Growing up, we were told that a college degree was the only path to success.
Let’s look at an example. When Pooja walked out of her 12th-grade farewell, one thought kept running through her mind:
“Everyone knows what they’re doing — except me.”
Her friends had already chosen colleges and careers in Engineering, Law, or Medicine. Pooja wasn’t sure. She loved designing, video editing, and social media. But she doubted if these were real careers and if her parents and society would ever take them seriously.
Like most students, she and her parents believed that a degree from a reputed college was the only way forward.
Until she discovered something that changed everything.
It began with a random YouTube video recommendation — “Learn Graphic Design in 30 Days.”
Curious, she clicked on it. And that small click opened a new world of learning and possibilities.
Soon, her evenings were filled with tutorials on Canva, Photoshop, and basic design principles. She started enjoying her classes and began experimenting by creating birthday cards and invitations for friends, posters for local events, and reels for her cousin’s bakery page.
Her confidence grew with every design. For the first time, Pooja felt excited about learning — not because someone told her to, but because she truly wanted to.
A few months later, she stumbled upon a post on LinkedIn:
“Looking for creative interns – no degree required – just passion and design skills.”
She hesitated at first, unsure whether she should apply.
But she gathered the courage, created a small portfolio with her best work, and applied for the internship.
A week later, she received a message saying she had landed her first internship — and her parents were the happiest of all.
That internship gave her real work experience where she realized what she was good at and how she could upskill herself in terms of skills and education. She also learned how to converse with clients, manage deadlines, work in a team, and handle constructive feedback.
To her surprise, she discovered that it was not technical skills that mattered the most, but soft skills like communication, team building, problem-solving, critical thinking, time management, and so on.
After her internship, she was offered a job at the Company. Pooja had just completed her 12th grade. No degree, no fancy resume - just skills, consistency, and confidence.
She has started her work as a freelancer. She collaborates with small businesses, builds her brand online, and continues to upskill through online courses.
And she’s not an exception — she’s part of a growing trend.
The Hays Report 2025 report states that 84% of hiring managers prefer to hire based on soft skills over academic skills ( https://buildinginstitute.nz/assets/Uploads/The-Hays-2025-Skills-Report.pdf , https://colleges.stark.ai/blog/college-degree-vs-skills-2025 , https://www.hays.net.nz/press-release/content/hays-skills-report? )
According to the LinkedIn Skills-Based Hiring Report 2025, nearly 85% of companies now prioritize skills over degrees in their recruitment ( https://economicgraph.linkedin.com/content/dam/me/economicgraph/en-us/PDF/skills-based-hiring-march-2025.pdf? ). The National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE) also reports that two-thirds (≈65%) of employers have adopted skills-based hiring, especially for entry-level roles ( https://www.naceweb.org/talent-acquisition/trends-and-predictions/nearly-two-thirds-of-employers-use-skills-based-hiring-practices-for-new-entry-level-hires? ).
And employers have started to realize that skills – not paper qualifications – are stronger predictors of job performance.
Since the job market is evolving, degrees will continue to play an important role, but it is no longer the only way to get a job.
Your passion, skills, curiosity, adaptability, and willingness to learn, paired with your soft skills - communication, team building and emotional intelligence play an important role, and you will have what it takes to thrive at the workplace.
Pooja’s story is proof that you don’t need to have everything figured out after school. Start small, stay curious, and keep learning — because in 2025 and beyond, it’s not your degree that will define you, but your skills, adaptability, and willingness to grow.
Many students, like Pooja, discover their potential only after trying and failing a few times. But with the right career counseling and self-assessment, this clarity can come much earlier — saving time, energy, and confusion, and helping individuals turn curiosity into confidence.