jobs.ac.uk - Great jobs for bright people
  • Find a Job
  • Find PhDs
  • Career Advice
  • Jobs by Email
  • Advertise a Job
  • Recruiters
  • Your Account

  • Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to secondary sidebar
  • Skip to footer

career-advice.jobs.ac.uk

Secondary Sidebar

jobs.ac.uk Career Advice

  • CV and Cover Letter Advice
    • CV Tips
    • Free CV Templates
    • Cover Letters with Examples
    • Personal Profiles
    • CV Resources
  • Jobseeking and Interview Tips
    • Jobseeking Tips
    • Academic Interviews
    • Professional Interviews
    • Jobseeking and Interview Resources
  • Career Development
    • Academic Careers
    • Research Careers
    • Career Progression Stories
    • Professional Careers
    • Working in Industry
    • Career Development Resources
    • Global Careers
    • Working From Home
  • Women in Higher Education
  • FE Career Advice
    • FE CV & Interview Tips
    • Working in FE
    • Managing your Career in FE
    • FE Jobs Profiles
  • Resources
    • Academic Case Studies
    • Professional Case Studies
    • Job Profiles
      • Biological Science Jobs
      • Health and Medical Jobs
      • Engineering and Technology Jobs
      • Computer Science Jobs
      • Physical and Environmental Science Jobs
      • Professional Service Jobs
        • Business Development Manager Jobs Profile
        • Chef Jobs Profile
        • Civil Service Jobs Profile
        • Email Marketing Jobs Profile
        • SEO Jobs Profile
        • Office Admin Jobs
    • Vlogs
  • Webinars
  • Country Profiles
    • Africa
      • Egypt
      • Ghana
      • Kenya
      • Nigeria
      • South Africa
    • Americas
      • Canada
      • United States of America
    • Asia
      • Bahrain
      • Brunei
      • China
      • Hong Kong
      • India
      • Japan
      • Kazakhstan
      • Malaysia
      • Qatar
      • Saudi Arabia
      • Dubai
      • Singapore
      • South Korea
      • Turkey
      • United Arab Emirates
      • Work in Vietnam – Country Profile
      • Work in Uzbekistan – Country Profile
    • Europe
      • Belgium
      • Denmark
      • Finland
      • France
      • Germany
      • Ireland
      • Italy
      • Netherlands
      • Norway
      • Russia
      • Spain
      • Sweden
      • Switzerland
      • United Kingdom
    • Oceania
      • Australia
      • New Zealand
  • PhD and Studentship Advice
    • PhD
    • Studentship Resources
    • Vlogs
  • Need help advertising a job?
  • About jobs.ac.uk
  • Ask A Professional
  • Academic Spotlight Interviews
  • Menu
    • CV and Cover Letter Advice
      • CV Tips
      • Free CV Templates
      • Cover Letters with Examples
      • Personal Profiles
      • CV Resources
    • Jobseeking and Interview Tips
      • Jobseeking Tips
      • Academic Interviews
      • Professional Interviews
      • Jobseeking and Interview Resources
    • Career Development
      • Academic Careers
      • Career Progression Stories
      • Research Careers
      • Professional Careers
      • Working in Industry
      • Career Development Resources
      • Global Careers
      • Working From Home
    • Women in Higher Education
    • FE Career Advice
      • FE CV & Interview Tips
      • Working in FE
      • Managing your Career in FE
      • FE Jobs Profiles
    • Resources
      • Academic Case Studies
      • Professional Case Studies
      • Interview questions tool
      • Vlogs
      • Job Profiles
        • Biological Science Jobs
        • Health and Medical Jobs
        • Engineering and Technology Jobs
        • Computer Science Jobs
        • Physical and Environmental Science Jobs
        • Professional Service Jobs
        • Civil Service jobs
    • Webinars
    • Country Profiles
      • Africa
        • Work in Egypt – Country Profile
        • Work in Ghana – Country Profile
        • Work in Kenya – Country Profile
        • Work in Nigeria – Country Profile
        • Work in South Africa – Country Profile
      • Americas
        • Work in Canada – Country Profile
        • Work in the United States of America – Country Profile
      • Asia
        • Work in Bahrain – Country Profile
        • Work in Brunei – Country Profile
        • Work in China – Country Profile
        • Work in Hong Kong – Country Profile
        • Work in India – Country Profile
        • Work in Japan – Country Profile
        • Work in Kazakhstan – Country Profile
        • Work in Malaysia – Country Profile
        • Work in Qatar – Country Profile
        • Work in Saudi Arabia – Country Profile
        • Work in Singapore – Country Profile
        • Work in South Korea – Country Profile
        • Work in Turkey – Country Profile
        • Work in United Arab Emirates – Country Profile
      • Dubai
      • Europe
        • Belgium Country Profile
        • Work in Denmark – Country Profile
        • Work in Finland – Country Profile
        • France Country Profile
        • Work in Germany – Country Profile
        • Work in Ireland – Country Profile
        • Work in Italy – Country Profile
        • Work in the Netherlands – Country Profile
        • Work in Norway – Country Profile
        • Work in Russia – Country Profile
        • Work in Spain – Country Profile
        • Work in Sweden – Country Profile
        • Work in Switzerland – Country Profile
        • Work in the United Kingdom – Country Profile
      • Oceania
        • Work in Australia – Country profile
        • Work in New Zealand – Country Profile
    • Studentship Advice
      • PhD
      • Studentship Resources
      • Vlogs
    • Need help advertising a job?
    • About jobs.ac.uk

Can skills outweigh qualifications?

Human Resources Management HR, Employee Engagement and Development recruitment, employee and workplace. Manger checking the employees profiles online survey form.

Latest recruitment trends indicate a heavy shift towards skills-based hiring.  What could this mean for those with academic or professional qualifications but limited work experience? You may have completed university courses and worked hard to receive your degree(s). However, you may be concerned about current recruitment methods focusing on skills and giving less emphasis on having the relevant academic qualifications.

What is skills-based hiring?

A couple of decades ago, many employers started asking for degree courses for jobs which did not require university qualifications. In recent years, however, we can see a gradual move away from a qualifications-based view to a more skills-based approach. Organisations across a range of sectors put greater emphasis on skills in order to attract a more diverse talent pool. They understand that they need to widen their access to talent to successfully deal with the challenges of the post-pandemic work environment. A more diverse workplace means that employees can contribute with more creative and innovative ideas and share knowledge with each other. Many companies experience labour shortages and struggle to fill positions. When organisations remove the need for degree-level qualifications, they can draw in candidates from a wider range of industries. To keep up and compete in a rapidly changing technological environment, companies need to encourage individuals to continuously learn. They can support staff members in developing their knowledge and completing university courses while being employed. They are increasingly aware that transferrable skills could allow people to work in entirely different sectors even if they do not have direct experience or qualifications.

What are the skills needed in the future?

It is difficult to give a definite answer because the world is rapidly changing. However, some of the most sought-after skills are expected to be analytical thinking and innovation, complex problem solving, critical thinking, leadership, use of technology, resilience, flexibility, and emotional intelligence.

What could this mean for you?

If you have completed academic or professional qualifications however you have limited work experience, you may be concerned about the above trend. You may have spent years studying hard in the hope that you will receive an exciting new job in your field soon after you graduate. You may have been applying for jobs for a while and feel disappointed by not receiving a job offer.

As organisations shift their recruitment strategies, you will notice a change in the way job descriptions are crafted and new technical/hard/soft skills are listed in job adverts. Interviewing techniques are likely to be reviewed to align with skill-based hiring approaches. Employers will focus on the candidates’ practical abilities and experiences and offer jobs to those who come across as the most capable.

How do you strengthen your application?

If you feel that you have little work experience, you will need to find ways to diversify your profile. The earlier you start thinking about gaining professional experience, the more time you will have to boost your CV.  There are a range of avenues you could look at:

  • Taking up volunteering roles: Volunteering for a good cause could be one of the best ways to gain work skills. You could find volunteering opportunities at CharityJob, Do IT, Reach Volunteering, Vinspired, Volunteering Matters and the Step on Board websites. Volunteering could help you to make a genuine difference to others, to network and to pick up essential workplace skills.
  • Set up an enterprise: Setting up your own small business could be an exciting and rewarding journey. You could devote a few hours a week to creating your business. If you have specialist knowledge in a subject area, you could look at providing consulting to others. You could join networking groups and introduce yourself to others in your local business community. When you run your own business, you can be in control of how much you want to work and what projects you would like to take on. Setting a business would help you demonstrate entrepreneurial, project management, effective communications, networking and problem-solving skills, just to mention a few.
  • Go freelance: Have you applied for several permanent positions however with not much success? Are you waiting for the right job to come along? You may find it helpful to explore freelance positions while you are waiting to land a permanent full-time position.
  • Take up temporary or part-time roles: As most people seek permanent full-time positions, there may be less competition for temporary roles. If you want to work for a specific organisation, you could consider taking up a temporary job. You could gain valuable skills, network, and learn about new opportunities within the organisation.
  • Alternative education: Employers value education which can be quickly applied to the work environment and provide practical knowledge. Make sure that you explore practical courses, workshops and training sessions which equip you with relevant skills.
  • Build a network: You can network at conferences, workshops, seminars, courses, industry events and via social media. You could start with LinkedIn, one of the largest social networking sites which is designed for individuals to make meaningful connections. You could also attend industry events, join business networking groups, and attend conferences.  If you commit to just one networking activity each week, you could significantly develop your network. Networking could provide you with valuable job opportunities, mentoring, and possible collaborations.
  • Demonstrate flexibility: Employers are increasingly looking for candidates who demonstrate flexibility and those who are willing to learn, improve and grow. Although university degrees are valuable, a lot of employers may consider those less essential. As a candidate, you might find that the competition for jobs will increase, and you may spend more time than expected applying for jobs. You could consider broadening the range of organisations and roles you apply for.
  • Resilience: You may face some disappointments while applying for jobs. However, it is important that you continuously change your approach and try to learn from each application experience. While you are waiting for the right job, do take the time to expand your skills. You will significantly improve your chances of landing an exciting new position.

In conclusion, skills-based hiring relies on candidates’ work skills matching the essential criteria included in a job description rather than relying on academic qualifications alone.

How and Why CPD courses can help you

What did you think of our article? - please rate

4.3 / 5. 7


Share this article

Henrietta Nagy

Henrietta Nagy is a seasoned portfolio worker with over 10 years’ experience in the UK education sector. Henrietta writes educational content, designs academic courses, delivers university lectures, mentors entrepreneurs, and provides career development coaching. One of Henrietta's recent organisational clients is the Oxford University where she has facilitated over 100 hours of learning events. With 9 years of higher education studies internationally (including an MBA), she has worked with CEOs, academics, scholars, managers, women entrepreneurs, academic administrators and other consultants.

Reader Interactions

You may also like:

  • Close up of a man looking at a job search recruitment web page

    How to Search for a Job in Higher Education

  • Audience at the conference hall.

    Writing Abstracts for Conferences

  • Supporting Individual Researchers in a Publish-or-Perish Culture

    Supporting Individual Researchers in a Publish-or-Perish Culture

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

sixteen + thirteen =

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Primary Sidebar

Follow us

Searching for a job in the United Kingdom

Latest Jobs

  • PhD Opportunity in Bioinformatics

    Department of Metabolism and Systems Science, University of Birmingham

    Location: Birmingham

    Salary: Fully Funded for UK Home Fee Students


  • Lecturer (Type B) in Bioinformatics

    School of Mathematical and Statistical Sciences , University of Galway

    Location: Galway

    Salary: £55,339.90 - £88,282.55


  • Lecturer (Teaching) in Fine Art (Maternity Cover) (0.4 FTE)

    Slade School of Fine Art , UCL

    Location: London

    Salary: £54,172 - £63,752 pro rata


  • Postdoctoral Research Fellow (Noursadeghi Team)

    Division of Infection and Immunity , UCL

    Location: London

    Salary: £43,374 - £51,860


  • Pre-doctoral Research Assistant (Noursadeghi Team)

    Division of Infection and Immunity, UCL

    Location: London

    Salary: £35,930 - £41,255


  • Communications Manager

    Institute for Global Health (IGH) , UCL

    Location: London, Hybrid

    Salary: £43,374 - £51,860


Footer

jobs.ac.uk - Great jobs for bright people
  • Find a Job
  • Find PhDs
  • Career Advice
  • Jobs by Email
  • About Us
  • Contact Us
  • Terms of use
  • Privacy Policy
  • Cookie Policy
  • Accessibility Statement

Copyright © jobs.ac.uk 1998 - 2025

  • Find a Job
  • Find PhDs
  • Careers Advice
  • Jobs by Email
  • About Us
  • Contact Us
  • Terms of use
  • Privacy Policy
  • Cookie Policy
  • Accessibility
jobs.ac.uk - Great jobs for bright people

Copyright © jobs.ac.uk 1998 - 2025