How can I get my supervisor to consider hiring someone he has declared as unqualified?

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My employer has a software developer opening for which a friend of mine would be a great candidate; in fact, she's the best, most knowledgeable programmer I know (I'm a developer myself). Additionally, she is a very helpful person, which would fit in well with our rather inexperienced team.



When I submitted her resume, my supervisor noted that my friend had left college after only two years. (She started a company with some other people.) My boss dismissed my friend out of hand with the comment "We don't hire people who don't have a degree." I tried to tell my boss about my friend's skills and that she has told me she wants to complete her degree, but he wouldn't re-consider.



How might I get him to change his mind and consider her for this job?



Additional info: My current supervisor made the comment that our clients want our employees to have degrees. However, my supervisor before this one was a college dropout herself, so obviously that's not a rule written into company policy.







share|improve this question






















  • Operative word, of course being "might". The boss is the one who gets to make the decision, and it doesn't have to be completely rational.
    – keshlam
    Jun 30 '15 at 19:39






  • 3




    Be careful. It can be rather irritating when someone persists too much after a discussion is over, especially if that person is your subordinate.
    – zfrisch
    Jun 30 '15 at 19:44






  • 6




    But he did not declare her as unqualified. He said "We don't hire people who don't have a degree." That may just be a policy he has no control over. If he won't even take the interview then probably not a battle to take on.
    – paparazzo
    Jun 30 '15 at 20:13






  • 2




    Funnily enough, just today there was a news article about how programmers can be looking for jobs in Switzerland when there are thousands of open positions (in German). Turns out that, e.g., many IT companies have promised their customers in their service agreements that support personnel and coders will have a degree. This would give rise to a company policy the boss would have zero control over.
    – Stephan Kolassa
    Jun 30 '15 at 21:00






  • 3




    Who is "we" in We don't hire people who don't have a degree. Is it very different if it is a personal policy of your boss or a company wide policy.
    – SJuan76
    Jun 30 '15 at 21:37
















up vote
5
down vote

favorite
1












My employer has a software developer opening for which a friend of mine would be a great candidate; in fact, she's the best, most knowledgeable programmer I know (I'm a developer myself). Additionally, she is a very helpful person, which would fit in well with our rather inexperienced team.



When I submitted her resume, my supervisor noted that my friend had left college after only two years. (She started a company with some other people.) My boss dismissed my friend out of hand with the comment "We don't hire people who don't have a degree." I tried to tell my boss about my friend's skills and that she has told me she wants to complete her degree, but he wouldn't re-consider.



How might I get him to change his mind and consider her for this job?



Additional info: My current supervisor made the comment that our clients want our employees to have degrees. However, my supervisor before this one was a college dropout herself, so obviously that's not a rule written into company policy.







share|improve this question






















  • Operative word, of course being "might". The boss is the one who gets to make the decision, and it doesn't have to be completely rational.
    – keshlam
    Jun 30 '15 at 19:39






  • 3




    Be careful. It can be rather irritating when someone persists too much after a discussion is over, especially if that person is your subordinate.
    – zfrisch
    Jun 30 '15 at 19:44






  • 6




    But he did not declare her as unqualified. He said "We don't hire people who don't have a degree." That may just be a policy he has no control over. If he won't even take the interview then probably not a battle to take on.
    – paparazzo
    Jun 30 '15 at 20:13






  • 2




    Funnily enough, just today there was a news article about how programmers can be looking for jobs in Switzerland when there are thousands of open positions (in German). Turns out that, e.g., many IT companies have promised their customers in their service agreements that support personnel and coders will have a degree. This would give rise to a company policy the boss would have zero control over.
    – Stephan Kolassa
    Jun 30 '15 at 21:00






  • 3




    Who is "we" in We don't hire people who don't have a degree. Is it very different if it is a personal policy of your boss or a company wide policy.
    – SJuan76
    Jun 30 '15 at 21:37












up vote
5
down vote

favorite
1









up vote
5
down vote

favorite
1






1





My employer has a software developer opening for which a friend of mine would be a great candidate; in fact, she's the best, most knowledgeable programmer I know (I'm a developer myself). Additionally, she is a very helpful person, which would fit in well with our rather inexperienced team.



When I submitted her resume, my supervisor noted that my friend had left college after only two years. (She started a company with some other people.) My boss dismissed my friend out of hand with the comment "We don't hire people who don't have a degree." I tried to tell my boss about my friend's skills and that she has told me she wants to complete her degree, but he wouldn't re-consider.



How might I get him to change his mind and consider her for this job?



Additional info: My current supervisor made the comment that our clients want our employees to have degrees. However, my supervisor before this one was a college dropout herself, so obviously that's not a rule written into company policy.







share|improve this question














My employer has a software developer opening for which a friend of mine would be a great candidate; in fact, she's the best, most knowledgeable programmer I know (I'm a developer myself). Additionally, she is a very helpful person, which would fit in well with our rather inexperienced team.



When I submitted her resume, my supervisor noted that my friend had left college after only two years. (She started a company with some other people.) My boss dismissed my friend out of hand with the comment "We don't hire people who don't have a degree." I tried to tell my boss about my friend's skills and that she has told me she wants to complete her degree, but he wouldn't re-consider.



How might I get him to change his mind and consider her for this job?



Additional info: My current supervisor made the comment that our clients want our employees to have degrees. However, my supervisor before this one was a college dropout herself, so obviously that's not a rule written into company policy.









share|improve this question













share|improve this question




share|improve this question








edited Jul 1 '15 at 20:42

























asked Jun 30 '15 at 19:16









GreenMatt

15.6k1465109




15.6k1465109











  • Operative word, of course being "might". The boss is the one who gets to make the decision, and it doesn't have to be completely rational.
    – keshlam
    Jun 30 '15 at 19:39






  • 3




    Be careful. It can be rather irritating when someone persists too much after a discussion is over, especially if that person is your subordinate.
    – zfrisch
    Jun 30 '15 at 19:44






  • 6




    But he did not declare her as unqualified. He said "We don't hire people who don't have a degree." That may just be a policy he has no control over. If he won't even take the interview then probably not a battle to take on.
    – paparazzo
    Jun 30 '15 at 20:13






  • 2




    Funnily enough, just today there was a news article about how programmers can be looking for jobs in Switzerland when there are thousands of open positions (in German). Turns out that, e.g., many IT companies have promised their customers in their service agreements that support personnel and coders will have a degree. This would give rise to a company policy the boss would have zero control over.
    – Stephan Kolassa
    Jun 30 '15 at 21:00






  • 3




    Who is "we" in We don't hire people who don't have a degree. Is it very different if it is a personal policy of your boss or a company wide policy.
    – SJuan76
    Jun 30 '15 at 21:37
















  • Operative word, of course being "might". The boss is the one who gets to make the decision, and it doesn't have to be completely rational.
    – keshlam
    Jun 30 '15 at 19:39






  • 3




    Be careful. It can be rather irritating when someone persists too much after a discussion is over, especially if that person is your subordinate.
    – zfrisch
    Jun 30 '15 at 19:44






  • 6




    But he did not declare her as unqualified. He said "We don't hire people who don't have a degree." That may just be a policy he has no control over. If he won't even take the interview then probably not a battle to take on.
    – paparazzo
    Jun 30 '15 at 20:13






  • 2




    Funnily enough, just today there was a news article about how programmers can be looking for jobs in Switzerland when there are thousands of open positions (in German). Turns out that, e.g., many IT companies have promised their customers in their service agreements that support personnel and coders will have a degree. This would give rise to a company policy the boss would have zero control over.
    – Stephan Kolassa
    Jun 30 '15 at 21:00






  • 3




    Who is "we" in We don't hire people who don't have a degree. Is it very different if it is a personal policy of your boss or a company wide policy.
    – SJuan76
    Jun 30 '15 at 21:37















Operative word, of course being "might". The boss is the one who gets to make the decision, and it doesn't have to be completely rational.
– keshlam
Jun 30 '15 at 19:39




Operative word, of course being "might". The boss is the one who gets to make the decision, and it doesn't have to be completely rational.
– keshlam
Jun 30 '15 at 19:39




3




3




Be careful. It can be rather irritating when someone persists too much after a discussion is over, especially if that person is your subordinate.
– zfrisch
Jun 30 '15 at 19:44




Be careful. It can be rather irritating when someone persists too much after a discussion is over, especially if that person is your subordinate.
– zfrisch
Jun 30 '15 at 19:44




6




6




But he did not declare her as unqualified. He said "We don't hire people who don't have a degree." That may just be a policy he has no control over. If he won't even take the interview then probably not a battle to take on.
– paparazzo
Jun 30 '15 at 20:13




But he did not declare her as unqualified. He said "We don't hire people who don't have a degree." That may just be a policy he has no control over. If he won't even take the interview then probably not a battle to take on.
– paparazzo
Jun 30 '15 at 20:13




2




2




Funnily enough, just today there was a news article about how programmers can be looking for jobs in Switzerland when there are thousands of open positions (in German). Turns out that, e.g., many IT companies have promised their customers in their service agreements that support personnel and coders will have a degree. This would give rise to a company policy the boss would have zero control over.
– Stephan Kolassa
Jun 30 '15 at 21:00




Funnily enough, just today there was a news article about how programmers can be looking for jobs in Switzerland when there are thousands of open positions (in German). Turns out that, e.g., many IT companies have promised their customers in their service agreements that support personnel and coders will have a degree. This would give rise to a company policy the boss would have zero control over.
– Stephan Kolassa
Jun 30 '15 at 21:00




3




3




Who is "we" in We don't hire people who don't have a degree. Is it very different if it is a personal policy of your boss or a company wide policy.
– SJuan76
Jun 30 '15 at 21:37




Who is "we" in We don't hire people who don't have a degree. Is it very different if it is a personal policy of your boss or a company wide policy.
– SJuan76
Jun 30 '15 at 21:37










3 Answers
3






active

oldest

votes

















up vote
10
down vote













Why you no want no degree?



The first step is to understand why your boss won't accept someone without a degree.



Some people just assume "4 year degree == good developer" (which is obviously not the case). Or assume you need a degree to be competent (which is also not the case). Or some companies are incredibly rigid in their processes.



Once you understand why, you will be able to identify the perceived weaknesses that this causes. Does your boss think they are bad at algorithms? Have some code samples demonstrating this, etc (which is good regardless). Maybe your boss assumes she won't be professional. There will be hidden assumptions based on the reasons your boss thinks this.



Help put a face to the name



Another approach if there are resistance would be mutual activities. It's pretty easy generally to throw out a "stat" or "potential" person but get them to meet somehow. If your friend is qualified / competent / intelligent this is normally pretty obvious when interacting with people. Suggest an informal lunch/etc.



Putting a "face to the name" makes it a ton easier to overcome biases.






share|improve this answer





























    up vote
    0
    down vote













    First you must evaluate your motive. While we would all like to work with people we know outside the office, that obviously isn't always the case. As such, your boss is likely going to see you as biased, especially if they know the applicant is your friend.



    If your motive is to genuinely get your boss to reconsider, don't go about it directly. Instead, ask him what it is about his preference for developers with degrees over those without degrees, and then you can even pose a question to him like "You believe that is better in spite of companies like (name a noteworthy company who is not degree prejudiced such as yelp etc.) who routinely hire developers with experience over degrees?". Provide imperical evidence. At the end of the day, bosses are human too and while some may not want to admit the error in their ways, a gentle respectful eye opening dialogue can be just the thing to get them to reconsider. Just don't be overly direct or come off as biased and trying to get your friend a job because they are your friend.






    share|improve this answer



























      up vote
      -10
      down vote













      Your boss is a bigot. It's just that simple. He cannot conceive that anyone who doesn't have an arbitrary attribute, in this case a diploma, can be acceptable.



      I've fought this mentality many times. My degree is not in software engineering, but in audio engineering, and although I've been writing and architecting software for 15 years, now, I still can't get through the front door on some opportunities.



      For those that look at skills rather than attributes, I've provided them with what I consider very good work, and they have been happy with it.



      It's just life.






      share|improve this answer
















      • 15




        There are plenty of companies which for whatever reason don't let people hire without a degree. A boss working for that sort of company isn't automatically a bigot, he might just be constrained by corporate policies.
        – Elysian Fields♦
        Jun 30 '15 at 19:57






      • 1




        Apparently anything could be bigotous now-a-days..
        – easymoden00b
        Jun 30 '15 at 20:37






      • 1




        Also, in the US, if you're bidding on a government contract, particularly if it's a level of effort contract, the credentials of your staff are very important to success. In an ideal world, we would all be judged on our individual merits, but there are real business considerations when it comes to credentials.
        – ColleenV
        Jul 1 '15 at 20:47










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      3 Answers
      3






      active

      oldest

      votes








      3 Answers
      3






      active

      oldest

      votes









      active

      oldest

      votes






      active

      oldest

      votes








      up vote
      10
      down vote













      Why you no want no degree?



      The first step is to understand why your boss won't accept someone without a degree.



      Some people just assume "4 year degree == good developer" (which is obviously not the case). Or assume you need a degree to be competent (which is also not the case). Or some companies are incredibly rigid in their processes.



      Once you understand why, you will be able to identify the perceived weaknesses that this causes. Does your boss think they are bad at algorithms? Have some code samples demonstrating this, etc (which is good regardless). Maybe your boss assumes she won't be professional. There will be hidden assumptions based on the reasons your boss thinks this.



      Help put a face to the name



      Another approach if there are resistance would be mutual activities. It's pretty easy generally to throw out a "stat" or "potential" person but get them to meet somehow. If your friend is qualified / competent / intelligent this is normally pretty obvious when interacting with people. Suggest an informal lunch/etc.



      Putting a "face to the name" makes it a ton easier to overcome biases.






      share|improve this answer


























        up vote
        10
        down vote













        Why you no want no degree?



        The first step is to understand why your boss won't accept someone without a degree.



        Some people just assume "4 year degree == good developer" (which is obviously not the case). Or assume you need a degree to be competent (which is also not the case). Or some companies are incredibly rigid in their processes.



        Once you understand why, you will be able to identify the perceived weaknesses that this causes. Does your boss think they are bad at algorithms? Have some code samples demonstrating this, etc (which is good regardless). Maybe your boss assumes she won't be professional. There will be hidden assumptions based on the reasons your boss thinks this.



        Help put a face to the name



        Another approach if there are resistance would be mutual activities. It's pretty easy generally to throw out a "stat" or "potential" person but get them to meet somehow. If your friend is qualified / competent / intelligent this is normally pretty obvious when interacting with people. Suggest an informal lunch/etc.



        Putting a "face to the name" makes it a ton easier to overcome biases.






        share|improve this answer
























          up vote
          10
          down vote










          up vote
          10
          down vote









          Why you no want no degree?



          The first step is to understand why your boss won't accept someone without a degree.



          Some people just assume "4 year degree == good developer" (which is obviously not the case). Or assume you need a degree to be competent (which is also not the case). Or some companies are incredibly rigid in their processes.



          Once you understand why, you will be able to identify the perceived weaknesses that this causes. Does your boss think they are bad at algorithms? Have some code samples demonstrating this, etc (which is good regardless). Maybe your boss assumes she won't be professional. There will be hidden assumptions based on the reasons your boss thinks this.



          Help put a face to the name



          Another approach if there are resistance would be mutual activities. It's pretty easy generally to throw out a "stat" or "potential" person but get them to meet somehow. If your friend is qualified / competent / intelligent this is normally pretty obvious when interacting with people. Suggest an informal lunch/etc.



          Putting a "face to the name" makes it a ton easier to overcome biases.






          share|improve this answer














          Why you no want no degree?



          The first step is to understand why your boss won't accept someone without a degree.



          Some people just assume "4 year degree == good developer" (which is obviously not the case). Or assume you need a degree to be competent (which is also not the case). Or some companies are incredibly rigid in their processes.



          Once you understand why, you will be able to identify the perceived weaknesses that this causes. Does your boss think they are bad at algorithms? Have some code samples demonstrating this, etc (which is good regardless). Maybe your boss assumes she won't be professional. There will be hidden assumptions based on the reasons your boss thinks this.



          Help put a face to the name



          Another approach if there are resistance would be mutual activities. It's pretty easy generally to throw out a "stat" or "potential" person but get them to meet somehow. If your friend is qualified / competent / intelligent this is normally pretty obvious when interacting with people. Suggest an informal lunch/etc.



          Putting a "face to the name" makes it a ton easier to overcome biases.







          share|improve this answer














          share|improve this answer



          share|improve this answer








          edited Jun 30 '15 at 20:04









          paparazzo

          33.3k657106




          33.3k657106










          answered Jun 30 '15 at 19:23









          Elysian Fields♦

          96.8k46292449




          96.8k46292449






















              up vote
              0
              down vote













              First you must evaluate your motive. While we would all like to work with people we know outside the office, that obviously isn't always the case. As such, your boss is likely going to see you as biased, especially if they know the applicant is your friend.



              If your motive is to genuinely get your boss to reconsider, don't go about it directly. Instead, ask him what it is about his preference for developers with degrees over those without degrees, and then you can even pose a question to him like "You believe that is better in spite of companies like (name a noteworthy company who is not degree prejudiced such as yelp etc.) who routinely hire developers with experience over degrees?". Provide imperical evidence. At the end of the day, bosses are human too and while some may not want to admit the error in their ways, a gentle respectful eye opening dialogue can be just the thing to get them to reconsider. Just don't be overly direct or come off as biased and trying to get your friend a job because they are your friend.






              share|improve this answer
























                up vote
                0
                down vote













                First you must evaluate your motive. While we would all like to work with people we know outside the office, that obviously isn't always the case. As such, your boss is likely going to see you as biased, especially if they know the applicant is your friend.



                If your motive is to genuinely get your boss to reconsider, don't go about it directly. Instead, ask him what it is about his preference for developers with degrees over those without degrees, and then you can even pose a question to him like "You believe that is better in spite of companies like (name a noteworthy company who is not degree prejudiced such as yelp etc.) who routinely hire developers with experience over degrees?". Provide imperical evidence. At the end of the day, bosses are human too and while some may not want to admit the error in their ways, a gentle respectful eye opening dialogue can be just the thing to get them to reconsider. Just don't be overly direct or come off as biased and trying to get your friend a job because they are your friend.






                share|improve this answer






















                  up vote
                  0
                  down vote










                  up vote
                  0
                  down vote









                  First you must evaluate your motive. While we would all like to work with people we know outside the office, that obviously isn't always the case. As such, your boss is likely going to see you as biased, especially if they know the applicant is your friend.



                  If your motive is to genuinely get your boss to reconsider, don't go about it directly. Instead, ask him what it is about his preference for developers with degrees over those without degrees, and then you can even pose a question to him like "You believe that is better in spite of companies like (name a noteworthy company who is not degree prejudiced such as yelp etc.) who routinely hire developers with experience over degrees?". Provide imperical evidence. At the end of the day, bosses are human too and while some may not want to admit the error in their ways, a gentle respectful eye opening dialogue can be just the thing to get them to reconsider. Just don't be overly direct or come off as biased and trying to get your friend a job because they are your friend.






                  share|improve this answer












                  First you must evaluate your motive. While we would all like to work with people we know outside the office, that obviously isn't always the case. As such, your boss is likely going to see you as biased, especially if they know the applicant is your friend.



                  If your motive is to genuinely get your boss to reconsider, don't go about it directly. Instead, ask him what it is about his preference for developers with degrees over those without degrees, and then you can even pose a question to him like "You believe that is better in spite of companies like (name a noteworthy company who is not degree prejudiced such as yelp etc.) who routinely hire developers with experience over degrees?". Provide imperical evidence. At the end of the day, bosses are human too and while some may not want to admit the error in their ways, a gentle respectful eye opening dialogue can be just the thing to get them to reconsider. Just don't be overly direct or come off as biased and trying to get your friend a job because they are your friend.







                  share|improve this answer












                  share|improve this answer



                  share|improve this answer










                  answered Jun 30 '15 at 20:28









                  Alex

                  3,3561130




                  3,3561130




















                      up vote
                      -10
                      down vote













                      Your boss is a bigot. It's just that simple. He cannot conceive that anyone who doesn't have an arbitrary attribute, in this case a diploma, can be acceptable.



                      I've fought this mentality many times. My degree is not in software engineering, but in audio engineering, and although I've been writing and architecting software for 15 years, now, I still can't get through the front door on some opportunities.



                      For those that look at skills rather than attributes, I've provided them with what I consider very good work, and they have been happy with it.



                      It's just life.






                      share|improve this answer
















                      • 15




                        There are plenty of companies which for whatever reason don't let people hire without a degree. A boss working for that sort of company isn't automatically a bigot, he might just be constrained by corporate policies.
                        – Elysian Fields♦
                        Jun 30 '15 at 19:57






                      • 1




                        Apparently anything could be bigotous now-a-days..
                        – easymoden00b
                        Jun 30 '15 at 20:37






                      • 1




                        Also, in the US, if you're bidding on a government contract, particularly if it's a level of effort contract, the credentials of your staff are very important to success. In an ideal world, we would all be judged on our individual merits, but there are real business considerations when it comes to credentials.
                        – ColleenV
                        Jul 1 '15 at 20:47














                      up vote
                      -10
                      down vote













                      Your boss is a bigot. It's just that simple. He cannot conceive that anyone who doesn't have an arbitrary attribute, in this case a diploma, can be acceptable.



                      I've fought this mentality many times. My degree is not in software engineering, but in audio engineering, and although I've been writing and architecting software for 15 years, now, I still can't get through the front door on some opportunities.



                      For those that look at skills rather than attributes, I've provided them with what I consider very good work, and they have been happy with it.



                      It's just life.






                      share|improve this answer
















                      • 15




                        There are plenty of companies which for whatever reason don't let people hire without a degree. A boss working for that sort of company isn't automatically a bigot, he might just be constrained by corporate policies.
                        – Elysian Fields♦
                        Jun 30 '15 at 19:57






                      • 1




                        Apparently anything could be bigotous now-a-days..
                        – easymoden00b
                        Jun 30 '15 at 20:37






                      • 1




                        Also, in the US, if you're bidding on a government contract, particularly if it's a level of effort contract, the credentials of your staff are very important to success. In an ideal world, we would all be judged on our individual merits, but there are real business considerations when it comes to credentials.
                        – ColleenV
                        Jul 1 '15 at 20:47












                      up vote
                      -10
                      down vote










                      up vote
                      -10
                      down vote









                      Your boss is a bigot. It's just that simple. He cannot conceive that anyone who doesn't have an arbitrary attribute, in this case a diploma, can be acceptable.



                      I've fought this mentality many times. My degree is not in software engineering, but in audio engineering, and although I've been writing and architecting software for 15 years, now, I still can't get through the front door on some opportunities.



                      For those that look at skills rather than attributes, I've provided them with what I consider very good work, and they have been happy with it.



                      It's just life.






                      share|improve this answer












                      Your boss is a bigot. It's just that simple. He cannot conceive that anyone who doesn't have an arbitrary attribute, in this case a diploma, can be acceptable.



                      I've fought this mentality many times. My degree is not in software engineering, but in audio engineering, and although I've been writing and architecting software for 15 years, now, I still can't get through the front door on some opportunities.



                      For those that look at skills rather than attributes, I've provided them with what I consider very good work, and they have been happy with it.



                      It's just life.







                      share|improve this answer












                      share|improve this answer



                      share|improve this answer










                      answered Jun 30 '15 at 19:46









                      Wesley Long

                      44.7k15100159




                      44.7k15100159







                      • 15




                        There are plenty of companies which for whatever reason don't let people hire without a degree. A boss working for that sort of company isn't automatically a bigot, he might just be constrained by corporate policies.
                        – Elysian Fields♦
                        Jun 30 '15 at 19:57






                      • 1




                        Apparently anything could be bigotous now-a-days..
                        – easymoden00b
                        Jun 30 '15 at 20:37






                      • 1




                        Also, in the US, if you're bidding on a government contract, particularly if it's a level of effort contract, the credentials of your staff are very important to success. In an ideal world, we would all be judged on our individual merits, but there are real business considerations when it comes to credentials.
                        – ColleenV
                        Jul 1 '15 at 20:47












                      • 15




                        There are plenty of companies which for whatever reason don't let people hire without a degree. A boss working for that sort of company isn't automatically a bigot, he might just be constrained by corporate policies.
                        – Elysian Fields♦
                        Jun 30 '15 at 19:57






                      • 1




                        Apparently anything could be bigotous now-a-days..
                        – easymoden00b
                        Jun 30 '15 at 20:37






                      • 1




                        Also, in the US, if you're bidding on a government contract, particularly if it's a level of effort contract, the credentials of your staff are very important to success. In an ideal world, we would all be judged on our individual merits, but there are real business considerations when it comes to credentials.
                        – ColleenV
                        Jul 1 '15 at 20:47







                      15




                      15




                      There are plenty of companies which for whatever reason don't let people hire without a degree. A boss working for that sort of company isn't automatically a bigot, he might just be constrained by corporate policies.
                      – Elysian Fields♦
                      Jun 30 '15 at 19:57




                      There are plenty of companies which for whatever reason don't let people hire without a degree. A boss working for that sort of company isn't automatically a bigot, he might just be constrained by corporate policies.
                      – Elysian Fields♦
                      Jun 30 '15 at 19:57




                      1




                      1




                      Apparently anything could be bigotous now-a-days..
                      – easymoden00b
                      Jun 30 '15 at 20:37




                      Apparently anything could be bigotous now-a-days..
                      – easymoden00b
                      Jun 30 '15 at 20:37




                      1




                      1




                      Also, in the US, if you're bidding on a government contract, particularly if it's a level of effort contract, the credentials of your staff are very important to success. In an ideal world, we would all be judged on our individual merits, but there are real business considerations when it comes to credentials.
                      – ColleenV
                      Jul 1 '15 at 20:47




                      Also, in the US, if you're bidding on a government contract, particularly if it's a level of effort contract, the credentials of your staff are very important to success. In an ideal world, we would all be judged on our individual merits, but there are real business considerations when it comes to credentials.
                      – ColleenV
                      Jul 1 '15 at 20:47












                       

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