Latest News

  • Home
  • Global
  • According To Elon Musk Skills Matter More Than Degrees Here’s Why
According To Elon Musk Skills Matter More Than Degrees Here’s Why
24 December 2019 IST
According To Elon Musk Skills Matter More Than Degrees Here’s Why

In the age of cut-throat competition, students focus more on getting degrees from Ivy-League colleges. Hiring companies have made it a norm to select employees based on their certificates. But in an interview with Elon Musk in 2014, he had, surprisingly, put skills over degrees.

 
 

To most of us, getting a degree from a prestigious institute is a priority. Everyone who is studying in school dreams of getting a degree from their dream university. But is the degree everything? The owner of Tesla and SpaceX says no, it isn’t.
 
His clear message to all the students and hirers is to not obsess over degree. When asked in the interview what university degree does he look for in the applicant’s form, he said that he doesn’t look for any. According to him, a degree from a top university may show someone’s talent but it isn’t a pre-requisite.
 
He pointed out big names like Bill Gates, Larry Ellison and Steve Jobs. All of them failed to graduate. And yet their names are set in history books. This shows that true talent does not need any certificate from a university. Musk puts skills over degrees and rightly so – as these big names prove it.
 
Even the companies are trying to save much hassle of going through loads of resumes. They are asking for a degree for posts where the previous position holders performed well without one. This has resulted in something called degree inflation. As a result, they end up paying about 30% more for the skills than they actually need to.
 
How to excel without any degree?
The managers of companies need to understand that demanding degrees is costing them more money. They are paying more and also missing out on great talents.
 
As AngelList noted, the attitude of Elon Musk regarding skills over degrees should encourage youngsters. Young students should realize that putting complete energy and concentration into grades is not good. Their skill is the one thing they need the most to thrive. How well one is skilled and how frequently they update their skills is much more important.
 
The co-founder of AngelList, Naval Ravikant, gave 3 advice to all the newbie-
 
1. What you study and how you study it is a lot more important than where and the duration of your study.
 
2. The Internet has the best of everything. It has the best teachers, books, and peers too.
 
3. If one has enough passion to learn, one will find that they have many tools to accomplish whatever they want.
 
Take this valuable advice from top entrepreneurs and focus more on learning. Getting a university degree isn’t everything, having skills is. If Elon Musk himself says that he puts skills over degrees, then you better believe it.
 
 

 
 

For Elon, there is one thing that shows clear evidence of exceptional ability.
 
It’s not about the degree – according to the Elon, there are 3 suggestions that recruiters should consider:
 
1. Solving a problem
Recruiters should give the candidates a day-to-day problem and ask them to solve it to see their critical skills.
 
2. Contest
By conducting a contest, recruiters should be able to find out the job potential of a candidate and zero in on their skills. Two effective things about this are that contests will help employees to keep themselves engaged and data reveals that companies hire outside the employee pool quite often. So, contests can bring out these hidden talents.
 
3. Skill tests
Rather than going for degrees, Musk believes that recruiters should conduct skill tests. That will bring dynamic to the company and also help in developing a skilled community too which values practical skills over degrees.
 
Hiring is not an easy job – and to get it right, you need to aim for clear evidence of exceptional ability in people.

 
 
 
 
 

Related Topics

 
 
 

Trending News & Articles

 Article
'Worse than prison': A rare look inside China's detention camps to 'brainwash' Muslims

ALMATY: Hour upon hour, day upon day, Omir Bekali and other detainees in far western China's new indoctrination camps had to disavow the...

Recently posted . 178K views . 1 min read
 

 Article
What The Shape Of Your Belly Button Says About Your Health

If you have payed attention to the belly buttons of people on the beach or the members of your family, you have probably noticed that they have different shapes and...

Recently posted . 6K views . 2 min read
 

 Article
Top 10 Best Gym Equipment Brands in India 2018

Body fitness is one thing that everyone wants to maintain irrespective of age. Going to the gym and doing some great exercise always helps to maintain your body fit...

Recently posted . 3K views . 2 min read
 

 Article
Top 10 Horrifying Acts of Chemical Warfare and Gas Attacks

In this age of terror, there might be nothing more terrifying than the thought of an attack carried out with chemical weapons. We’ve all heard the horrific ...

Recently posted . 3K views . 4 min read
 

 
 

More in Global

 Article
Want Your New Relationship to Last? Then You Should Only See Each Other Once a Week

New relationships are fun, exciting, and turn your tummy into those mushy, so-disgusting-kind-of-cute butterfly knots. And for those entering new relationships, it ...

Recently posted. 868 views . 1 min read
 

 Article
Nawaz Sharif sentenced to 7 years in jail in Al-Azizia Steel Mills graft case

He, however, was acquitted in the Flagship Investment case in the high-profile Panama Papers scandal.

Recently posted. 519 views . 0 min read
 

 Article
WhatsApp Multi-Platform System Confirmed, Will Allow Same Account to Run on Many Devices: WABetaInfo

WhatsApp’s new multi-platform system will include WhatsApp for Windows as well.

Recently posted. 465 views . 0 min read
 

 Reviews
Leaseweb hosting review



Recently posted . 933 views . 67 min read
 

 Article
Dubai Police Fines British Tourist Rs 30 Lakh for Driving a Lamborghini Huracan Too Fast

The supercar rental agency has confiscated the passport of British Citizen who is in possession of the Lamborghini Huracan.

Recently posted. 450 views . 0 min read
 

 Article
No One Can Agree How Fast Universe Is Expanding. New Measure Makes Things Worse.

We just might need new physics to get out of this mess.

Recently posted. 440 views . 0 min read
 

 
 
 

   Prashnavali

  Thought of the Day

" Happiness " Keeps You .... Sweet But Being Sweet Brings Happiness.
Anonymous

Be the first one to comment on this story

Close
Post Comment
Shibu Chandran
2 hours ago

Serving political interests in another person's illness is the lowest form of human value. A 70+ y old lady has cancer.

November 28, 2016 05:00 IST
Shibu Chandran
2 hours ago

Serving political interests in another person's illness is the lowest form of human value. A 70+ y old lady has cancer.

November 28, 2016 05:00 IST
Shibu Chandran
2 hours ago

Serving political interests in another person's illness is the lowest form of human value. A 70+ y old lady has cancer.

November 28, 2016 05:00 IST
Shibu Chandran
2 hours ago

Serving political interests in another person's illness is the lowest form of human value. A 70+ y old lady has cancer.

November 28, 2016 05:00 IST


ads
Back To Top