EAG Advertising & Marketing, a 15-year old advertising agency, joins the ranks of companies that no longer require job candidates to have a college degree as a prerequisite for employment. In 2018, the job search site Glassdoor compiled a list of top employers (Google, Apple, IBM, Starbucks and Whole Foods among others) that also are expanding their talent options by no longer requiring applicants to have a college degree. According to EAG Advertising & Marketing CEO Paul Weber, the decision to end the college degree requirement is long overdue. EAG, now part of this progressive group of employee-centric companies, recognizes the value of experience can be much greater than a degree. Weber, a former college adjunct professor, has seen firsthand the growing gap between college curriculums and the skills employers seek for their workforce.
At EAG Advertising & Marketing, talent, knowledge and experience weigh heavily when considering applicants for a position with the Kansas City-based advertising agency. Weber notes that many of our small business marketing clients have grown up in a family business and skipped college to join the family business. These highly successful business owners never lack knowledge and skill.
Today’s tight labor market dictates that employers must increase the number of potential employees they consider during the recruiting process. For EAG, the pool of talented advertising and marketing professionals in Kansas City is wide and deep. There is no shortage of those willing and wanting to work in advertising in Kansas City.
A degree in marketing, advertising, design or digital development is not a cut and dry indicator of future success in the field. Instead, EAG focuses on prior work experience and exposure to small businesses as a more precise predictor of achievement. According to Weber, a career candidate who grew up in a family business environment already understands our client base without any formal secondary education. For us, this is invaluable.