The hospital Joe works for strictly abides by the “bachelor's degree required to apply” formality. He can’t apply for this job even though he has more direct patient experience. During an impromptu lunch in the hospital cafeteria, Joe discussed a similar scenario with a nursing student who works at the hospital, but not as a nurse yet. Joe realized that he needs to complete his bachelor’s degree, not only for the potential positions that open up in the hospital for which he is currently employed (they really do know how good he is!), but also for a chance at a higher salaried position in other area hospitals.

Here is some of what I shared with Joe about why investing his time and money to complete the degree was worth it. . . .

What is it that employers typically think about a candidate who has completed a degree? First, they understand that this person knows how to learn and how to communicate his or her thoughts in writing. Most often, the person interviewing a candidate is college educated as well. The interviewer achieved a goal, persevered through times of discomfort, and was self-disciplined. The interviewer pushed himself or herself to study and to complete writing assignments and detailed projects. So, the college-educated interviewer sees this same thing in other college graduates—that they completed something through to the end and had the capacity to endure. Students learn new, relevant information and how to communicate it to others, not unlike something also required in a management role.