{"id":3947,"date":"2025-04-24T08:07:07","date_gmt":"2025-04-24T08:07:07","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/manpower.lt\/success-stories\/diplomas-ar-vis-dar-butinas-sekmingai-karjerai\/"},"modified":"2025-04-24T08:10:13","modified_gmt":"2025-04-24T08:10:13","slug":"diplomas-ar-vis-dar-butinas-sekmingai-karjerai","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/manpower.lt\/en\/insights\/diplomas-ar-vis-dar-butinas-sekmingai-karjerai\/","title":{"rendered":"Diplomas \u2013 Are They Still Necessary for a Successful Career?"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Are you finishing school and your parents are urging you to apply to a university or college without delay because a successful career is impossible without higher education? If that situation sounds familiar, there\u2019s good news for both you and your loved ones. Experts believe that in today\u2019s job market, a diploma is necessary only for specific professions where academic knowledge is essential.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIf your dream is to become a doctor, nurse, lawyer, engineer, or pilot, then it\u2019s unlikely you\u2019ll be able to climb the career ladder without higher education. However, if you envision your future in other fields, the most important thing is being able to perform work-related tasks and having a strong desire to learn and grow,\u201d says Evelina Laty\u0161ovi\u010d, Head of Business Operations at the Lithuanian division of the global HR solutions company ManpowerGroup.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

She notes that in the past, employers had higher education requirements because the job market favored them. Today, things have changed \u2013 according to ManpowerGroup data, 71% of global employers struggle to find the right talent.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cEmployers searching for new specialists are increasingly dropping requirements for a university or college degree,\u201d Laty\u0161ovi\u010d observes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In Lithuania, a diploma is usually not essential for professionals working in HR, marketing, communications, and similar humanities or social science fields. Globally, the market is even more liberal \u2013 even in manufacturing, non-clinical healthcare, IT, education, and finance sectors, a diploma is often considered a bonus rather than a necessity.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cEmployers now prioritize filling positions quickly and evaluating a candidate’s skills over whether they have a diploma. Diplomas lying in drawers or hanging on walls, unfortunately, don\u2019t complete tasks,\u201d adds Laty\u0161ovi\u010d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Giedr\u0117 Bielskyt\u0117, Head of HR at LW Group (a global trade and logistics solutions company), agrees: while the company does require employees to have at least a secondary education, it focuses more on candidates\u2019 competencies and motivation to learn and grow.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThere are no other multimodal freight companies in Lithuania, so we understand we\u2019ll need to \u2018grow\u2019 many of our specialists internally. The most important thing is for future employees to be passionate and motivated to grow with us. We are open to candidates with diplomas in fields unrelated to the positions they’re applying for, and we hire students as assistants or for similar roles,\u201d Bielskyt\u0117 explains.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Mindaugas Liaudanskas, CEO of investment management firm Capitalica Asset Management, says climbing the career ladder depends more on knowledge and experience than on having a diploma. \u201cA diploma only proves that a person has successfully completed a learning and effort-intensive phase.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe expect both theoretical and practical knowledge from potential and current employees in their specific field. For career growth, communication skills, socialization, and understanding human behavior are crucial. After all, all businesses are built in teams. Effective communication helps career development,\u201d Liaudanskas emphasizes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Learning for Life<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Still, there are professions where higher education is non-negotiable. One such profession is law.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cTo pursue a successful legal career in Lithuania, a Master\u2019s degree in law is essential. It\u2019s not just a formality \u2013 it’s often a deepening of knowledge in a specialized area like commercial, labor, or criminal law. It also shows a person’s motivation and desire to specialize,\u201d says Jolanta Diauk\u0161tien\u0117, HR Manager at the law firm COBALT.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

She adds that to become a lawyer, it\u2019s not enough to have a Master\u2019s degree \u2013 passing the bar exam is also required: \u201cThat\u2019s another crucial \u2018diploma\u2019 or certification that grants the right to represent clients in court and work independently.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Still, according to Diauk\u0161tien\u0117, diplomas alone aren\u2019t enough for a successful legal career \u2013 ongoing development of both professional and personal skills is a must.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cCritical thinking, data analysis, strong communication, responsibility, reliability, learning ability, and adaptability to changing legal systems \u2013 these are just a few of the qualities needed for a successful legal career,\u201d she explains.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Winning by Seeking Talent, Not Degrees<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

In the U.S., 62% of workers don\u2019t have a higher education degree. Yet one in five of them earns about $70,000 per year \u2013 more than their degree-holding counterparts, according to The Wall Street Journal and The New York Times.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cEmployers who focus on talent instead of diplomas win in the market. They find the right employees faster, who often have more practical skills that can be immediately applied at work,\u201d says Laty\u0161ovi\u010d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

She adds that some hiring managers still assume that people with degrees have better general competencies, like clearer verbal and written communication, time management, and task completion skills.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cBut that mindset isn\u2019t always accurate. These skills can also be developed in lower-skilled jobs, training, volunteering, or other activities. Every case is individual, and we always recommend that employers evaluate a candidate\u2019s skills and experience, not just the presence or absence of a diploma,\u201d Laty\u0161ovi\u010d notes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Transferable Skills and Career Shifts<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Another reason why diplomas are becoming less relevant in certain fields is the increasing trend of people switching career paths and transferring their existing skills.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cCan someone who worked for years as an engineer become a successful HR recruiter? Absolutely. Skill transfer to a different field is common abroad and is becoming more accepted in Lithuania. For example, an engineer transitioning to recruitment could thrive by specializing in recruiting for engineering roles \u2013 their domain-specific knowledge would be highly valued,\u201d says Laty\u0161ovi\u010d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

There are also more and more professions in Lithuania for which higher education institutions don\u2019t yet offer training. One example is e-commerce: \u201cSpecialists like Amazon account managers or Shopify (Liquid\/Ruby) developers often don\u2019t need a diploma \u2013 they gain specific skills on their own and successfully compete in the job market.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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