Applying for a job without a masters degree?

[Pizza8871]

Should I apply for a job that lists a specific masters degree in the essential requirements section if I don’t have one?

Do you have experience in that field or another degree. What sort of job is it.

Depends what it is and how close your qualifications and experience are.

Most likely you'll be filtered out at the first stage though - you would in my field. If we didn't get anyone qualified applying we would readvertise.

The requirement is a degree in information management for a library manager role, I have library experience but not at management level

yes apply, you might still be the closest applicant they have.

Sorry to add, I do have an undergraduate degree (although in history) just not a masters

I would apply. Information management is what in the old days would have been called library studies. If you have recent experience of working in a library and all that entails go for it.

Might as well. If its not going to cause significant stress to apply. For example you're not juggling loads already.

I was fully expecting to open the thread and say of course not, it's essential for a reason, but actually I totally would in your position.

I doubt there are many people who actually have a masters in information management and if someone had it there's not garuntee they would be applying so I can't imagine they would discount applicants who applied without it. You have experience which is relevant and you have a degree so I don't think the lack of masters would necessarily hold you back.

Thanks you everyone, I’ll apply!

Yes. I don’t have a degree but have experience in my field. Every job I’ve applied for has asked for a degree. The last two jobs I applied for I got.

As a librarian who is holding interviews later this week, I'm afraid you wouldn't get shortlisted without the Masters, unless, for example, you had the undergraduate librarian qualification instead. These courses cover specific skills, marketing, cataloguing, classification, that are still relevant in most librarian jobs (although some now get outsourced) so whilst library experience would cover things like staff management, it wouldn't prepare you for elements like this. For us, it's a straight forward yes or no I'm afraid - do they have this qualification. A number of libraries are reducing staff at the moment to help save money post Covid (we have several applicants for our job from the same place) so they will get applicants who have this qualification. Sorry.

You can do a masters library qualification by distance learning, at several universities (Northumbria, possibly Aberystwyth) so if you applied for that you could say you were undertaking a masters, but I doubt you'd be successful without it, esecially in the current climate.

@PineappleWilson thank you for your insight, this is really useful to know. Unfortunately I’m not in a financial position right now to do a masters but I would love to do one in the future

Having worked in archives and libraries - an MA is a basic requirement and they will not shortlist you without it.

I might be being dense here as I've never worked in an archive or library but what elements of the job absolutely require an MA, that couldn't be learned on the job? From what I do know (and again, I might be wrong) librarian jobs don't tend to be very well paid, so surely a costly MA and an average or lower-than-average salary are both barriers meaning basically only people with existing financial privilege can do the job. I'm a journalist, for a national news organisation. I don't have a degree. My company provides mandatory training and the essentials like media law, FOIs, ethics etc, that a journalism training course would teach, I learnt on the job. Why can't this be done in libraries to widen and diversify the pool of applicants? Many of my colleagues do have masters but they're on exactly the same (or lower) pay grades than me.

@TedMullins really interesting and important question, as someone in the sector (but quite low hence I’m wanting to apply for jobs at the next stage) it can be disheartening as the masters degrees can be very expensive, at times it feels like an additional barrier unfortunately

It's worth applying and playing up the unique experiences you do have that would be an asset to the role. The key is that your work experience needs to replace in a way what you would have gotten from an master's. I was recently involved in hiring for a role where a PhD was essential. We had someone apply who did not have a PhD (only a master's). She was such a standout candidate and had work experience above and beyond any other applicant. She was offered the position. So I think it's worth it if your experience means you would stand out without the degree. If you don't have sufficient experience (no management experience and management experience is essential or what you would get from the MA), then it might not be as worth it.

@mindutopia thank you for the reply. I have been a museum key holder before which meant that when I was on duty I was the shift officer and oversaw the volunteers although I wasn’t technically their manager so I don’t know that I’d stand out much against someone who has actually managed a team before!

@TedMullins

I might be being dense here as I've never worked in an archive or library but what elements of the job absolutely require an MA, that couldn't be learned on the job? From what I do know (and again, I might be wrong) librarian jobs don't tend to be very well paid, so surely a costly MA and an average or lower-than-average salary are both barriers meaning basically only people with existing financial privilege can do the job. I'm a journalist, for a national news organisation. I don't have a degree. My company provides mandatory training and the essentials like media law, FOIs, ethics etc, that a journalism training course would teach, I learnt on the job. Why can't this be done in libraries to widen and diversify the pool of applicants? Many of my colleagues do have masters but they're on exactly the same (or lower) pay grades than me.

I think this is an important question for many jobs tbh. I think lots of it is what you can ask for. Also employers are reluctant to spend money on training people. This is a way less common aspect of modern working life. I feel in general were expected to pay for any sills and knowledge we might need for the jobs we want.

But it comes across a little bit cheeky to admit you don't know much about this area yet then go onto assume you know what the job involves. Not all librarians just check out books and out them away.

I'm from that sector. You could try applying and saying you'd be willing to work towards the qualification at a lower grade until qualified but don't get your hopes up, in my experience the qualification is necessary, not just in order to do the role but to justify the grade it's been given. Generally speaking these roles are very sought after so it is likely you'll be competing against professionals and the first thing I do is remove the unqualified candidates.

Some of the main elements of the qualification is covering of the theory and practice behind the classification and cataloguing of material. The record/information lifecycle and legislation, the theory and ethics in particular aren't things that naturally come up on the job day to day, especially at paraprofessional level. @TedMullins does make an excellent point though and it is something the national archives is reviewing because the lack of diversity in the sector is appalling. But the professional bodies CILIP and ARA are extremely keen to ensure the skills are recognised as a profession and have cemented the distinction between paraprofessionals and professionals which has been important for progression which is particularly poor.

I’m not suggesting that’s all librarians do at all. I’m asking what elements of the job can only be learned via a masters and absolutely cannot be taught on the job or picked up via experience. In my opinion the only jobs that absolutely, undeniably require degree level and higher training are medical, teaching, and obviously academia. Pretty much everything else can be picked up via alternative forms of training (diploma, short course, apprenticeship, in-house etc)

If you have the time to apply I would be tempted to apply in your position and ensure that you are ticking off everything else on the job description with recent , relevant examples. You don’t have anything to lose and you don’t know who else might be applying ?

@Pizza8871 there are other higher level jobs in libraries that don't require a library qualification. The job we're interviewing for doesn't need a MSc. Look for library jobs in other fields - local law firms, HE or FE colleagues, local hospitals etc. as they will have different requirements for the staff they need. Experience with teenagers, customer skills from retail etc. may be more important depending on the job.

@TedMullins

I’m not suggesting that’s all librarians do at all. I’m asking what elements of the job can only be learned via a masters and absolutely cannot be taught on the job or picked up via experience. In my opinion the only jobs that absolutely, undeniably require degree level and higher training are medical, teaching, and obviously academia. Pretty much everything else can be picked up via alternative forms of training (diploma, short course, apprenticeship, in-house etc)

All the money from training has to come from somewhere. From what I know the sort of roles OP is talking about are already poorly paid and saturated - why would the employer pay for additional training when they can get lots of qualified candidates?

Also many jobs which require a strong grasp of theoretical principles (e.g data science) need proof of the academic rigour of a degree. Of course someone could teach themselves mathematical principles etc but it would have to so carefully structured as to resemble a degree anyway in which case you might as well get the degree.

Also do you not have a ‘relevant degree’ or full stop ‘no degree’?

No degree at all. I dropped out after year 1 of my degree because I didn’t get on with it. I gained experience instead by starting writing for independent magazines and websites, some work experience and shadowing on national magazines and newspapers (I just found the right people to email and asked if I could come in for a week) began pitching freelance article ideas, building a portfolio website, reading up on media law, and gradually it snowballed. I was a freelance journalist full time for three years until I got a staff job on a commercial radio station and then moved into my mid-senior role at one of the UK’s national news organisations.

I'm completely shocked that you'd need a Degree to manage a Library. I thought this was a minimum wage job!