Career tips : no degree

I have over 17years of accsounting experience( sr acct, dept mgr, supervisor experience) but no degree. I am looking for a job but can't even get an interview without a degree. I am employed now and have a supurb work history (7-10yrs each)_ How do I get anyone to look at my resume based on my experience. I hear from headhunters that my salary (65k) is too high to not have a degree. It's what I make now and am tired of being told I'm not promotable at that salary. HELP....I don't have time to go to school now and need to move from my job soon or go crazy. I've been looking for a long time and can't even get a call back, except from headhunters that never call back after they ask the "degree" question.

There is a person I know that makes a lot more than 65k, when he is working, gets piles of interviews, and is... a felon. It's my belief that this is because his experience is the type that affords him a pile of keywords on his resume, overcoming his felony conviction to even work in IT for a bank. This is through one of the staffing agencies.

I don't know how common it is for his kind of success, however.

Is there a reason that you are using the term 'headhunters'? Are you just posting your resume and letting them come to you? If so, you may have better luck going in and talking with some of the staffing agencies about general employment. Instead of excluding you from a pile of resumes, they could have something for you that they feel would be easier to fill with your services than going through the effort and cost of posting the position online.

Whether or not this would work for you, try to reassess your situation and try not to go crazy. If you're having problems with interviews now, just wait until you tell them you're unemployed too. Of course, then you'd have plenty of time for that education. ...and if you haven't already, reassess whether or not you have the time for an education while you are working. What you have time for is based on your priorities. Perhaps it needs to be a higher priority. Perhaps it does not. You can always start with an associates and move on to a bachelor later.

All the positions you are trying to get now could be ones that companies do not want someone to sit in for 7-10 years. They may want someone who can climb the corporate ladder and make more money for their companies. The position you want now may not require the education, but the positions they want you to move into over time may. I would expect this with consulting firms.

I think you have to start with your resume and work backwards. If you have already held these positions and performed well in them (a given since you have obviously been promoted through your career) then the degree is less meaningful. Salary is paid based upon the job! Obviously there are some things that go into the calculation, including being degreed but this is often overcome and overlooked for a qualified candidate with experience. One of the best VP's I ever worked for didn't have a Degree in anything and yet he was the Sr. VP of a global consulting organization.

The other issue is passive job hunting versus active job hunting. Headhunters are not going to be your friend in this case. They are only going to be interested in presenting candidates that "perfectly" match the requirements of any position, which in the case of the types of positions that you are seeking are always going to require a degree. You are going to need to bypass the headhunter and get directly to the companies that you are interested in.

Admittedly it won't be easy. Learning on the job in the case of certain fields, accounting is one, is usually not seen as a replacement for a degree. With all the rules, regulations, and new statutes that come into play every year accounting is complex and growing more so. Add to this the introduction of new IT solutions such as SAP, Oracle and others the Sr. Accountant of organizations are looked at as needing financial degrees and IT skills. So if included in you accounting experience is also advanced experienced with 'hot' IT solutions this will help you and you should make sure to mention this on your resume.

You say you don't have time to return to school for a degree. What about school while you are working? 17 years of accounting experience puts you in your 30's I suspect. Even being able to say that you are currently completing your degree will help. You are currently employed, you mention that you are going crazy in your current position, but you are paid a good salary and if they would pay for your education too, this might be worth staying for.

You' ve got your answer, you just don' t like it.

With no degree, you can' t realistically get $65K in your area. There may be the odd job out there that will pay that (you' ve got one now) but they' re few and far between. You can' t get around the degree requirement and get to someone who can evaluate your experience because resumes are screened first (either electronically or by HR) for key things. You don' t have the key thing on there.

So the choices are:

-stay where you are and make $65K even though they drive you crazy.

-go back to school

-look for something with a more realistic salary

There are lots of programs for adults that want to get a degree. You should really look into it.

thanks for the positive spin. You're right about headhunters, I have had them tell me it isn't worth their time as they have easier candidates they can place. any suggestions as to how to phrase my "experience" vs "degree' when applying directly to a company. I have also applied directly but again when we hit the degree issue it seem to end the conversation. I am not in danger of losing my current job at all as there is no one who can handle my work load/ project there now. also I am currently working for a boss that I was emplyed by for 10 years at another company. I have worked for her again for 7 years now. Is this a good issue to press as I think it shows a beleif in my ablities and skills? Can sliding this in to a resume help me?

I think you have to first get to the core of why you want to leave. If your current manager is supportive of you what is the real problem? What is causing you to want to live you current position at this time?

You are going to have an issue getting beyond the "no degree" problem. You will need to work through both on your resume and in your cover letter with positive spin. The way you do this is first by not mentioning the "lack" but instead showing consistent career growth into more responsible and complex roles. Although I normally advise people to refrain from using to much jargon in resumes in your case I would say that it is important that you show clear understanding of the all functional domains in which you work. For example;

Responsible for the provisioning of Profitability Analysis for multiple business lines and product lines within a global organization including overall EBIT contributions.
Development of new analysis tools to provide cost / benefit and ROI solutions for new product and service lines.
Provide cost management and accounting guidelines for product lines ....

Do you see what I mean? So you start building a functionally specific skills based resume that highlights the know how and contributions rather than "education". Frankly anyone can get book learning but if you can show clear functional skills built on actually doing the work, especially if you developed new and better ways to do that work then it trumps "education". But it will matter that you have to get to the right people who will care.

So back to the other issue; Compensation at $65,000 annually is high in the finance field especially with no degree and depending upon where you are living. So what is it that you want from this perspective? Have you done a compensation comparison? What was the outcome?

Actually I am averagely paid in my company( i also have access to PR records). A fellow employee was just promoted from staff to Sr and got a huge bump to my range just 1k under me. The prior senior moved (there were two of us)on and has been gone over 6-8 very tough months to which time I have filled in for both our positions with all the overtime required to complete the running projects, while the rest of the dept was not asked to step up and help out since they are only "staff". I asked to be compensated based on my preformance and completion of the projects ( to which I was highly complemented on ) but was told due to our grade system they can't give me a raise because it would require a promotion and there aren't any openings. Our companies "pay grade" system is what is causing so many to leave. Once you hit a certain "grade" you can't get decent raises unless you get promoted. If there is someone above you such as a supervisor and they can't move then you are also stuck. My boss is supportive and would leave in a heartbeat if she wasn't doing her masters on the company right now. then she has a year after that or has to repay them. I am about to roll in to another stressful year end and am not interested in handling the load again with out being compensated. I have already been told the new senior might not be helping me as they have other things for him, since I managed it before I should be able to pull it off again. that is the root of my desire to leave soon.

I see your point in not using a traditional resume, it might benefit me more. I am in the Chicago area and I can't afford to make less than I do now as I am a widow with a family to support. which is why going back to school was a problem for me the past years. I thank you for your ideas they are clear and definitely logical.

Ok, I think we are getting to the root cause of some of your issues with the current company. I don't think that overall and long-term there is as big of a problem as you might have in the short term. So consider the following possibilities;

Year end is a definite issue that will require a significant amount of additional overtime / effort on your part. With no one to help this means that you will be pulling most of the weight. This is one of the root causes of your current problem;

Can you supervisor / manager approve a bonus in lieu of a salary increase? This might be a one-time bonus for performance above and beyond and something that together you could agree upon for the additional effort required for year end.

You are stuck in your current position and pay grade due to the structure of the organization. This is another of the root causes of your issue with your current employer. Problem on this one is that even with a functionally "excellent" resume and great references it will be difficult to get over the no degree issue and into the next level of "pay" even outside of your current organization. As a matter of fact it will likely be easier within your current organization as they have a frame of reference, your performance itself, by which to judge you.

Does your company offer education benefits? Why can't you take advantage of these? There are plenty of acceptable universities that offer adult education options such as nights and weekends in your area; or alternatively you could look into a full on-line university program. Even with children at home it is possible to carve out time for this, I know I did it for both my BS and my MA. It isn't easy but it can be done with some commitment and time management on your part. If your company pays even better.

Honestly, I think you have to take a realistic look at your options. I know that you feel stuck and taken advantage of right now, however you have a manager who supports you and this is more than many have in this day and age. If your company provides education benefits, please consider taking advantage of these. Yes you will have to stay with them but it doesn't seem that overall they are treating you that badly; comparatively speaking that is.

You will keep butting up against the "no degree" problem throughout your career, even with years of experience. You will be limiting yourself and your options. I know that it doesn't seem fair or equitable but it is simply the way it is in todays market. Your desire for better working conditions, advancement, and pay has to be balanced with what the market will bear and pay for. I was in your position and after years of stagnating in the middle I finally finished my BS at 30 something and my MA at 40 something. I had kids at home both times, I worked full time both times, I was the sole provider both times. I know it can be hard and I empathize, truly.

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