No degree, No job?


Often, while perusing the job postings, you'll see listed under the requirements section wordsuch as "Bachelor's degree or equivalent."

Does this mean that those without a degree need not apply? Not necessarily.

Although many corporate cultures require that their employees be degreed regardless of their position or length of experience, others will allow the degree to be trumped by industry experience. This is especially true for those job postings that have a degree **or equivalent** tagged to them. As such, you may have a chance when you lack the degree. Generally speaking, a degree will usually be mandatory for those younger candidates lacking solid, relevant job experience. The operative word here is "equivalent" and how that is defined.

Sell Results Instead

While these employers may have different requirements for equivalent experience, a good rule of thumb is to demonstrate past performance and proven results in your previous work. To accomplish this, your goal is to show how you either make money or save money for your employer.

From your past work experience, develop as many specific instances when you actually have done so. If you can attach a dollar-value to several of those, so much the better.? Put these in your resume.

Here are some actual examples:

  • "Responsible for generating 13 new accounts by creating database and mailing piece."
  • "Increased revenue by 38% from new social market bookings."
  • "Chaired meetings and headed the negotiation discussion that resulted in the settlement of a long protracted contractual and legal issue with the subcontractor and client."
  • "Improved cash collection and debt aging from average 100 days to a more manageable 30 days and realized savings of about $276,000."
  • "Reduced turnover by 45% over previous management within 15 months through my training program and development plans."
  • "Won the Leadership and Excellence Award in 2007 for outstanding achievements during my project management role."
  • "Increased our customer satisfaction survey scores by 32% on average by training my team on the proper way to provide a great customer experience."

Showcase Your Main Strength

You should also have a USP (Unique Selling Proposition) near the top of your resume. Also called a "Personal Branding Statement," this is a short, one-sentence "pitch" that describes who you are in about 15 seconds. Your USP should state the single greatest strength you offer and the biggest benefit that you bring to an employer.

Example: "Hospitality business development professional with a strength in creative sales and marketing techniques that generated $500,000 in new revenue for my employer in 12 months."

You can outweigh the formal education by showing exactly how your specific work has benefited your previous employer. The bottom line is that employers today, more than ever, want to have problem-solvers on board. Though you may have no degree, you can prove yourself a resource that fits into their larger profit and loss picture. If you can demonstrate that, you can get hired.

Iphone Battery Tips



  • Disable 3G when you don’t need itUsing a 3G connection when talking or browsing on the iPhone drains the battery substantially faster than using an EDGE connection. Browsing speeds are slower over EDGE compared to 3G, but call quality is decent on either connection.
    How to: Settings -> General -> Network -> Set ‘Enable 3G’ to on or off as required

  • Disable 3G if you get a weak/intermittent signalIf you’re in a location where the 3G signal is very weak, the iPhone will have to work harder to keep reconnecting to the network which will drain the battery faster. Switch over to the EDGE network to avoid this if you’re in such an area for a long time.
    How to: Settings -> General -> Network -> Set ‘Enable 3G’ on or off as required

  • Use a WiFi connection for web browsing where possibleBrowsing over WiFi is not only faster than using an EDGE or 3G connection, it drains the battery less too. Use a WiFi connection whereever it’s available.
    How to: Settings -> WiFi -> Select a network

  • Disable location services when you’re not using itLocation services controls the use of GPS on Google Maps and other applications that make use of the iPhone’s location, such as geotagging photos when using the camera. While location services is switched on so is the GPS antenna, which will drain power even when you’re not using a relevant application.
    How to: Settings -> General -> Set ‘Location Services’ to on or off as required

  • Turn off Push notifications or increase the fetch intervalThis controls the frequency that your phone will automatically check for new data, such as downloading email for any account you’ve set up. The more frequently it checks, the faster it will drain the battery.
    How to: Settings -> Fetch New Data -> Configure as required

  • Turn on Auto BrightnessAuto Brightness will automatically adjust the brightness of the screen depending on ambient lighting conditions, so by switching it on your phone won’t be wasting additional power on the display.
    How to: Settings -> Brightness -> Set ‘Auto-Brightness’ on

  • Switch on Airplane mode if you have no signalIf you’re in an area where you know you’ll have no signal at all, the phone will automatically keep trying to find a network. By switching on Airplane mode you can prevent the phone from doing this and save some battery power.
    How to: Settings -> Set ‘Airplane Mode’ to on

  • Calibrate the battery indicator every two monthsYou can calibrate the battery indicator on the iPhone to make it more accurate by fully charging it up and then fully draining the battery. Do this every couple of months to ensure that what you see on the indicator is a reliable representation of how much power you have left.

  • Charge your iPhone regularlyCharge your iPhone whenever you can to keep the battery topped up. It’s not possible to ‘overcharge’ the device as was the case with some older phones, so you don’t need to worry about damaging the battery by leaving it plugged in.

  • Keep your iPhone cool while chargingIt’s important to charge the iPhone in a cool location - if you use a case you should remove it while the phone is charging. Charging the phone in a high temperature environment can dramatically reduce the lifespan of the battery.