That the biggest companies on the internet hire exceptional employees is nothing new. Some of them even have academic training at the best universities in the world. Harvard, Stanford, MIT and Cambridge form part of the most sought-after professionals in the technology field.
However, having a college degree is not the only way to join one of the big companies. A survey carried out in the United States showed that companies such as IBM, Google and Apple prioritize specific skills and experience, to the detriment of degrees.
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The study was done by Glassdoor, an online job search engine. 15 large North American companies were listed, including the three already mentioned, which have open opportunities, but which do not have a mandatory university education.
But it is worth mentioning, this does not mean that companies are willing to give up qualification. Rather, to be hired, candidates must have an appropriate skill set for the role. That way, he can be admitted even if he doesn't have a university degree.
In the case of Apple, there is an appreciation, mainly, of the candidates' experiences, regardless of whether it is in other companies or at a university. IBM, the fourth most valuable company in the world in 2018, looks at skills developed in previous jobs, self-effort, or bootcamps, which are immersive learning programs.
In a recent interview with CNBC, IBM's vice president of talent, Joanna Daly, shared the company's most desired attributes. Because of this, about 15% of IBM employees in the United States do not have higher education.
Google's case is a little different. That's because the second most valuable company in the world was conceived within the confines of a university, Stanford. Founders Sergey Brin and Larry Page met at the institution when they were seeking a PhD in Computer Science.
During the first few years of Google's life, the company had much more characteristics of a university environment than a corporate one. This was reflected both in the physical spaces and in the internal culture. This is precisely what attracted so many talented young people.
At first, only professionals from the best universities, and with the best grades, were hired. Today, the culture is no longer the same. While Google continues to value university degrees, they are no longer a mandatory requirement for hiring. The priority now is overall cognitive ability, not intelligence quotient.
One of the main factors behind the change in the positioning of US companies is the difficulty in filling vacancies, especially in large technology companies. Thus, when looking for talent, the trend is that the best resumes do not always guarantee the best professional performance.