This CEO puts 'no value in any college degree'—here's what he looks for instead

CNBC

7 hours ago

Aaron Levant, CEO of Complex, a media and e-commerce platform, says he has never put any value in a college degree while hiring.
Why? Because he doesn't have one.
"They may have it on [their resume], but I just don't even look," Levant says.
He isn't any less selective in his hiring just because he overlooks this one factor, though.
After several decades of starting and growing businesses, Levant says he knows exactly what to look for while trying to build a company — whether for a team of five people or hundreds. He tells CNBC Make It that before bringing someone onboard, he zeroes in on the following.
While assessing someone's passions, interests and ambition, Levant says he seeks out something specific: a side hustle.
For Levant, a passion project or second revenue, he says, indicates what he values most in a colleague or employee: "propensity to be a hustler."
"I don't care if it's making crochet blankets and selling on Etsy … that tells me something about you and your personality, and goes back to that hustle factor," he says.
More than 1 in 3 U.S. adults earn money through side hustles, according to Bankrate's Side Hustles Survey from 2024. Although less popular than in past years, side hustles remain a common way for people to increase their financial stability and pursue multiple passions — especially for Gen Z and millennials, Bankrate reports.
Plus, Levant adds, they can help people feel fulfilled outside of work — benefitting their performance in the office.
More than a third of hiring managers say they might stop pursuing a candidate if the applicant has a history of frequent job changes, according to a LinkedIn survey.
For Levant, it can be a deal breaker.
"If I see someone with seven jobs in seven years, that's a red flag to me," Levant says. "Either they're not loyal, or they're not good enough to stay."
If you're worried the number of job changes on your resume might affect your chances of landing a new opportunity, it's best to prepare an explanation for your employment history, LinkedIn career expert Drew McCaskill previously told Make It.
Consider filling in those gaps for an employer in the "about" section of your LinkedIn profile, your resume summary section or during an interview, McCaskill said.
Levant is focused on bringing in people who can accelerate the progress of his company, he says, and that starts with having the right skills.
He's looking specifically for candidates who have done the exact job or a similar one before, so they can hit the ground running at Complex with their prior knowledge as a guide, Levant says.
"Now I'm at the point where I'm very much trying to hire people one-to-one," he says.
Levant typically evaluates this role readiness by looking at past job experiences.
But if your resume doesn't include positions that would be relevant for a specific, desired role, there are other ways to develop those employable skills outside of the workplace, too, according to hiring platform Indeed.
By taking masterclasses on new software or obtaining certifications online, for example, you may be able to acquire the skills you need to appeal to a hiring manager without formal education or years of experience under your belt, Indeed says.
The more experience and training you've had on your own, Levant says, the less time companies have to spend getting you up to speed.
"You can bring all that experience along and help us go further faster," he says.