<div><i>This article is part of </i><i><a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/upstream" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Upstream</a>,</i><i> The Daily Wire’s new home for culture and lifestyle. Real human insight and human stories — from our featured writers to you.</i></div>
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<p><span lang="EN-US">With more college degrees handed out than ever, the relative advantage of holding one has decreased. Add to that the left-wing lurch of most higher education institutions, and it&#8217;s no wonder it&#8217;s become common for conservatives to <a href="https://www.theamericanconservative.com/dont-go-to-college/">argue</a> that college is no longer necessary. </span></p>
<p><span lang="EN-US">Yet the job market hasn&#8217;t adapted. A degree has become a blunt hiring filter that often screens out experienced, capable candidates. Virtually everyone in the application pool has one </span><span lang="EN-US">— except for me. That’s where my difficulty lies.</span></p>
<p>I had made the decision to drop out of school midway through college to start a business. I began traveling to companies to train Gen Z in leadership and interpersonal skills so that they could excel and lead in life. Working two jobs and running a business was hard, of course. But I would still make the same choice today.</p>
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<p><span lang="EN-US">While 87% of younger Gen Z teens (ages 12–15) are especially likely to <a href="https://news.gallup.com/opinion/gallup/509906/majority-gen-consider-college-education-important.aspx" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://news.gallup.com/opinion/gallup/509906/majority-gen-consider-college-education-important.aspx&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1780575870682000&amp;usg=AOvVaw1yCRDC8TySsniaMpiHp1Rw">view</a> college as important — compared to slightly lower shares among older cohorts, ranging from 80% to 85% — this optimism sits in tension with the fact that 51% of Gen Z ultimately <a href="https://www.indeed.com/career-advice/news/college-degree-value-generational-divide" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.indeed.com/career-advice/news/college-degree-value-generational-divide&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1780575870682000&amp;usg=AOvVaw1heY5P6PHubctYOHT4Xlkn">say</a> their degree, once achieved, was a waste of money.</span></p>
<p>Yet now, I&#8217;m back in school. Why? Because, as I hope to transition into a career in public affairs and government relations, I am asked the same question, time and time again, before the interview awkwardly fizzles into “so, uh, we’re looking to hire candidates with at least a bachelor’s.”</p>
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<p><span lang="EN-US">From getting turned down during the final round to being unable to get a foot in the door, I have seen firsthand how brutal the job market can be for someone with experience, yet no degree.</span></p>
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<p><span lang="EN-US">A dance studio owner had invited me in as a guest teacher. Now, in the dance community, having a degree — even one in “dance” — means almost nothing. You still must audition. You still need to “make it” as a dancer, whether you have a piece of paper that says you can dance or not.</span></p>
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<p><span lang="EN-US">I am a retired contemporary and commercial dancer, having performed with Epik Dance Company, Belhaven Dance Ministry, as a backup dancer in music videos, and even in a Bollywood movie called &#8220;</span><span lang="EN-US">Love and Masala</span><span lang="EN-US">.&#8221;</span></p>
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<p><span lang="EN-US">For this studio owner, my time on stage, film, and professional work was not enough. She told me she would never hire anyone without a degree again.</span></p>
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<p><span lang="EN-US">I have been increasingly running into this dilemma. Hiring managers are quick to give the same response: “I won&#8217;t hire a candidate without a degree.” It’s a quick filter in the application portal. It makes the hiring process </span><span lang="EN-US">faster</span><span lang="EN-US">.</span></p>
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<p><span lang="EN-US">But these hiring managers are missing out on the real gems. I know this because I have hired them.</span></p>
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<p><span lang="EN-US">As the owner of a training company helping Gen Z grow in leadership for the workplace, I have hired multiple roles, from marketing and social media to executive assistants. I was surprised to discover that my best employees all lacked degrees. Typically, they were ambitious and coachable — and had five to seven years of experience. And these gems were having their résumés passed over by other managers because they “lacked qualifications.” In other words, they lacked a degree. Lucky for me, I learned my hiring lesson early and had the chance to mentor fantastic staff.</span></p>
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<p><span lang="EN-US">But I am tired of getting locked out of a dream role — or any role — because I lack a piece of paper. So, now, I’m back in school, playing the qualifications game.</span></p>
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<p><span lang="EN-US">My second go-around at college has proven that experience would have been enough. There is not an assignment that I have not done before — only I have been paid, at real jobs and consulting gigs, to do it. Now, I am the one paying to do this work for a grade.</span></p>
<p>Ultimately, if we want the best workers, we must be willing to dig a bit. Sometimes it means ignoring the “perfect match” the AI bot dragged out of some LinkedIn algorithm. Don&#8217;t let the diamond hire that you have been searching for slip through in the process because a middle manager cuts out any résumé without a B.S. or B.A.</p>
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<p><span lang="EN-US">I challenge hiring managers to give the person without a degree an interview. She may just be the unicorn you have been looking for, and worst case, you gave her some interview experience. </span>Try giving a few extra interviews to unlikely candidates with unique work experience. You may be surprised at what you find.</p>
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<p><em><span lang="EN-US"><span class="il">Taryn</span> Enos is a student media fellow at the Network of Enlightened Women. She is the founder and owner of Bold Speakers Consulting and a communications major at Grand Canyon University.</span></em></p>
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The College Degree Scam Nobody Wants To Admit

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The College Degree Scam Nobody Wants To Admit