Minh Tran — Online Platforms Are Leveling the Playing Field for Global Job Seekers

Nascent trend that promises to change the job market, facilitate globalization, and also transform traditional education and credentialing. It's also likely to be disruptive and therefore meet resistance.

LinkedIn, the world’s largest professional network, recently started asking members in non-English speaking countries if they’d like to take the EF Standard English Test (EFSET) and share their scores on their profiles. The pilot program, which launched this spring, aims to help professionals around the world certify and promote their English language skills.

This collaboration seems to be the latest development in a trend we’re calling the “democratization of credentialing.” This has emerged in the past few years, as both major universities and new education startups have begun to offer more online services for people looking to learn and certify skills. These are making it easier to acquire, develop, and promote new skills, and they are transforming how job seekers – especially in technology – get noticed and how companies recruit. Ultimately, this will affect the value placed on traditional credentials, such as college degrees and English language certifications.

While credentials are meant to signal what someone is able to do, they can also limit opportunities for job-seekers who have taken less traditional career paths, are looking to switch careers, or simply want to upgrade their technical skills for career advancement. The old-fashioned credentialing system also penalizes people who can’t afford formal education or don’t have access to it.

Harvard Business Review
Online Platforms Are Leveling the Playing Field for Global Job Seekers
Minh Tran