Skills-Based Hiring Is on the Rise. What Does That Mean for Your College Degree?

We will answer the questions:
• What is skills-based hiring?
• So, why am I pursuing a degree?
• How do I gain skills?
• How do I articulate skills in a career search?
• Can a career coach help me?

What Is Skills-Based Hiring and Why Are Employers Using It?

Skills-based hiring is an approach that employers are taking that puts less emphasis on a candidate’s degree or job title. Instead, recruiters are looking at the capabilities that the candidate has — the skills they have acquired through their experience.

According to research conducted by the National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE), 64.8% of employers reported using skills-based hiring practices for entry-level hiring. This can include skills that we know as “soft skills,” such as effective communication, adaptability, and teamwork, as well as “hard skills,” such as data visualization, coding, or fluency in another language.

Employers are using this approach for several great reasons. First, they are trying to build a productive workforce to help them achieve their business goals. By hiring people who already possess the necessary skills, employers can reach higher levels of productivity and potentially spend less time and money on training new employees.

Second, using a skills-based approach can also lead to greater employee satisfaction and retention. When employers align the skills they are looking for with the actual needs of their business, they create a more engaged workforce. Employees who can see how they are contributing to the greater good and success of the company feel valued and are more likely to stay.

Third, employers can achieve a diverse and inclusive workforce. It opens opportunities to candidates from different schools, areas of study, and professional or co-curricular experiences. The skills-based approach helps companies move beyond the traditional pipeline of hiring from one degree program at one institution. A team built from people with varied perspectives and experiences brings greater creativity, innovation, and growth potential.

So, Why Am I Pursuing a Degree?

Skills-based hiring practices do not make your degree obsolete; there is tremendous value in a college degree and your college experience. The skills-based approach simply means that someone with a liberal arts degree could easily have the same marketable skills as a business or marketing major. The skills you acquire will be important as you look to launch into your first job out of school.

Your four years in college fly by quickly, so use them wisely. Professors, advisors, and staff on campus are there to help you expand your knowledge base, learn from experience, and develop as a human being. Faculty members are experts in their fields who continuously learn, research, and share their knowledge with their students. Advisors and staff are trained to support your learning outside of the classroom, providing you with opportunities to develop your skills in other ways.

The exchange of ideas and encouragement of exploration that happens on a college campus is unlike anything else — it’s an environment that encourages critical thinking, curiosity, and dialogue. Your degree is important not just because of the subject matter, but because of what you learn along the way: discipline, communication, collaboration, and problem-solving — all highly sought-after skills in today’s job market.

How Do I Gain Skills?

Use your time in higher education to develop new skills or strengthen the ones you already have. You gain skills both inside and outside the classroom, and both are equally important.

Join organizations, participate in campus projects, and seek leadership roles. Don’t be afraid to try something new, and don’t fear failure. Often, the moments when things don’t go as planned teach you the most.

Inside the classroom, don’t just strive for an “A.” Instead, aim to apply what you learn. Try a class to see if a hard skill — like data visualization or public speaking — comes naturally to you. Or find a topic that interests you and explore it further. Every course offers opportunities to build soft skills (like critical thinking, teamwork, or communication) and hard skills (such as research methods, technical tools, or software proficiency).

Importantly, if you start to look at potential career paths and you lack some required skills, don’t worry! You can work to build those skills. That is the beauty of the skills-based process and approach — it allows a level of flexibility. In the past, if you didn’t have the “right” degree, certain career paths might have been out of reach. Now, if you identify a gap, you can take action: enroll in an online course, volunteer for a project, or seek a part-time job or internship to gain the necessary experience.

How Do I Articulate Skills in a Career Search?

Learning how to articulate your skills is just as important as gaining them. This is an exercise I use in my coaching practice, and it’s one I recommend to every job seeker.

1. Reflect. Start by reflecting on your past experiences — classes you’ve taken, internships, jobs, student organizations, and volunteer work. Jot down the responsibilities you had, the goals you accomplished, and the skills you used along the way. Make the list as long as possible; you are brainstorming!

2. Review. Next, review your list and look for patterns. Which skills appear repeatedly? Are you often organizing events, leading teams, or creating presentations? Do you find yourself managing details, solving problems, or explaining complex ideas to others? The skills that appear most often — and that you most enjoy using — are likely your strongest and most marketable.

3. Write. Once you have the information above, you can build your résumé to reflect your skills. On your résumé and in discussions with employers, you don’t want to focus only on your responsibilities — you want to focus on the skills you used to make an impact.

For example, instead of writing:

“Led student organization.”

Try:

“Used leadership, organizational, and marketing skills to motivate 150 students to raise $10,000 to fund scholarships for individuals impacted by summer floods in Texas.”

This is a stronger way to showcase what you can do and demonstrates how you connect your skills to meaningful outcomes.

Can a Career Coach Help Me?

Absolutely! A career coach who focuses on your career development can help you define your skills, articulate how you use them, and encourage your growth and development in new areas. A coach can help you connect your strengths and experiences to career paths that align with your interests and goals.

Helping people figure out what they do best and understand the value they bring to the workplace is my passion.

If you’re ready to identify your skills, gain clarity about your career direction, and communicate your strengths with confidence, I’d love to help you Level Up your career.

Final Thoughts

Skills-based hiring is changing the way employers think about talent — and that’s good news for recent graduates. Your degree still matters, but what matters even more is how you use what you’ve learned to develop and demonstrate your skills.

Be intentional in building your experiences, reflecting on what energizes you, and articulating how your abilities add value. Whether you’re just beginning your career or exploring your next step, remember: your skills are your greatest asset.