After two decades in workforce development and internship management, I’ve come to a conclusion that might ruffle some academic feathers: traditional college degrees are rapidly losing their value in today’s job market.

The evidence surrounds us. I’ve watched countless graduates with impressive credentials struggle to land entry-level positions while others with practical experience but fewer formal qualifications accelerate their careers. This isn’t coincidence – it’s a fundamental shift in how employers evaluate talent.

When I managed internship programs at ServiceNow, I saw firsthand how hiring managers would choose candidates with demonstrated skills over those with prestigious degrees but no portfolio. The degree had become a checkbox, not a differentiator.

The Widening Skills Gap

The problem isn’t education itself – it’s the disconnect between what universities teach and what businesses actually need. Traditional degree programs often prioritize theoretical knowledge over practical application, creating graduates who understand concepts but struggle to implement them.

Meanwhile, technology and business practices evolve at lightning speed. By the time a four-year curriculum receives approval, is taught to students, and produces graduates, the skills taught may already be outdated.

This gap costs both sides dearly. Students invest time and money in degrees that don’t deliver the promised return. Businesses struggle to find qualified candidates despite a sea of applicants with impressive credentials.

What Employers Actually Want

Through my work connecting students with small and medium-sized businesses, I’ve identified several skills that consistently outrank degrees in hiring decisions:

Applied problem-solving: Not theoretical knowledge, but the ability to identify real-world problems and implement practical solutions.

Digital fluency: Comfort with technology beyond basic consumer applications – including industry-specific tools and platforms.

Adaptability: The capacity to learn new systems and approaches quickly as business needs evolve.

Communication across contexts: The ability to translate complex ideas into clear language for different audiences – from technical teams to customers.

Project execution: Experience delivering actual results with concrete deadlines and measurable outcomes.

Notice something? These skills develop through experience, not classroom instruction. They’re honed through real-world application, feedback, adjustment, and mastery.

The Experience Advantage

This reality sparked my vision for Campus to Commerce. I saw too many talented students locked out of opportunity because they lacked “experience” – the very thing they needed to get hired in the first place. Meanwhile, small businesses that could provide that experience lacked structured programs to bring students onboard.

The solution became clear: micro-internships that provide concentrated, skills-focused experiences in real business environments.

These short-term, project-based opportunities deliver several advantages that traditional education can’t match:

They create tangible work products students can showcase to future employers.

They build professional networks that often lead to full-time opportunities.

They expose students to multiple industries and roles, helping them discover their strengths.

They develop the soft skills – communication, collaboration, time management – that employers consistently rank above technical qualifications.

Bridging Education and Employment

I’m not suggesting degrees have no value. Education builds critical thinking and subject matter knowledge that serves professionals throughout their careers.

But education alone isn’t enough. The most successful professionals combine foundational knowledge with practical application – they know both the “why” and the “how.”

We need bridges between academic learning and professional application. Students need opportunities to apply classroom concepts in real-world settings. Businesses need talent pipelines that deliver candidates with relevant, current skills.

This is precisely the gap micro-internships fill. They complement traditional education by adding the experiential component that turns knowledge into capability.

The Future of Work Readiness

As automation continues transforming the workplace, uniquely human skills – creativity, critical thinking, collaboration – become even more valuable. These aren’t developed through passive learning but through active engagement with complex challenges.

The future belongs to continuous learners who can adapt to changing conditions and apply their knowledge in new contexts. This adaptability comes from experience, not credentials.

For students navigating this changing landscape, my advice is simple: don’t wait until graduation to start building real-world experience. Seek out micro-internships, project-based work, and other opportunities to apply your learning. Build a portfolio that demonstrates what you can do, not just what you know.

For businesses, especially smaller organizations with limited resources, structured micro-internship programs provide access to motivated talent without the commitment of traditional hiring. They create opportunities to evaluate potential employees based on actual performance rather than resumes alone.

The education-employment gap won’t close itself. Building bridges between learning and application requires intentional effort from educators, students, and businesses alike. At Campus to Commerce, we’re committed to creating these connections – ensuring that talent finds opportunity and businesses find the skills they need to thrive.

In today’s workplace, experience isn’t just king – it’s the whole kingdom.

More From This Category