A Third of Job Seekers Wonder Why They Even Went to College

A Third of Job Seekers Wonder Why They Even Went to College

Many current job seekers believe that the grass is greener on the entrepreneurial side of the fence, according to a recent survey.

Thirty-three percent of respondents across multiple generations--Gen Z, Gen Y, Gen X and the Baby Boom generation--said they wish they had opted to start a business rather than pursue a college degree.

The results came from a survey by Millennial Branding, a Gen Y research and consulting firm, and Beyond.com, an online career site, which asked nearly 3,000 job searchers about their opinions of the value of a college degree.

As a refresher, Gen Z includes those who are ages 20 or younger, Gen Y (ages 21-32), Gen X (ages 33-49), and Baby Boomers include those ages 50-68.

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They aren't alone in their belief that an undergraduate degree doesn't necessarily lead to career success.

The survey also asked 281 HR professionals to weigh in, and--though they acknowledged that academic success helps candidates in the hiring process--they indicated that it's not among the top things that they're looking for.

Sixty-four percent of HR respondents said that they would consider candidates who had never gone to college. When it comes to the single most important factor in the hiring process, 43 percent said it was "cultural fit." Additionally, the top three skills HR professionals are looking for include a positive attitude, good communication skills and the ability to work with a team.

The survey also revealed some information about the career aspirations of your younger hires; the majority of them seem to be interested in following in your footsteps one day. Sixty-five percent of Gen Z respondents and 62 percent of Gen Y respondents said they are either "somewhat interested" or "very interested" in starting up their own business.

Also, generally speaking, the younger the job seeker, the more likely they are to want to work at a startup. This includes sixty percent of Gen Z respondents and 47 percent of Gen Y respondents. On the other hand, 43 percent of Gen X-ers and 45 percent of Boomers said they'd want to work at a startup.

Original article and pictures take www.inc.com site