I just saw something on LinkedIn that (loosely) said recruiters today are looking for a unicorn... who's also a centaur... with a dragon's MBA.

3 Comments

1. AnonymousApril 11,2025 at 7:26PM UTC

   Sounds like higher ed. They want it all but want to pay little. Then they wonder why they lose them to the private sectors. As a former recruiter, my job was such that I hired IT professionals. Masters degrees was of little use whereas experience and certain specialized certifications were upmost important. I would recommend you apply to jobs where the masters may be a preferred qualification versus a required one. In higher ed they focus on degrees. But we know for a fact, there is no correlation between a good worker and a GPA. You can have high grades but be a terrible worker. Do your best to get great references in writing as many times those can do the trick when sending your resume to a recruiter in particular. And if possible, reach out to a staffing firm and connect with a good recruiter. Which means they are communicative, dependable and well a unicorn, which I was.

2. AnonymousApril 12,2025 at 3:35PM UTC

   I have found that getting industry certifications has really helped me stand out. If you are in or targetting a profession that has a professional designation, look into it.

   They're not as expensive as a masters, and they allow someone early in their career to stand out. However, some professional certifications (CHRP, PMP, CBAP) may require 2-5 years of work experience to apply for it.

   That being said, work experience always trumps education.

   As someone early in their career, I would focus on using the right terminology and language in your resume and really polishing your interview to sound like a subject matter expert. At the end of them day, if you can't talk the talk, and you can't walk the walk, no amount of experience or education is going to get you a job. Communication, presentation, and networking here is the key.

3. OLIVIA JOHNSONApril 12,2025 at 3:56PM UTC

   Hi there!

   Great question and commentary. And I love your colorful imagery!

   I can definitely understand and have been on both sides of the table throughout my career, so I have the unique perspective of seeing both sides.

   I'll start out with my recommendations and then circle back to the why's.

   For recommendations:
   Zoom in on your search. Unfortunately typing in or selecting "entry level" doesn't always hit the mark (will share in reasoning why this might be). Zeroing in on your ask can get you closer to the entry level roles. For example, if looking for a role in Cybersecurity, if you enter Cybersecurity and entry level you will get an array of levels and most likely frustrated. Instead, I recommend researching the field of choice and finding out what the entry level roles/job titles actually are within that field and then do a search on those roles.

   Using filters. Once you've gotten yourself to the job postings for the entry level job titles, now you can dig in even more by using filters. Most job boards you can filter by level or pay, some even say "No experience required" if there are any available, etc. but it will get you much closer.

   AI or search tools. We have so many tools and technology at our fingertips. Maybe just doing some additional research to ask the question what are the roles in x field that only require 0-2 years experience? See what you get. You can ask it for links to these jobs or listings.

   Required vs Preferred. Keep in mind that when looking at a job posting there are usually categories. The way I interpret it is Preferred or would be a bonus means 'that would be nice' but is not a necessity. Required is the area you should adhere to.You might be a candidate that should apply anyway. There are situations where exceptions to the job posting can be made and I have seen various different concessions made for candidates where a posting asked for one thing but ended up going with a candidate that had something else. It doesn't have to be a one to one match on everything on the posting. You definitely still want to apply if there is clear explanation for it being ok to not have a required ask. For example, if you are in Project Management and the posting ask for a Masters but you have an undergrad degree and a PMP Certification, you may have good footing on why you are still a top candidate. Some systems are even sophisticated enough to decipher with if/or programming to say we want a Masters OR PMP Certification (and that may or may not be articulated in the posting)

   The Why's?
   What does entry level really mean. For some it could be entry level to the company. If a consulting firm (which for consulting may already require a higher knowledge base), post for an entry level role to their company it may require 10+yrs experience where for another company entry level could be their help desk.

   Garbage in garbage out theory. We can only put out there what information we get in. We are truly just presenting a composite of what we think would work for the role. When we get the opportunity to measure that up to real people, then we make decisions on the talent we have. Someone may have a skill we never even thought of but would be a great asset for the role and missing some of the others. If those missing areas are not top priorities then you may still get the head nod.

   It's really just a template. It may be assumed that recruiters spend tons of time creating the content for job post but that's not the case. We only need the parameters of what the hiring manager is looking for, this is put into a system and the job descriptions are drafted. So some things you may have as a skillset and others you may not, and it's ok, especially if not required.

   We're human too! I know right. Hard to believe :)! We follow the same process that most of us do in life. It's just when it comes to the job search it seems so unusual but it's just the same. I used to be a Realtor (enough said, but in case you don't see where this is going, I'll continue). I can't tell you how many times people came to me with the dream list of what they want in a house (the job posting). You've probably experienced it. As a realtor, we already know that to find that perfect house is rare and usually there is some kind of compromise that needs to be made. In looking at houses, we send some to you to review that we think would work and we may get the I don't like that right off the bat without even looking at it in person (those are your application rejections), then we look at a few houses and start to weigh the options (this is the interview process), finally we make decision (this is the offer). So just about everyone has shut something down before without giving it a chance because you have your deal breakers and then you make concessions and measure up your dream list with what you actually have in front of you.

   I hope this was all helpful for a little insight. Of course, there are more things you can do and reasoning behind what looks to be misaligned expectations but the take away is making sure your search is really getting to the right roles and then go for it, especially if you have a valid additional achievement or skill. Let the company make the decision vs not applying and never knowing if there may have been a chance.

   Best regards on your continued search.

   Coach Olivia