Blog Post: Lacking a Degree? How to Market Yourself Effectively on Your Resume

"I'm just not sure employers will overlook this," said Mike, a Colorado-based marketing manager who had built a small empire of licensed products generating $20 million in revenue. "What if they require a degree for a management position?"

I had heard this story from countless professionals, managers, and even executives who did not possess a degree. However these these job seekers successfully ascended the career ladder just the same. What’s their secret? Much the same as you, their bottom-line contributions and hard work had become a stand-in for that coveted diploma.

Keep in mind that, as you pursue that next opportunity, there are a myriad of ways to pique an employer’s interest and win interviews, starting with the approach presented on your resume:

Quantify Your Contributions. Extracting accomplishment information of significance can be a challenge, but consider the payoff! Your resume must shout out this type of information in order to prove the consistency of your performance.

For example, when working with a telecommunications executive lacking a degree, I discussed his leadership role in a high-profile project. The end product, “Eliminated $34M in rework, slashed staff requirements for task completion, and achieved 78+% ROI by leading sales and service delivery teams to identify core revisions” speaks for itself and cuts through any doubt about his abilities.

Add professional training as proof of ongoing development. Many well-established professionals have attended hours of seminars, training sessions, and other educational opportunities in order to sharpen their core expertise.

Be sure to keep a complete list as fodder for an educational section on the resume—and as evidence of your passion for lifelong learning.

Showcase your ability to meet—and overcome—challenges in your previous roles. What shape was your current employer in upon your arrival? Were you the sole source of measures that increased efficiency? Did you manage a major, multimillion-dollar account or enhance the company’s reputation with its vendors?

Adding the context in which these achievements were completed can paint an entirely new picture of your strengths. Don’t forget that these types of leadership examples can add punch to your resume and demonstrate repeatable skills.

The last I heard from Mike, his new resume was generating plenty of interest, and he had been interviewing for marketing and merchandising leadership positions. It seems that his "real education" had been conveyed in the form of his proven ability to manage business operations and promote branded products throughout the entertainment industry.

In summary, establishing a link between your expertise and consistent performance is the fastest way to gain attention during your job search. Consider that for every employer who wants candidates to possess a degree, there are possibly two others that will look at your “on-the-job education” as equivalent (and possibly stronger) credentials.

A prominent resume expert specializing in helping advancing professionals win interviews despite the lack of a degree, Certified Professional Resume Writer and Interview Coach Laura Smith-Proulx, President of An Expert Resume, has produced award-winning resumes that consistently gain attention from hiring managers.

Her work has been nominated for the international “Toast of the Resume Industry” awards, and has appeared in the “Expert Resumes” and “Same-Day Resume” books. A former Fortune 500 recruiter, she has assisted professionals in successful career changes since 1989. She can be reached at 877-258-3517 or at info@anexpertresume.com.