Nothing in the world is more common than unsuccessful people with talent — Banksy

Growing up we heard over and over, “nothing in life is more important than obtaining a decent education.” We were told to study. We had to study (memorize) what people were telling us to study (memorize).

Unfortunately, this was reality — until now.

I have very little “formal” education. I struggled in school, had a hard time paying attention, all of those traits that are common in so many kids who don’t do very well — I had them.

So, what happened to myself and the majority of those kids who couldn't do the “school thing”? We ended up struggling, working dead-end jobs. Why? Because society made us feel as though we failed (lost) a huge part of our lives by not pursuing and succeeding with our “formal” education.

Guess what — things are looking up for myself and this huge group of so called “misfits.”

Companies are finally starting to see the potential in us “diamonds in the rough.” Us — the dropouts, the failures. They’re starting to realize that we’re not failures at all.

But, why are we so special? What makes us so different?

Like many others in my situation, I've taught myself most of what I know. I may not have the perfect grammar, I can’t handwrite, but I’m proud of myself. I'm almost a completely self-taught individual. My brain hasn’t been programmed by educational institutions. I know how to think for myself, and best of all — I learn what I want to learn.

We've had access to the internet for quite some time now. But the thing is, more people are finally figuring out how to use it as the incredibly powerful tool that it is.

Why force someone who hates math to memorize long division when they can calculate the answer on their phone (with their voice) in two seconds? We’re evolving. Next will be Google Glass. You’ll be able to see everything you ever wanted to know right before your eyes. Why not have people who hate math focus their energy learning and embracing what they’re good at — what they love to do, instead of forcing them to memorize what they hate.

In the article, It’s not just Google that cares less about hiring graduates from top schools, it states that only 9% of surveyed business leaders place a great deal of importance on top schools when assessing resumes, whereas 70% of society are still programmed to think degrees are either somewhat, or very important. That stat explains why parents are still drilling the importance of formal education into the minds of their children.

It’s almost impossible to get a job as a teacher here in Ontario. Why? The system is flooded with teachers who received degrees in history, English, sociology, etc. Why did many of these people become teachers? It’s not because they wanted to. They had no idea what to do with their degrees once they graduated. So, they became teachers and many of them are unhappy in their careers. The school system is packed with teachers who don’t care about the kids — they chose this career out of a lack of options. They were engrained to think they must get a degree. It doesn’t matter in what, just get one. So they got an English degree. “What now,” the graduates wondered.

Another recent article in The New York Times, How to Get a Job at Google, mentions quite a bit of information from an interview with the senior VP of people operations at Google — the hiring guy. It’s an excellent read and he emphasizes the lack of importance Google is placing on GPA’s and degrees when hiring.

Now, Google is both a forward thinking and innovative company. I truly believe that Google will play an enormous part in the future of our society. I strongly feel we’ll begin to see their presence in the education systems in the very near future. They’re a company to watch and I expect to see more companies placing higher importance on applied skills and talent throughout the hiring process.

Beware. Your degree is not a proxy for your ability to do any job. The world only cares about — and pays off on — what you can do with what you know (and it doesn’t care how you learned it). And in an age when innovation is increasingly a group endeavour, it also cares about a lot of soft skills — leadership, humility, collaboration, adaptability and loving to learn and re-learn. This will be true no matter where you go to work. — Laszlo Bock, Senior VP of People Operations @ Google.