Google is hiring people without college degrees, co-founder explains why

New Delhi: Google is offering high-paying jobs even to those without a college degree. According to data from the Burning Glass Institute, job postings requiring a college degree decreased from 93 percent to 77 percent between 2017 and 2022. 

This means that in these five years, the number of people without a degree getting jobs at Google increased by 16 percent. But why this change? Why is Google hiring people without degrees? Google co-founder Sergey Brin himself explained the reason behind it.

Why is Google hiring people without degrees?

Recently, while speaking to engineering students at Stanford, Google co-founder Sergey Brin shared information about hiring people without degrees at Google. He said that the company (Google) was never known for hiring based on academic background. The company has reduced the requirement for a college degree for many roles. 

According to a Fortune report, Brin said, "We've hired a lot of academic stars, but we've also hired a lot of people who don't have bachelor's degrees. They just sit in a corner and teach themselves things."

What is the impact of AI on entry-level jobs?

In fact, artificial intelligence (AI) is a major reason behind this, as it has transformed the nature of entry-level jobs in a very short time. In this rapidly changing era due to AI, skills are being given more importance than degrees. As AI transforms entry-level work and companies rethink how they identify talent, the need for degrees is gradually decreasing. This change is not happening because of universities, but because of employers who are now hiring people with the necessary skills instead of formal degrees.

Why did Sergey Brin choose Computer Science?

Talking about his own academics, Brin said that he studied computer science because of his interest, not because of any strategy. He said, "I chose computer science because it was my passion. This was a very easy decision for me in a way. I guess you could say I was lucky too because I was in such a transformative field."

What is Google co-founder's advice to the youth?

Brin also cautioned students against making educational decisions solely based on fear of automation. He suggested that AI doesn't completely eliminate some disciplines while eliminating others. He said, "I wouldn't switch to comparative literature just because you think AI is good at coding. To be honest, AI is probably even better at comparative literature."

“The degree versus skills debate isn't limited to Google; companies like Microsoft, Apple, and Cisco are also shifting in this direction. These companies are also prioritizing skills over degrees, which has reduced the need for degrees, signaling a move towards skills-based hiring rather than credential-based screening,” he added.

What is Elon Musk’s opinion?

SpaceX founder Elon Musk also believes that with the advent of AI, there's no point in going to college. In a podcast, Elon Musk spoke at length about education and AI. Regarding the rapid changes in the medical field due to AI, he said that going to medical school is "useless."

He believes that in just a few years, AI robots will be able to provide people with better medical facilities. People will receive better medical care than they would from human doctors.