Education vs Experience: What Do Employers Want More?

05/27/21 • 11 min

The FlexJobs Podcast: Career Advice & Job Search Tips

Given that college costs are on the rise and the average student loan debt in 2020 was about $37,500, many people are starting to question the wisdom of pursuing a bachelor’s degree.

Does it make sense to spend all that time and money getting your degree when you could be working, earning, and gaining experience? And, do employers value real-world experience and on-the-job training enough to overlook the lack of a degree on a resume?'
Read more about this topic at https://www.flexjobs.com/blog/post/education-vs-experience/

FlexJobs is a subscription service for job seekers that features flexible and remote jobs. With an A+ rating from the Better Business Bureau and a 4.7 rating from over 10,000 reviews, FlexJobs ensures that customers have a safe and positive remote job searching experience - without the ads, scams and junk found on other job sites.
FlexJobs | Find A Better Way To Work

Given that college costs are on the rise and the average student loan debt in 2020 was about $37,500, many people are starting to question the wisdom of pursuing a bachelor’s degree.

Previous Episode

10 Most Common Questions and Answers About Finding a Remote Job

A FlexJobs survey of 2,100 people who worked remotely during the pandemic found that remote work is here to stay! Fifty-eight percent of respondents said they would look for a new job if they weren’t allowed to continue working from home in their current position after the pandemic. Another 65% want to work remotely full-time post-pandemic, while 33% are hoping for a hybrid work arrangement (some days in the office, some days at home).

Looking for a job is stressful enough. But, looking for a remote job, particularly if you’re unfamiliar with how different the process can be, is an added layer of difficulty. So, we asked the career coaches at FlexJobs for their expert advice on looking for a remote job.
1. What are the current trends in the remote job market?
2. What kinds of remote jobs are there?
3. Are there certain companies that are known for hiring remote workers?
4. Why do some jobs have a location requirement if it’s 100% remote work?
5. What kinds of technology and tools should I know to be a successful remote worker?
6. What do I need to know about virtual hiring and interviewing?
7. Do I need to write a cover letter for a remote job application?
8. As a remote worker, do I have to supply my own equipment, or will the employer provide things like laptops?
9. Why am I not hearing back from employers after I apply for a remote job?
10. Is my age a problem when I apply to a remote job?
Get more expert career advice from the FlexJobs Career Coaching Team at www.flexjobs.com/blog

Next Episode

The 20 Most Popular Work-from-Home Job Titles

Even before COVID-19, working from home was becoming increasingly common. In 2018, 3.6% of U.S. workers worked remotely half time or more, and remote work as a whole had grown more than 159% since 2005.

During the pandemic, though, a whopping 51% of employed Americans transitioned to working from home. And now, more people are working remotely than ever before.

Despite the growth of remote work, the coronavirus has taken a considerable toll on the job market. With millions of Americans unemployed and the future of unemployment benefits uncertain, many out-of-work job seekers are looking for remote jobs that can weather the storm during challenging times.

While a large variety of remote jobs exist in practically any career field imaginable, some jobs and industries are more common for remote work than others. To help job seekers better understand the remote job market, FlexJobs has identified the 20 most common work-from-home job titles based on an analysis of our jobs database.
About the Work-From-Home Job Titles on This List
Our research team spends roughly 100 combined hours every day searching for, screening, and posting remote and flexible job opportunities to the FlexJobs site. We analyzed the job titles for remote jobs in our database to identify 20 job titles most often associated with various remote work options, which include 100% (all the time) at-home work, partial remote work, or the option to work remotely.

The job titles below also link to postings classified as, “remote—during pandemic.” We’re including these so job seekers can see what kinds of remote jobs are available both during the pandemic and beyond.
FlexJobs is a subscription service for job seekers that features flexible and work from home (remote) jobs. With an A+ rating from the Better Business Bureau, the monthly subscription costs allow us to fully vet and verify all of the jobs on our site—ensuring that customers have a safe and positive job searching experience.

The FlexJobs Podcast: Career Advice & Job Search Tips - Education vs Experience: What Do Employers Want More?

Transcript

Given that college costs are on the rise and the average student loan debt in 2020 was about $37,500, many people are starting to question the wisdom of pursuing a bachelor’s degree.

Does it make sense to spend all that time and money getting your degree when you could be working, earning, and gaining experience? And, do employers value real-world experience and on-the-job tr