Is it important to hire someone with a degree?

Now that you have decided to outsource to the Philippines, you’re probably wondering whether it’s important to look for college graduates. Should you hire workers who have degrees? Is this unnecessary?

The brief answer: No. Your online Filipino specialist doesn’t need to have a college degree to do the job.

Why? Because …

Experience always trumps a degree

There’s no substitute for actual work experience. Yes, a college degree would be nice, but a diploma is no substitute for real life experience.

Experience has more value

A candidate with practical experience has been in the trenches. They have:

• tackled challenging assignments,
• completed projects.
• experience in meeting the demands and responsibilities of an employer
• knowledge with how businesses run,
• successfully worked in teams, and
• communicated with co-workers and a manager.

If you hire someone with experience, you can give them a task to fulfill and you’re confident that they can do it.

Someone with a degree but no experience may have learned some important concepts and principles. But an experienced Filipino virtual assistant will know practical solutions that a fresh graduate may not have learned in school.

This doesn’t mean their educational attainments are worthless. Obtaining a college degree is valuable. It demonstrates a level of proficiency and competency. It shows that the person has the ability to stick to something and follow through.

But as an employer, you should be more concerned about what the person has actually accomplished more than whether they have completed a few years of coursework.

If you need to hire a graphic artist, look for someone on OnlineJobs.ph who has worked as a graphic artist before. If you are hiring someone to build a website, keep your eyes out for candidates who have demonstrated success performing this work.

If you can identify experienced candidates who also happen to have a college degree, consider it a bonus. That person definitely has an advantage over other potential employees. This means they have conceptual and practical knowledge. But nothing should replace professional experience.

Experience equals skills

When a person has experience, it means they have the skills to do the job. And the best way candidates can show you their skills is through a portfolio.

A portfolio is a collection of one’s best work. Writers can keep a compilation of published articles or links to blogs. Graphic designers can include digital copies of newsletters, brochures or fliers they’ve designed. This gives you tangible evidence that the person can produce good work.

A candidate can list a bunch of places where they’ve worked. But unless you speak to their references, you can never be sure.

Again, a college degree is great. Schools give their students challenges that they might encounter in real life. But you don’t need to go to college to get those skills. A lot of amazing online Filipino specialists are self taught. They learned from online courses and tutorials. It just takes some effort, dedication and time.

Professionalism and attitude can win you over

British statesman Winston Churchill once said,

“Attitude is a little thing that makes a big difference.”

You need your online Filipino specialist to be a go-getter. He has to have ambition, motivation and the drive to succeed. Sure, college graduates often possess these traits. But they don’t teach that you need these traits to get a job in school. They don’t know they need to have the right work attitude. Poor work attitude can lead to:

• conflicts with team members,
• lack of respect for you (the boss) and, ultimately,
• poor performance regardless of their scholastic performance.

There is something to be said for an employee who demonstrates true professionalism. Professionalism includes humility, initiative and willingness to learn.

A skilled, educated employee is a great to have. A worker who:

• doesn’t respond to emails in a timely manner,
• doesn’t follow directions properly,
• doesn’t follow through on assignments,
• is late starting work, or
• consistently takes time off

will frustrate you and try your patience.

The final word

Hiring college graduates is not a bad thing. You’ll need more patience. You’ll need more time to train them. With a bit of work, they can be very valuable to you and your business.

---

About John Jonas

John Jonas is a long-time outsourcing expert and the creator of OnlineJobs.ph.

Since 2005, John has taught hundreds of thousands of entrepreneurs how to profitably delegate to VAs in the Philippines (and get their lives back in the process).

With help from his own VAs based in the Philippines, John has created an outsourcing empire that allows him to work 17 hours/week and to spend most of his time with his wife and 5 kids.

Find John at JohnJonas.com and Facebook.

If you liked this you’ll probably also like reading

• What Benefits Should You Give to your OFS (Online Filipino Specialist) – Practical Advice
• How Do I Know If My VA Is Actually Working Their Hours – Practical Advice
• Can A Filipino VA Work On My Timezone? – Practical Advice