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As you explore the job market, you've likely come across a few job openings that require a college degree. This additional requirement for a college degree has eliminated 64% of working-age adults because they don't have a college degree, according to Harvard Business School.
Naturally, organizations and employers have preference when it comes to bachelor's degrees, as an educated workforce tends to have a higher rate of productivity, as stated by the Economic Policy InstituteNarrowing the applicant pool by adding a college degree requirement is also an easy route for many companies.
However, things are different. With the growth of data-driven solutions and the new opportunities offered by ai, instead of being able to find employees with the skills they once wanted, companies are not looking for employees who are willing to reskill – and upskilling is crucial.
Just like everyone else, I have found myself avoiding these jobs due to the lack of a degree. When I decided to pursue a career in Data Science, I didn’t have the time or finances to commit to a 3-year degree. My time was valuable because I had to make money, so I opted for a Data Science bootcamp. This bootcamp would take me 9 months and I would only have to pay back a percentage once I earned over a certain amount.
Understanding your career goals
If I could go back in time and had to choose between a certification and a degree, I would say that neither option is wrong. However, you need to look further into the future. Is this a short-term goal for your career, or do you want to continue building your long-term career goal?
Harvard Business School A recent report summarizes: “Jobs don’t require college degrees, employers do.” However, that being said, many employers have chosen to eliminate bachelor’s degree requirements to meet current market needs.
You can earn a professional certificate to meet your short-term goal of breaking into the industry and starting from the bottom. However, if you want to advance your career and move into different positions, what do you need to do to achieve this? Understanding what you want now and what you want later is essential to help you make the right decision.
How can this be found out? By investigating.
If you have an idea of your short-, medium-, and long-term goals, you'll want to do some research. For example, you might want to start as a junior data scientist and then work your way up to lead data scientist. But your goals might not end there—you might want to go a bit further and establish that your ultimate goal is to become a chief technology officer (CTO).
The best thing you can do is research and review job postings for these positions, from entry-level to senior level. Research educational requirements and years of experience, and look up other people on platforms like LinkedIn to review their educational background.
Professional Certification or Degree?
Once you've done a lot of research into your career path and how you intend to get there, you'll need to ask yourself whether you want to get to your first destination straight away, or whether you're willing to take a few years off before you get there.
Professional certificates don't take a lot of time to complete and cost much less compared to college degrees. They focus on developing technical skills rather than soft skills that help you progress in a work environment. Professional certificates can be a great way to test your interest in a short period of time and make sure that this is what you want to do. You can retrain without spending too much time, just like you would with a bachelor's or master's degree.
On the other hand, bachelor's and master's degrees take longer and are more expensive, but they can be worth it. Not only will you develop technical skills, but you will also be able to develop soft skills such as critical thinking and creativity. Hard and soft skills go hand in hand when you want to succeed in the job market. It is also well known that degrees increase salary and face lower risks of unemployment compared to employees who do not acquire higher education. Although entry-level job openings are reducing the bachelor's requirement, to advance your career you may need one.
Where should I start?
You need to go back to your goals. Your goals will help you understand what your next steps are. If you are starting something completely new, for example, moving from marketing to data analysis, it is best to start with short-term programs, such as professional certifications.
Most people change careers several times in their adult life; that's normal. The last thing you want to do is commit to a career just because you sacrificed 3 or 4 years of college.
The beauty of these times is that you have a variety of options if you want to pursue both paths. Different e-learning platforms allow you to earn professional certificates and degrees at your own pace. Time is no longer a determining factor, the only decision you need to make is whether you want to take the short-term or long-term path.
Below are some different career paths you can follow using both routes:
Data Science
Professional Certificates:
University Degrees:
Data engineering
Professional Certificates:
University Degrees:
Data Analyst
Professional Certificates:
University Degrees:
Ending up
Looking at the list of professional certificates and degrees above, we can see one important difference and one similarity. Most professional certificates are geared toward a specific career, for example, data science or data engineering. However, degrees are broader and cover all types of jobs.
That said, if you're not sure what path you specifically want to take, earning a degree may be your best option so you can figure it out as you go.
Nisha Arya Nisha is a data scientist, freelance technical writer, and KDnuggets community editor and manager. She is especially interested in providing career advice on data science or tutorials and theoretical knowledge on data science. Nisha covers a wide range of topics and wishes to explore the different ways in which artificial intelligence can benefit the longevity of human life. Nisha is an enthusiastic learner and is looking to expand her technological knowledge and writing skills while helping to mentor others.
