Since we were young, most of us have been told that education/ knowledge was everything. Although many people still think that education is the key to success, I do think there’s something which is way more important than education, and it is passion.

I will show you why I think employers in the future will focus on job seekers’ enthusiasm rather than their education background.

Upcoming trends

As shown in the graph above, many marketing positions from the past were preferred to be filled by people with better education background. HR managers cared about the University Degree and the school results more than anything, and passion was just a plus.

As more and more positions require creativity and “love”, as well as overtime work at the office, employers seem to weight Passion slightly heavier than Education history these days.

When the percentage of University Grads continue to increase, while social media platforms keep on developing into a common lifestyle, employers will try to measure candidates’ Passion rather than just looking at the piece of framed paper from a University.

Why Passion wins?

Passion is everything, and knowledge comes after. When you are passionate about something, you basically live with it. Everything you see, hear, or think can relate to what you love. For example, a graphic design lover and a social media addict would have different approach to the same thing. This style of learning is way more powerful than how people learn from school.

My own experience at Ogilvy

During this Internship at Ogilvy PR Hong Kong this summer, I have been working closely with Thomas Crampton (@thomascrampton) ; Asia Pacific Director Digital Influence Ogilvy. From my observations, he cares about “what people love” more than “what people know”. Which makes perfect sense because it’s easier to collaborate with people who have the same passion and goals.

Mr Steve Jobs

Steve Jobs dropped out from school, lost power in Apple during 80′s. If he wasn’t passionate about what he did, it would be impossible for him to have his current success. He is a revolutionary person, and he wouldn’t be able to make it with only a brain full of knowledge, but also creativity which only comes with passion.