This is how you can become a manager even without a university degree

Dusseldorf A degree is one of the standard requirements for management. In which subject seems to be of secondary importance. “Behind a degree, skills such as analytical thinking and strategic problem-solving are assumed, which are needed to manage a company,” says Inga Dransfeld-Haase, President of the BPM Association of Personnel Managers.

On the other hand, if you don’t have a degree, it’s difficult to make a career in this country. Latest example: Julia Hamburg. The new deputy prime minister of Lower Saxony moved into the VW supervisory board. Doubts about their qualifications were great: Hamburg has neither vocational training nor a degree. According to an Indeed survey of 400 recruiters, two out of three find diplomas important.

There is another way: Ex-Telekom boss René Obermann, VW board member Gunnar Kilian, ex-Deutschbanker Frank Strauß – all successful without studying. “In view of the shortage of skilled workers, companies should look more at potential and less at qualifications,” demands Magdalena Rogl, who is responsible for diversity at Microsoft Germany – and a trained nanny. The Handelsblatt asked Rogl and four other executives without a university degree for their career tips.