Numbers: How employers evaluate the importance of a higher education diploma

Contents:

In May 2023, the Rabota.ru platform conducted a survey among Russian employers from various regions to find out their opinion on the importance of higher education for job seekers. The results showed that 50% of employers consider a diploma important, but this doesn't apply to all professions. Meanwhile, 42% of respondents noted that experience and professional skills are more valuable than a diploma. These data highlight the changing demands of the labor market, where practical skills often trump formal qualifications.

Employers typically consider doctors, lawyers, engineers, architects, and teachers to be professions requiring higher education. However, the situation with professions where higher education is not mandatory is more complex. On the one hand, these include specialists working in fields where complex theory is not key, such as tourism professionals and specialists in the hotel and restaurant industry. On the other hand, this category also includes professions with a strong theoretical foundation, such as designers, marketers, and IT specialists. These professions are among the most in-demand in the digital economy and creative industries. Paying attention to trends in the labor market, one can notice that many employers value practical skills and experience more than formal education, which opens up new opportunities for job seekers.

In practice, only 40% of creative industry workers have a relevant higher education, according to a survey conducted by Rambler & Co. in September 2022. This indicates that in these fields, having a university degree relevant to their specialty has lost its significance. Alternative pathways are available to master a profession in the creative industries, opening up new opportunities for professionals without a traditional degree.

The prestige of the university that the applicant graduated from is important for many employers, especially when the presence A university degree is important for a job opening. According to a Rabota.ru survey, 59% of employers consider the university's prestige a significant factor. However, only 2% of respondents consider it a crucial criterion, while 57% consider it important but not decisive. For 42% of employers, the specific university a candidate graduated from is unimportant. Thus, when looking for a job, it is worth considering that, although a diploma from a prestigious university can increase your chances of finding employment, other qualities of the applicant also play a key role.

Objective statistics confirm that graduates from different universities have different income levels. This suggests that diplomas from different educational institutions have different value in the labor market. Therefore, the most talented applicants often choose fee-paying education at prestigious universities, even when they have the opportunity to enroll in state-funded places at lesser-known universities. A university's high level of education and reputation can significantly impact the career prospects and financial well-being of graduates.

Read also:

• Two US states have decided to recognize practical experience as equivalent to a diploma
• Interesting figures about university admission: why do humanities majors study for a fee?
• Is a higher education diploma now necessary for a successful career?
• It has become known to what extent expectations from university education differ from reality