Getting Around Lack of a 4 Year Degree?

[Testament]

Hey all. I was reading the thread, "What Slowlane Jobs Can Be Beneficial for the Fastlane" a few days ago, and thought that it would be a great idea to grab a slowlane job for a few months to learn some of those skills, specifically b2c cold call sales. Now, from everything that I've read about and heard of b2c cold call, they essentially just give you a script and a phone book and let you get to the calling. Sounds like a simple enough concept to pick up. I went to websites like Monster.com to look up cold call sales jobs, and to my great surprise, every single job listed required a 4 year college degree!! What in the world?? I checked again, every day for a week, and it was always the same: 4 year degree required. Most of them listed 2 years experience in cold call sales as an alternative to the degree, but I've never sold anything before so that's a no go. Is there something I'm missing that would make this job require 4 years of schooling to accomplish?

I was noticing that it seems every job I look at, no matter how simple, seems to require a 4 year. I think it's only a matter of time before McDonald's starts requiring a 4 year to work the register. This presents a massive problem for me if I'm going to go forward and be able to get a job that teaches the skills that will allow me to start a sell a successful fastlane business.

So my question is, does anyone know a way to get around this requirement?

Cheers all!

 

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[jon.a]

grab a yellow pages and start calling businesses

 

[JAJT]

Pick up the phone, schedule your own interview, walk in with a gigantic smiling and confident demeanor and you'll get any entry level sales job on this planet.

 

[Vigilante]

Pick up a book called "launching points" off of Amazon.com

 

[Runum]

Your first and most important selling job is the one right before your eyes. If you can't sell an employer on hiring you they wouldn't want you selling for them.

Like has been mentioned, start cold calling. Show up in person to apply, with a resume, biz card, a warm handshake, and a smile on your face. Get up early and hit the pavement, get home late. Make this your mission.

Good luck

 

[RBefort]

Lol I am an insurance underwriter. Thought I needed degree, but now it says "degree preferred." Wish I knew this before I spent 55k to land less than 40k yr job lol. Gotta sell yourself. Maybe browse the I Will Teach You to be Rich site, as I think I recall him having advice on this subject. But qualifications are just to weed out the ppl with nothing else to offer outside of these requirements...just like jobs that say 5 yrs of experience. They dont want a recent college grad, but if youve had your entry level job for a cpl yrs, youre still qualified.

 

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[Testament]

Thanks a TON for the replies, guys! I'd been talking to various people that I know in person about this, and they all kind of just gave me condescending sympathy and extolled the virtues of having a degree, that the world is becoming a place where having a degree is simply going to be unacceptable. I have to admit, I was a bit shaken by such a unanimous panning of my new found beliefs on the usefulness of a degree, but reading these replies really brought my spirit back to center.

Do you guys have any tips to go about selling one's self, when coming from a place of not necessarily having that much to offer at first? All I can think of having to offer is a rich enthusiasm for becoming really good at being able to sell.

I checked out launching points on amazon - looks pretty interesting. I'll purchase it ASAP.

And just looked up the I Will Teach you to be Rich blog. Ramit Sethi...I've seen him in one of James Altucher's videos on youtube, and I know he was mentioned in Altucher's latest book. I think I'll have to give his book a read as well then.

Thanks again for sharing some hope and wisdom, all. I love being able to connect with people who see the possibility in things that society would immediately dismiss. It's very mind nourishing.

 

[Oven]

to learn some of those skills, specifically b2c cold call sales

If your goal is to just learn the skills and aren't worried too much about the money offer to work for free or for a small commission at first. If you do well I don't think they would have a problem paying you.

 

[Kak]

I have a business degree, but I have never once handed out a resume to an employer. I also now make more money than anyone with my credentials/experience ever could in a job.

To the op... Learning that skill, though useful for someone in independent sales is by definition creating a bottleneck. There are only so many people you can call in so much time therefore you will hit a cap with this so called skill one day and never make more.

I suggest you learn to manage callers. Then learn to manage call center managers.

I just never like to set myself up to hit a brick wall right out of the gate.

 

[Kak]

I was noticing that it seems every job I look at, no matter how simple, seems to require a 4 year. I think it's only a matter of time before McDonald's starts requiring a 4 year to work the register.

Yes. This is exactly what happens when everyone goes to college. It is the "trophies for trying" society we are morphing into.

A plumber is going to be worth more per hour than a doctor in ten years.

 

[loop101]

Start your own business, no matter how small, and grow it. If you work for someone else without a degree, you will always be a second-class worker.

 

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[tafy]

Degree are getting worthless except the schools that still have their reputation, and certain courses.

My prediction is that half of the universities will be closed down within the next 20 years as students can learn online through online courses with tutors. The future is coming!

I predict one university or new entrants will pop up very local university buildings which is 1 small building maybe that students can pop into for the stuff that cant be done online. Take tests for example or hand in coursework that cant be given electronically.

Then I would say 95% of jobs would require degrees, atleast they would be cheaper to get...

 

[DST]

The 4-year degree requirement is just an easy way of weaving out a good chunk of all the applications they get. Find a way to separate yourself from the standard applier (show up, call etc) and you'll have a better chance.