Are Degrees Becoming Obsolete in Today’s Job Market?
"Unqualified?" Let's talk about it.
Dear reader,
I think I’m onto something. The media hasn’t quite picked up on this topic just yet. My prediction for the coming years? It will get worse before it gets better.
Over the past couple of years, I’ve had the same frustrating conversation with multiple friends and acquaintances. It usually starts with a question that feels more relevant than ever: Are university degrees losing their value in the Western job market?
Throughout my studies—and now during my gap year—I’ve been searching for a part-time job. Not a dream job, mind you, just something to cover rent and feel like I had some control over my growing student debt. I focused my search on jobs I had experience in, like hospitality, or straightforward positions such as receptionist or secretary work. What I didn’t expect was how bafflingly competitive even these roles had become.
Each application process felt like I was interviewing for the world’s most important job, despite applying for roles I thought required minimal qualifications. I wasn’t sending in lazy, half-hearted applications either; I wrote thoughtful motivation letters and tailored my CV. Yet, rejection after rejection rolled in. Often, I didn’t even make it past the first stage—no interview, no opportunity to explain why I’d be a good fit.
“There’s Work Everywhere!” Really?
Everyone around me kept insisting that job opportunities were abundant. There’s work everywhere! they’d say. But what they meant was that certain sectors—like plumbing, teaching, healthcare, or skilled trades—are desperate for workers. If you’re looking for jobs outside of these high-demand fields, the story is…. quite different.
I must admit, my ego was bruised. For receptionist and secretary positions, for example, I was repeatedly told I lacked sufficient front-office experience. It didn’t matter that I was confident I could handle tasks like greeting visitors, answering calls, managing basic administration, or ordering office supplies. These might be the basics, but surely my intelligence and university education could compensate for gaps in experience?
After endless rejections, I ended up working in a shoe store for a while. It wasn’t what I envisioned, but it paid the bills. Still, I couldn’t shake the question: Have employers stopped caring about intelligence and potential altogether? Was my university education no longer proof that I could learn fast, think critically, or even just write a professional email?
A Larger Problem
Of course, people studying in high-demand fields like tech or data likely face different realities…I think, at least. But even friends in fields like business or marketing describe fierce competition and a constant need to outshine increasingly overqualified candidates.
I’m convinced that the job market is broken in ways that go beyond my personal frustrations and the media is only very slowly picking up on it. We’re seeing a growing disconnect between what employers want and what candidates can realistically offer. University degrees, once seen as a golden ticket, now seem to mean less in the face of endless criteria and rigid hiring practices.
I had to dig deep, as this issue seems to be largely overlooked by many news outlets. However, I came across two compelling articles that shed light on it. One was an op-ed in The New York Times, where Peter Coy expressed his surprise at how many young college graduates with top-notch credentials are struggling to find work. Some of the individuals he interviewed revealed they had sent out 500 to 600 job applications, often without even securing a single interview. Additionally, The Economist and The Wall Street Journal reported that a growing percentage of MBA graduates are also finding it increasingly difficult to secure employment after graduation, further underscoring this troubling trend. It really got me wondering about what could be the key factors contributing to this trend…
Luck Over Logic?
Last year’s search ended pretty okay. After the shoe store, I landed a six-month job at the Vrije Universiteit van Amsterdam. This time allowed me to think about where I wanted to go next (a masters, going abroad, my dream job?). My colleagues were wonderful, and the work was rewarding. But even in this case, I suspect I got the job largely because my interviewers went with their gut. They based their decision on a sense of who I was as a person rather than scanning my CV with robotic precision. If someone else had interviewed me—someone solely focused on matching qualifications to job descriptions—I might not have been hired at all.
This got me thinking more about the broader issue. The friends, the acquaintances, the college graduates in the NYT piece, we all shared similar frustrations. We all felt/feel that hiring processes have become overly mechanical, fixated on ticking boxes rather than assessing character or potential. Is there a better-qualified candidate? Of course, there always is. But does that person fit the team? Are they motivated, eager to learn, or capable of growing into the role? These questions seem to matter less and less.
The Problem with “Starters” Jobs
Another phenomenon that pushes me to the brink of frustration: the expectation that even “starters” roles require significant prior experience. Employers seem increasingly reluctant to teach new hires the ropes, preferring instead to onboard so-called starters who already have two or three years of experience. Isn’t the whole point of an entry-level job that you’re, well, starting?
I get it. It’s easier to hire someone with a perfect CV than to take the time to train someone who may be a better long-term fit. And with onboarding processes often poorly organised (especially at start-ups), it’s clear many employers simply don’t want to deal with the effort. Lazy, lazy, lazy.
Even when it’s not your future job…
Currently, I’m still in my gap year, working a flexible job that gives me the freedom to focus on my writing. But throughout all of my latest job searches, I’ve hit the same obstacles, and honestly, I’m exhausted. I’m tired of relying on quirky love poems about sourdough bread and specialty coffee to make me stand out. Tired of having to fake lifelong dedication to a craft that isn’t even what I want to pursue long-term. The truth is, if I could easily find a job in my own field—one that paid a liveable wage—I’d be doing that. But the reality is far more complicated.
So what’s the solution? Should we stop placing so much value on degrees and focus more on skills and experience? Or should employers start valuing potential, adaptability and personality over perfection? These are questions I don’t have the answer to yet. But one thing is clear: something needs to change!
Consider this an open call: to everyone who’s been deemed ‘unqualified’ by employers who can’t see past the bullet points on a CV. If you’re tired, like me, of endless rejections and feeling like a glorified LinkedIn profile, let’s unite and do something bold. Let’s open the coolest, most exclusive coffee shop the world has ever seen. We’ll get rich grinding beans and frothing milk; artisanal lattes with big frothy middle fingers (apparently this is already an existing niche within the world of latte art!) Who needs to climb the career ladder?
Byyyyyee
Love,
Naomi