Hello friends, and welcome to our informative blog – Resuverse! I’m Akash Kumar, your host and friend. Today, we’re going to explore an important question in depth:
Is a degree more important, or are skills more valuable? Or do both have their own unique significance?We’ll also discuss how it's possible to have both a degree and strong skills — when that can happen, and why it matters.
This topic can also depend heavily on which field or career path you’re pursuing. So, we’ll take a closer look at different industries and how you can improve yourself in your chosen field. So sit back, relax, and make sure to read this blog till the end.
Let’s start by understanding the core question: Degree vs. Skills — what truly matters?
Degree vs Skills
Do you know which countries value degrees the most? Let’s take a look at the data to understand which nations give top priority to formal education and academic degrees.
This will help us see where having a degree is often considered more important than having practical skills.
Countries Where Degrees Are Prioritized Over Skills
| Country | Degree Importance | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| India 🇮🇳 | Very High | Most jobs require a formal degree; skill-based hiring is growing. |
| Pakistan 🇵🇰 | Very High | Strong focus on degrees, especially for public sector jobs. |
| Bangladesh 🇧🇩 | Very High | Traditional education system, degree is a must. |
| China 🇨🇳 | High | Prestigious degrees matter; practical skills gaining importance. |
| Nepal 🇳🇵 | High | Degrees are necessary for most roles; skills secondary. |
| Egypt 🇪🇬 | High | Public sector hiring heavily degree-focused. |
| Indonesia 🇮🇩 | High | Degrees are important in government and formal jobs. |
| Philippines 🇵🇠| Medium-High | BPOs value skills, but degrees still matter in many roles. |
| Nigeria 🇳🇬 | High | Degrees are seen as essential for most jobs. |
| Russia 🇷🇺 | High | Prestigious education and degrees still carry weight. |
| Germany 🇩🇪 | Medium-High | Degrees are important, especially in engineering and science roles. |
As you have seen, countries like India, Pakistan, and Bangladesh are places where degrees are given priority first.
What if you are topper but no skills?
Let’s imagine a student who holds a good academic degree — maybe they performed well in college and earned strong grades. But here’s the catch: they didn’t actually learn any practical skills. So, what options do they really have?
Since they’re good at studying, one option could be to prepare for government exams or other exam-based jobs — that’s a common route, right?
Now, if they decide to learn new skills, they’ll need to invest both time and money into courses or certifications. That’s not always easy.
But if they haven’t gained any skills at all, do they really have a chance in the corporate job market?
Today, we’re seeing that most recruitment is becoming resume-based, which means employers are looking for strong, professional resumes that showcase real skills and completed projects.
Some people might feel secure just because they have a degree, but we’ll talk about that in detail later. For now, let’s ask — can someone like this still get a corporate job?
Well, that depends. It depends on the type of degree they have, and how they spent their time during college.
For example, if someone has a technical degree and is good at academics, they might be able to quickly learn relevant skills, and companies might give them a chance.
But think about it — there are many resumes out there from people who already know how to do the work. So why would a company hire someone who doesn’t know how to perform the job?
It’s possible that they won’t get a core job right away — but they can still try and improve themselves.
What should do?
My intention is not to scare anyone — but to simply share a reality check. Now it's up to you to understand where you stand and what steps you need to take next.
If you're someone who is academically strong, then it’s time to focus on a clear main goal: either prepare for competitive government exams or get ready for corporate job interviews.
If your aim is to enter the public or government sector, then you must dedicate yourself fully and confidently to competitive exam preparation.
However, if you wish to work in the corporate world, then you’ll need to develop real-world skills — because that’s what companies are looking for today. In my view, these are the two most practical and effective career paths to choose from.
What if you are not topper but skills?
Now let’s talk about those who may not be academic toppers or particularly strong in their studies — but who do have strong skill sets.
If that’s you, then hopefully you’ve already worked on some real projects based on your skills. Because simply learning a skill isn’t enough — you also need to apply it in real-world situations.
Maybe you're not able to crack competitive exams — and that's completely okay. Because with the right skill set, you can still build a place for yourself in the corporate world.
Why? Because companies today focus more on what value your skills bring to their business.
That said, even skilled candidates might face some struggle, because many companies still look at educational qualifications.
That’s why your resume needs to clearly showcase strong, relevant skills and real projects you’ve worked on.
The real challenge is this:
To crack a competitive exam, you need to study from the ground up. And most students don’t focus much on deep study during college years — so when they start later, they have to build both technical and non-technical foundations from scratch.
And that can be really difficult and demanding.
What should do?
This question usually arises in the minds of those who already have good skills but still struggle to find a job. The best solution in such a case is to focus on improving your resume and align your skills with current industry demands.
That’s where your energy should go — and doing so can significantly increase your chances of landing the right opportunity.
Conclusion
The purpose of writing this blog was simple:
If you're focusing heavily on your degree, it's possible your skills might be a bit weak — and if you're focusing on skills, your degree might not be as strong.
But there’s one common factor that matters the most:
Having clarity about your goals and passion — and that will always lead you to positive results.
There’s also a universal truth —
When you commit to something wholeheartedly, it becomes much easier for you.
You don’t even realize how hard you’re working, because all you see is your goal — and you just keep moving toward it with full energy.
I hope this mindset inspires you too. May you always stay positive and determined in your life.
Thank you for reading.