{"id":1254,"date":"2024-12-26T11:01:02","date_gmt":"2024-12-26T11:01:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/ic-resources-main.local\/is-a-degree-really-essential-to-work-at-a-top-tech-innovator\/"},"modified":"2026-02-25T14:55:28","modified_gmt":"2026-02-25T14:55:28","slug":"is-a-degree-really-essential-to-work-at-a-top-tech-innovator","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/ic-resources.com\/us\/blogs\/is-a-degree-really-essential-to-work-at-a-top-tech-innovator\/","title":{"rendered":"Is a degree really essential to work at a top tech innovator?"},"content":{"rendered":"

Over 80% of Airbnb\u2019s workforce is educated to degree standard or higher, and at Snap Inc, over 90% of their employees have taken the decision to stay on in education after college and get that degree. But, are these businesses reflective of the market as a whole?<\/p>\n

We spoke to a couple of our leading consultants to find out.<\/p>\n

Senior Consultant, Chris Wyatt,<\/a> says \u2018100% yes: If you want to break into AI Software or research, a degree is a must. The state of the market means it\u2019s virtually impossible to get a job without the academic credentials.\u2019<\/strong><\/p>\n

Chris has been with IC Resources for 5 years and is a Senior Consultant who deals with the recruitment of technical software candidates. He explained that online courses alone are never enough.<\/p>\n

\u2018AI is a fascinating industry because we\u2019re making breakthroughs literally every single day, so the vertical is very appealing to candidates\u2019.<\/p>\n

Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning are seen as dynamic industries that are changing the world, and who doesn\u2019t want to be a part of something that\u2019s got the potential to change the world for the better?<\/p>\n

This makes the market for computer scientists very competitive and if the requirements of a job fall under the broad spectrum of AI, even more so.<\/p>\n

In an industry that\u2019s changing so rapidly, a company\u2019s ability to succeed is determined by its ability to innovate. Therefore, when looking to recruit, 98% of our clients want the best of the best to ensure they are the ones who are making those elusive firsts within a dramatically changing AI vertical.<\/p>\n

If the client is in a good location, they will get to cherry-pick the very best from a batch of great candidates. With very few exceptions, if you don\u2019t have a MSc or PhD you won\u2019t be at the top of their pile.\u2019<\/p>\n

Jon Gould,<\/a>\u00a0Business Manager for IC Creative<\/a>, has an opposing view.<\/strong><\/p>\n

\u2018In the creative market, I\u2019m seeing a trend towards less emphasis on the significance of redbrick and traditional degrees. Instead, we are definitely seeing a wave of successful candidates coming through who have the ability, without the academics.\u2019<\/p>\n

Jon says; \u2018I think with larger organisations and established companies there is often still a preference towards candidates with a relevant degree, and in most cases, if there were two candidates at final stage, both very similar in quality, then the one with a degree is likely to be chosen over the candidate without.<\/p>\n

However, the UK is in the top 5 globally for start-ups being established, and the search for the very best talent is becoming increasingly competitive. We\u2019re seeing technology start-ups using coding tests and other methods to vet skills, in place of traditional qualification vetting, displaying more of a focus on ability than on academic credentials.\u2019<\/p>\n

It isn\u2019t just the permanent market. The contract market is also very strong and is placing an emphasis on candidates with relevant experience who can hit the ground running, rather than those with the academics but not necessarily the industry experience.<\/p>\n

It seems, from both of our consultants, that the technology market is competitive. There\u2019s more of a focus on academic qualifications for technical roles but it\u2019s likely that, as demand for highly skilled candidates outstrips the availability of those with relevant degrees, the industry will need to consider new ways to vet for talent and become less dependent on paper qualifications.<\/p>\n

However, for the moment, it appears that, whilst having a sound degree in a related technical area isn\u2019t essential, it certainly won\u2019t damage your chances when it comes to getting your next job.<\/p>\n

If you’d like to discuss this further please contact vicky.fellows@ic-resources.com<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Over 80% of Airbnb\u2019s workforce is educated to degree standard or higher, and at Snap Inc, over 90% of their employees have taken the decision to stay on.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":128,"featured_media":7070,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"location":[],"salary_guide":[],"job_sector":[675],"industry":[579],"class_list":["post-1254","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-all-blogs","industry-software"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nIs a degree really essential | IC Resources<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Is a degree really essential for software jobs. 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