The paper ceiling may be torn to pieces, but what comes next?

There’s no shortage of commentary on the breakdown of the paper ceiling, or the degree requirement as a cost of entry for jobs. Everyone is saying that the paper ceiling is being torn up, and that may be true in some respects, for example, it’s becoming less and less common across many industries to see a degree as a requirement to apply.

This is not to say that talent entering the workforce from universities or degree programs will be less desirable. It’s instead a campaign to focus less on the paperwork and more on your actual skillset and learning experiences you’ve had to be able to do a job. The goal is both to level the playing field with those who are skilled candidates who can absolutely contribute to a team but whose lack of degree would not even allow them to be considered. This is not only a benefit for candidates, but also for employers to open up their talent pool to more qualified candidates who may be getting screened by automatic resume reviews for lack of a degree.

There remains, however, the need to articulate the experience and knowledge you have to be able to do any job. So, the question becomes: what are employers looking for and what should future employees be working on?

1. Be a STAR or look closer for them: I don’t mean the stars in the skies, but instead I mean Skilled Through Alternative Routes or STARs, which is a product of the Tear the Paper Ceiling Campaign. McKinsey estimated in 2022 that more than 70 million workers in the United States alone were STARs. This included those who went through community college, certificate programs or even military service or on-the-job trainings.

Harvard Business Review conducted a study that found that non-degree holders performed nearly or equally well to degree holders on “time to reach full productivity, time to promotion, level of productivity, or amount of oversight required.”

2. Consider how you’ll compete with the changing business needs. As we all move into the AI revolution, many of the jobs that we’ll be looking to fill will be related to technology. Academic programs can’t always move at the speed of innovation, so you’ll see many candidates who have developed their experience and knowledge through certificate programs or technology bootcamps. Many people will have gone to school for something entirely different but upskilled in one of these evolving areas. These people may not pass your degree requirements on your job description but have on the job or skill-based training that make them exciting candidates for your team. With more businesses looking to fill these positions, you may be competing for talent not just in the industry but with other industries as well.

3. Learn about those external learning opportunities. There are a lot of programs out there that offer incredible experience, networking and insights. Being educated on these programs and what they offer allow for you to translate your applicants’ resumes and applications as they come in. International Fresh Produce Association works with the industry to deliver on a number of professional development opportunities that allow for industry members to learn and develop outside of their day-to-day responsibilities. For example, the Emerging Leaders Program allows for rising stars to go through a business simulation experience where they work with industry mentors to learn and understand the many aspects of running a successful business.

From an employer perspective, it’s great to know that you can help expose your own team members to new challenges in a learning environment that they may not be able to experience in their day-to-day environment.

From an employee perspective, this is a great example of how skill building and gaining experience outside of your degree or daily role can add to your overall story as a candidate for new or promotional roles.

Education, like all industry, will likely experience major disruptions brought on by technology and AI, but for now, higher education is still an excellent way to gain experience, knowledge and connections. However, as competition for talent increases, it’s important for us to think about how we can expand our talent pool, and how candidates can showcase themselves even better. Looking beyond strict degree requirements is a great way to open up your view of candidates who may have just the right skills and knowledge that you’re looking for.

For candidates, a degree alone was never going to get you hired, so seeing the paper ceiling breakdown is a great opportunity to highlight the unique experiences and work you’ve put in on your career journey.