About Me

Welcome to the Circular Guru

I’m Shahzad Arsi, the friendly founder of Circular Guru. I started this website to share in-depth information on “How to Become… Without a Degree” your number one resource for exploring alternative career paths.

Our History

As a passionate advocate for more accessible education and non-traditional learning. I worked for a decade in the HR and recruiting industry, where I consistently saw eager, talented people being overlooked because they lacked degrees.

Seeing so many capable candidates miss out on opportunities just because they don’t have a college degree motivated me to create this blog. It pained me to see people with huge potential being automatically filtered out.

My mission is to open minds to the fact that you absolutely can follow your career dreams without the standard “degree” box being checked. I provide roadmaps and advice so readers can achieve fulfilling work by truly leveraging their skills, experience and determination.

Our Philosophy

I firmly believe that lack of college should never be the sole reason someone doesn’t have a fair chance at success. Too many old-school companies over-rely on degrees as a shortcut to evaluating candidates.

This blog challenges those norms and provides alternatives. Talent, dedication and willingness to learn can surpass pieces of paper as qualifiers. I showcase the stories of those who thrive on unconventional paths and offer practical guides to foster more inclusive, non-linear career paths.

With all the knowledge online today, go-getters can find learning resources on just about anything to fill in the gaps. Formal study is just one route to developing skills: also on-the-job training, tutoring, independent learning etc. can be very effective.

I encourage readers to take advantage of all available channels to develop skills. Never accept “ No degree = No opportunity ” as an immutable reality.

Our Vision

I aspire to reshape the mindset of schools and employers to recognize multiple legitimate avenues for acquiring professional skills beyond college.

Given the insanely higher costs of education and the hardships graduate students face with massive debt, society must address the misconception that college degrees inherently carry more merit. Often they don’t, especially when work experience is taken into account.

My vision is a workplace that judges people on merit, with the right balance between hard and soft skills, motivation and cultural fit playing a bigger role. I hope my content gives non-graduates the confidence to fight for fair opportunities while pushing companies to modernize restrictions.

If this message resonates, help us spread the word! Let us move forward together towards a more inclusive and enlightened approach to career development.

Circular Guru Owner: Shahzad Arsi