7 THINGS MORE IMPORTANT THAN A DEGREE WHEN APPLYING FOR A JOB IN THE US – Shared by a doctor who has lived more than 20 years in the US with more than 10 years working in a professional environment in the US
One of the biggest shocks for many Vietnamese people when entering the US labor market is: The person with the highest degree is not necessarily the one who gets hired.
You can study very well.
Have a master’s or doctoral degree.
Used to hold a good position in Vietnam.
CV has many certificates.
But the employer can still choose someone with a lower degree than you.
It’s not always because that person is better.
But because they make employers feel: Hiring this person is a low-risk decision.
During many years of working, leading teams and participating in recruitment in the US, I realized that there are at least 7 things that are often more important in recruitment than qualifications.
1. Can you clearly explain what you can do?
In America, other people have no responsibility to guess your abilities.
Many Vietnamese people interviewed very modestly:
“I’m just helping out a little.”
“It was a team effort.”
“I didn’t do anything special either.”
Humility is good.
But if you continually downsize your role, employers will believe what you say: You’re not contributing much.
Presenting achievements honestly is not bragging.
It’s about helping others appreciate your worth.
2. Do you produce results?
Employers don’t just want to know what you’ve done.
They want to know: After you did it, what was better?
Don’t just say: “I’m in charge of customer service.”
Say: “I process an average of 30 requests per day and help reduce response times from two days to one.”
Don’t just list tasks.
Show them the value you’ve created.
3. Can others trust you?
A person who is very smart but often misses deadlines, forgets to answer emails, and has to be reminded many times will quickly lose points.
Meanwhile, a person is quite capable but:
* Be on time
* Keep your word
* Actively update
* Complete assigned work
* Report early when there is a problem
are often given greater opportunities.
At work, people not only ask:
“Is this person good?”
They also ask: “Can I feel secure when giving a job to this person?”
4. How fast do you learn?
Degrees show what you have learned in the past.
But employers want to know what you can learn in the future.
Technology changes.
Process changes.
Job roles also change.
A saying “I have never done this, but I can learn”
more valuable than: “This is not within my expertise.”
5. Do other people want to work with you?
No one wants to hire someone who is very good but leaves the whole team exhausted.
You may have very good knowledge.
But if you:
* Doesn’t know how to listen
* Difficult to receive comments
* Always want to prove yourself right
* Blame when there are problems
* Makes colleagues feel despised
No matter how beautiful your degree is, it will be difficult to save you.
In many interviews, there is an unspoken question: “Do we want to work with this person every day?”
6. Is there anyone willing to introduce you?
Many opportunities in America start with a sentence: “I know someone who is suitable for this position.”
Networking is not about asking for jobs from others.
It’s not like you meet everyone and try to show off how good you are.
Networking is about letting others:
* Know who you are
* Understand what you do
* Trust the way you work
* Remember you when the right opportunity arises
Referrals do not help an incompetent person get hired.
But it can help a talented person be seen and recognized.
7. Are you proactive in solving problems?
Passive people wait to be assigned work.
Proactive people see problems and think of solutions.
Passive people ask: “What do you want me to do?”
The proactive person said: “I see we are having this problem. I have thought of two options. Which option do you think is more suitable?”
Employers don’t just pay for your time.
They pay for your ability to create value without someone else holding your hand every step of the way.
This doesn’t mean qualifications aren’t important.
Of course, many occupations in the US still require degrees, licenses and formal training.
And having to start over with a new language, culture and system is really a huge disadvantage for Vietnamese people who have just come to America.
But a degree is only the foundation.
It can help you pass the application filtering process.
To be recruited, trusted and given opportunities, you still need:
– Communication ability.
– Actual results.
– Reliability.
– Adaptability.
– Spirit of cooperation.
– Professional relationships.
– And proactiveness.
We Vietnamese people are often taught: “Just study well and opportunities will come.”
But in America, being good is not enough.
You also have to learn how to let others see your abilities, trust you and want to work with you.
A degree can help you get to the interview table.
But the way you work determines whether people want to hire you or not.
What do you think about these shares? Please comment to let me know.
Please share if you find it useful!
Dr. Christina Nguyen
Phoenix Medical Academy
