4 replies to this topic

[nathancolbylee]

Does experience trump education? What if your experience seems trivial?

[Insomnia]

Experience is the trump card, education just helps you get your foot in the door or weed out some of your competition.

Not all experience in a field are hard skills either, so even if your experience is trivial in one field some of it may still be desireable to employers (IE, good customer service skills or interpersonal skills).  Put some emphasis on those kinds of skills, if you believe they will be transferable to a job you're going after.

If you're just coming out of college/school, then you're stuck in a catch 22.  You might want to get any job that will show show you've worked in an office or customer service role, even if it's out of the field you're studying for.  This can go a long way to helping you secure a job in the field you want later on.  Pay your dues, etc.

Edited by Insomnia, 29 July 2011 - 08:24 AM.

[kevinm63]

I agree with Insomnia. Employers look at experience. Give related experience. Employers look at education for freshers. But educational qualification is used as cut-off. So the competition is reduced.

[Miloslav]

CV example

Does experience trump education? What if your experience seems trivial?

Of a choice between the two, experience will always trump "education" if it is a choice between one or the other. Being able to do it, and having proven that you have done it is always going to be preferable to having read about how to do it.

[douggw]

Also, have several different resumes with different objectives and styles to match the job you are applying for.  Highlight your qualifications and experience  -- and those qualifications and experience may be different for each job you are applying for.