If you don’t have a bachelor’s degree, what do you do when you come across freelance jobs that require one?

A lot of freelancers keep it moving and find openings that don’t require going to college.

But you shouldn’t give up that easily.

First off, you should never disqualify yourself. And second, regardless of what a job ad says, you can get hired without a bachelor’s degree.

How? You may ask.

Should I Lie About Having A Degree?

Some freelancers do, and it works.

Now, I’m not telling you what to put on your resume.

What I will tell you is that if you do choose to embellish your education, chances are no one will know.

I’ve freelanced for over 10 years, and I’ve never had a client ask me to confirm anything about my background other than my work. On a few occasions I’ve been asked to verify my identity, but even that is extremely rare.

For the most part, what you tell freelance clients is what they go with, whether they hire you or they don’t.

It’s highly unlikely that prospective clients are going to ask you to provide a copy of your degree or transcripts.

And if they did, you really should be asking yourself if that’s a person you want to work for anyway, because those types of sticklers are waving red flags all in your face to signal they’re probably nightmare clients.

See: METRO, A Platform That Hires Fast and Pays Fast

Putting Degrees in Proper Perspective

Oftentimes, it doesn’t have to come down to lying or not, because there are far more important things to discuss than a degree.

In case you aren’t fully confident of this already, there’s something you need to wholeheartedly understand:

Having a bachelor’s degree doesn’t make you a better freelance writer.

If fact, higher education often makes people worse because they develop an employee mindset but then need to dismantle it to be the boss. And, they develop writing skills that are precisely the type that everyone hates to read.

There are times when it’s reasonable for a client to ask for freelancers with a degree because the work requires highly specialized knowledge. For example, businesses seeking freelancers to work on legal or pharmaceutical content may need people with a strong knowledge of those fields.

But in most cases, a bachelor’s degree does little if anything to determine the best candidate for writing jobs.

What a lot of people don’t realize is the habit of requesting a degree was never really meant to qualify people but rather to disqualify people.

It helps to narrow the pool of applicants.

How To Get Hired Without A Bachelor’s Degree

In the world of freelancing, skills and experience are king.

The best way to get hired without a bachelor’s degree is to focus on what’s important. And that’s the clients’ needs.

Read the job ad fully. Check the company’s website. Do your research.

Then, create a pitch or cover letter that sells the client on the idea that you can and will get the job done.

If those documents showcase the background, skills and ideas that prospective clients are looking for, you’ll never have to talk about a bachelor’s degree. And more often than, not they’ll never ask.

What If A Resume’s Required?

Some job ads make it clear that if you don’t provide a resume, you won’t be considered.

If that’s the case, provide your resume.

Just leave off the education section.

There are numerous ways to craft a resume that feels complete and leaves a positive impression without an old-fashioned education section. One way is to add a professional development section in its place that focuses on items such as continuing education, training, workshops and the like.

One thing, you should absolutely never do is create a whiney pitch admitting that you don’t have a bachelor’s degree but begging for a chance anyway.

Never, ever highlight your shortcomings.

Remember, the only real requirement for a job is that it’s well done. That’s the mindset of a winning freelancer.