MBA in marketing... Although there's nothing necessarily wrong with attending business school - and you might learn some interesting things - is the return on your investment really positive? Will studying really make you more qualified than having hands-on experience as a business owner? Couldn't you present yourself as someone with unequalled business experience, skills and knowledge - someone who has built and sold a company, as opposed to someone with theoretical knowledge acquired from a business school? Now, of course, in some cases you will need to study and get a particular qualification to make a career change - for instance, if you want to become a dentist or mechanical engineer. However, for other new jobs, you likely possess the most important skills and knowledge required and what you don't know can be learned on the job... or just isn't that critical. I know, I know - you may be confident in your own abilities, but how do you convince a potential employer who wants to see that certificate, diploma or degree? After all, it seems our entire society has credentialitis. Yet, the only way you as an individual, or we as a society, are going to get over this credentialitis, is if we make an effort to change things. Therefore, I suggest you build your self-confidence - be confident in the talents, skills, abilities and knowledge you possess. And if enrolling in a formal education course or program continues to intrigue you, answer this question: Would completing such studies arm you with any geniunely useful knowledge or skills... or would it arm you with a piece of paper to prove knowledge or skills you already have? Really, if you manage to overcome your credentialitis you'll not save a lot of money, time and energy on unnecessary studies, but you'll also become a happier, more fulfilled person. If you are challenged over your lack of credentials you can "reframe" your background... so that it's obvious that this has equipped you with the ideal background for the new job. As an example, someone once asked me why I didn't get an MBA. I just said that I had a "real-world" MBA acquired through hands-on experience working in advertising, marketing, law and my own business. Of course, you'll find some people who just won't "buy it" - they obviously have credentialitis themselves. In this case, it's up to you whether it's worth your while trying to convince them... or whether you're better off trying to work with people who aren't so hung up on qualifications and recognize true ability. Of course, when you are recruiting people, try to look beyond someone's qualifications too - their "real-world" background may well have armed them with skills, abilities and knowledge that is just as valuable (if not more so) than those obtained through formal education.
Article Source: http://www.approvedarticles.com
Please Rate this Article
5 out of 54 out of 53 out of 52 out of 51 out of 5
Not yet Rated
