Amid a difficult and congested job market, applicants are looking for any advantage that can make their resume pop, and many of them are finding those solutions on social media. Through videos on platforms like YouTube and TikTok, job seekers are teaching themselves professional skills that advance their career prospects. But what do employers think about that strategy?
That’s the question that was under the microscope in a recent survey commissioned by Express Employment Professionals and conducted by The Harris Poll. After collecting responses from about 1,000 U.S. adults and a similar number of hiring decision-makers, Harris found that the majority of both groups — 74% of job seekers and 71% of hiring managers — see self-taught skills as credible resume additions.
That level of acceptance comes with some caveats, especially on the hiring side. While 47% of job seekers are now touting self-taught skills, 53% of employers expressed a preference for formal education.
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A smaller percentage of employers prefer to see self-taught skills, but no matter how the hirers answered that question, they mostly prompted applicants to demonstrate the utility (and not just the proficiency) of their skill sets. 92% of hiring respondents said that demonstrating how skills can be used is more effective than reviewing a resume.
“Self‑learning is opening doors for workers everywhere, but it also raises the bar,” said Express Employment International CEO, President, and Chairman Bob Funk Jr. in a statement. “Job seekers must be ready to demonstrate their abilities right away, and employers should update their hiring practices to evaluate the skills people gain on their own.”
Those needed updates complicate this conversation. In one sense, the validity of self-taught skills is part of a broader tug-of-war between employers who want to use technology to make hiring more efficient and applicants who want to use those same products to distinguish themselves. The adoption of AI in the hiring world, for example, has led to multiple lawsuits from job seekers.
Even if a changing world brings roadblocks to hiring, employers are willing to meet applicants where they are. 50% of hiring managers said they have updated their practices to recognize self-taught skills, while 35% of that group said the relevant updates are on the way. Meanwhile, 76% of respondents said that AI is an appropriate tool for professional self-education.
It’s good to see companies getting with the times, because this trend is likely to become more pronounced. Younger generations are more likely to teach themselves professional skills online, with 66% of Gen Z engaging in that practice. Once Gen Alpha gets into the job market, all bets are off — so hiring managers had better be ready.
