June R Massoud ⋅ Burlington, VT School Boards/Teaching, Tutoring Business and Technical Business ⋅ 25 years experience

You're probably aiming for the wrong kind of job. You can't do a job that requires college degree skills if you don't have one, so try working in a trade that you learned about in the Navy. That's my advice. Best, June R Massoud

DL B ⋅ San Francisco, CA ⋅ 26 years experience

You have two choices.

A) Open up your own business if you are confident about your skill set. But, you won't have employment benefits, such as paid vacation, sick leave, 401K and some degree of stability in your income.

B) Obtain a college education - start at a 2-year community college and transfer to a 4-year university as a junior. You can work part time or run your own small business while you go to community college to save money.

I went to a 2-year community college while working part time and then transferred to a 4-year university as a junior and was hired by a global company even before graduating from a university - All employers see this as a plus because you have working experience, showed determination and a good university education/diploma.

However, please AVOID for-profit on-line colleges and degrees from them as it is a waste money, time and energy. Those for-profit on-line colleges and their degrees don't have any credentials with employers, and it's not going to get you a job.

C) As someone answered, put on your resume "In the process of pursuing a 4-year college degree." along with your experiences. Then, actually start the school and get your degree in 4-5 years.

In Corporate IT field, you MUST have a 4-year college degree or higher degree unless you free-lance as you have such awesome skill sets that no one has or you are genius.

Good luck!

Sarah Steele ⋅ Fort Lauderdale, FL Self employed consultant. Before that DirecTV Latin America ⋅ 20 years experience

Hi Giovanni,

I totally understand your pain! I myself didn't get a first degree (I'm from the UK and back in my day it wasn't such a big deal), although I did manage to use experience and some certificates I had gained to get onto a Masters program.

I have some tough feedback for you - I hope you take it in the spirit it is meant. If you don't have the degree you are already against the curve - and the prejudicial view is that there is a lack of education. When this is the generalization you are already up against, it is very important that you ensure your Resume and application paperwork is error free. I noticed quite a few typos in your question posted above. I know it may simply be a function of typing on a mobile app or something similar but just wanted to gently nudge you to double-check your writing skills.

Unfortunately, I do think the advice above to get a degree is probably your best option - in the US it is a much bigger deal than in Europe.

You don't have to have finished the degree to be able to put it on your Resume. You can put 'currently studying for....' etc. That will help get you through the basic paper sift and maybe an interview.

As someone above said, check with a college about how much credit you can gain for your 20 years of experience. The good news for you is that you are in IT, where specific technical skills are in high demand. Have you checked which skills are most in demand and made sure you have the most recent certifications in that area?

Best of luck and stay positive.

Christopher Sny ⋅ Newburgh, IN University of Southern Indiana ⋅ 42 years experience

G: The answer is simple...get one, a degree that is. You can be working on it as you interview and you will come across as striving rather than entitled by your work experience! csny

Susan Kernan ⋅ Lake Forest, IL Grainger ⋅ 20 years experience

Hi Giovanni, I'm a little late in replying but I thought I could be of assistance to you. I'm an IT Recruiter with Grainger, and I've been a corporate recruiter for 15 years. Most positions state in the requirements "degree or equivalent work experience". If that's the case, APPLY! I would even consider applying if the posting does ask for a degree, but only if you have experience with the technologies they list. IT is a tight market, high in demand. Another quicker solution than waiting to get a degree is look into certifications for specific software or security, and continue to work on a degree.

John H. Rogers ⋅ Collierville, TN AT&T ⋅ 27 years experience

Giovanni,
You've gotten some great advice so far - IT and PMI certifications, networking and having known entities "sell" your skills with you, and William's innovative approach to selling your finest attributes. In addition to these, I recommend that you get as much college credit as you can for what you've already done. Your on-base Education Services Office should be able to help you maximize/translate your experiences and qualifications/certifications from your 20 years into actual college credits. You may be surprised to realize you already have an AA or AS, and they can help you get that, or maybe even more. Couple that with some of the other certifications, and you may have created your exception route for that 4-year degree! Several of my friends in IT are very enthusiastic about several Cyber Security certifications that are available. Depending on what kind of IT experience you have, that could be right up your alley, and it's one of the highest-demands in the market place today. Best Wishes for a firm landing, John H. Rogers, CAPT, USNR (Ret.)

William Bahrt ⋅ Sequim, WA Arizona Public Service Company ⋅ 15 years experience

Giovanni:
I wrestled with companies for 15 years until I got my degree and usually lost. My son got a job with Intel and worked for ten years with them. Then, when they were going through a RIF he got fired because he did not have a degree. If they don't get you at the outset, they probably will later on.
The best defense against the "non degree" prejudice is to face it head-on right at the beginning. I call it the thirty second interview.

You meet with the hiring personnel face to face and say the following: "My name is ________ and I am looking for a job as a _______. I do not have a degree in I.T. but I do have x number of years in I.T. with specific experience in (and here you list two or three high points in your field of experience.) I am (and here you list three or four character traits that will make you more desirable to that company). Do you have an opening for someone with my skills and experience? (and if you get a negative response you counter with) Do you know of someone who does?

The beauty of this approach is that you have gone beyond the "Are you taking applications?" approach and shown by your approach that you are someone to reckon with. You have let them know that you don't have the degree, but you have outlined your skills and character traits so that if you can bypass the degree requirement, you will know it from the outset. The two questions at the end are extremely important. They call for a decision and they ask for recommendations in case you are not a candidate for them.

When I began my quest for a degree, I was 34 years of age. When I received my M.A. I was 40. But it was the most productive 6 years I could have imagined. With my degree in my pocket, I no longer had to justify my competency. I was sought after and obtained the job of my dreams. I went to school with 5 children and worked full time. It wasn't easy, but it was worth it. I am now 83 years of age and am living a reasonably comfortable retirement. I have no regrets for my decision. Good luck on what you decide. If you want it bad enough, you can get it.
Bill Bahrt

Heather Gillbanks ⋅ Houston, TX General Electric ⋅ 26 years experience

Hi Giovanni,

In many companies (especially larger ones) there are Requirements, and there are Desired Characteristics, for a role. If it's a Required item, most companies would have to take down the role, and re-post it in order to hire you. This is a lot of work for HR, so does not happen very often.

I'd suggest a couple of avenues to get where you want to go:

1) look for roles that do not require a degree (this is the easiest path, but may not lead to what you want)
2) network like crazy! The best way to get the role you WANT is for someone to meet you, get to know you, and see just how awesome and capable you are. Then, they may be willing to re-post a role for you, without the degree being Required. Be aware that this may come with strings (i.e., you may be required to obtain a degree - I have hired several people over the years, with this stipulation).

A third option is, of course, to get a degree. It WILL open some doors for you.

There are some companies (admittedly not many) that consider military service equivalent to a degree, for hiring purposes. You might want to seek out those companies, as they are more likely to understand and appreciate your background & experience.

Best of luck!
-heather

Patrick Haley ⋅ Longmont, CO IBM ⋅ 38 years experience

Hello Giovanni, Here are some additional options for you to consider:

-- Look at getting into Project Management - its not hands-on, but it does pay.
--- Start by going to:
---- PMI (http://www.pmi.org/default.aspx)
---- ProjectManagement.com ( http://www.projectmanagement.com/) to find out more.
------ Join - free webinars / classes
-- Consider pursuing a PMI Certification - (its one of the more affordable certifications out there).
- Next - consider enrolling in a college that will give you life experience credit towards a degree - the following should count towards college credit:
---- Military service
---- Technical certifications
---- Proficiency testing out of classes
-- (Try to stay away from on-line Universities if possible; if you do sign up with one , sign with the biggest / branded school possible)
--- Check w/ IT job shops that can help place you just to get a foot in the door

Hope this helps,
Patrick Haley
Delivery Project Executive , IBM

John Green ⋅ Cary, NC Information Technology ⋅ 40 years experience

Hi Giovanni - the best way is to become certified in a specialized skill, like Cisco CCNA or IBM IIB.

https://learningnetwork.cisco.com/community/certifications

http://www-03.ibm.com/certify/certs/15003405.shtml

With the appropriate credentials, it would be very rare that you are rejected for a position in that specialty.

Also, did you not attend any schooling while you were in the Navy, such as NCO Leadership ? You should highlight those in your resume document under the education section.

Best wishes.
JG