Want to know a secret? I’ll tell you, but you have to promise to keep it to yourself. Okay, here goes: I dropped out of college .

GASP, I know, I know. What a deep, dark, terrifying truth about someone who is intelligent, successful, and educated. How could I possibly be comfortable uttering the words aloud that ADMIT to voluntarily leaving an elite private university? It just wasn’t for me. Turns out, life and work experience taught me more in four years and every four years since then than I could have possibly gained by finishing.

Nearly every job I have had in the last 15 years of my career has “required” a bachelor’s degree. And every time, the recruiter took a chance on my resume, then my phone interview, and once I got in the room with hiring managers, no one gave a damn about where or if I went to school. Why? Because it simply is not mission critical for most non technical jobs to have a degree or oddly specific technical skills. It is, however, critical to have someone who is eager, honest, charismatic, and proactive. So stop putting it on the damn job posting.

Had I been born a decade or so later, there’s a high probability that I would not be in the amazing role I have today and all those I’ve had leading up to it. The incredibly large pool of talent available to us exponentially shrinks when we list “requirements” that are actually thinly veiled “nice-to-haves.” Not only are we discouraging candidates who have exactly what it takes and more to do the job from applying to begin with, but we are eliminating the human element of deciding which human is the right one for the team and the company.

I’ve had more than a dozen friends in the last few months reach out to me about being on the job market. Some of them have jobs but are looking for growth or change, and some were simply laid off due to corporate needs changing. Whether it was to review a resume, serve as a reference, or make an introduction, these friends called and I answered. And let me say this: These friends are the definition of talent. Leaders. Creators. Innovators. They are who anyone would want on their roster.

So why can’t they find the role they would excel most in? AI filters, resume scanning software, automation, yada yada yada. If what’s typed into a 1-2 page document that is meant to encapsulate every skill and accomplishment in their career doesn’t tick a box on a filter, their resume never even makes it to a pile on a desk. Don’t believe me? Google “How to make your resume stand out when applying for jobs online.” If you are really daring, search something similar on Reddit.

I can already see some of you running to another tab to double check that my LinkedIn still says “efficiency enthusiast.” Don’t worry; it does. I’m not saying don’t use tools that make sorting through 10k resumes easier and faster. I am not saying hire people who are unfit or too green for a job. I am not saying that a college degree means nothing.

I’m saying this:

Step back and ask yourself who you want on your team. Describe that human and their qualities that are non-negotiables for your organization. For me, that’s authenticity, integrity, grit, a sense of humor, intelligence, and a deep love for learning. Then list the skills that would make onboarding a hell of a lot easier if they came already equipped. And dead last, if at all honestly, throw some desired education on the listing if you must. But please, prioritize accordingly.

You can teach a new employee skills, rules, procedures and all that jazz. You can’t teach them to be good people who can hold conversations and have a passion for growth. So after you’ve ensured that legal and HR requirements are met for that job description, after you’ve checked it for consistency with the others in the same department and aligned across the org, after you’ve dotted the ol’ i’s and crossed the ol’ t’s- triple check the content.

Too many brands are sleeping on candidates that would jump at the opportunity to work there and grow into leaders and game-changers that they need all too badly. Too much incredible talent is on the market and not getting a call back. Too many candidates are submitting 50+ applications a day on 5 different job posting apps and still not getting a bite. And too many organizations are in desperate need of roles being filled by people who give a damn about the mission and will throttle their brand to success. Even college dropouts like me. Oh, and don’t forget, it’s a secret.

Confessions of a blogger

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