Does it matter where you get your degree?

Experts argue that the higher the level of studies the options of having a job increase. Students who earn degrees tend to increase their self-esteem and independence. “A university degree guarantees to find a job of higher quality and faster”, but is this true?

In this brief guide, we’re going to answer the question “Does it matter where you get your degree?’’ academic or social elite, university and its influence to get a job, and… does university guarantee success?

Does it matter where you get your degree?

No, it doesn’t matter where you get your degree. But how could it not matter? 

As most of us know, the university is an institution for higher education and the traditional academy institution to obtain degrees; the university isn’t just an education; it’s a network, a signal, and an identity.

The main function of the university is to train the student in specialized knowledge of the chosen branch. 

You’ve most likely heard that those who study at renowned institutions of higher learning will find it easier to get a job than those who study at lesser-known institutions. But is this true? To what extent does the name of the school in which a program is attended to influence the choice of recruiters in an interview?

In recent years the current role of the university has been discussed in determining your employment possibilities. 

In the UK, a major business consulting firm advertised that using the university as a selection criterion for its employees was counterproductive.

The firm in question, Deloitte, said it had changed the recruitment process so that those in charge of recruiting new employees at the firm wouldn’t know the university where the candidate for the position studied.

So, Deloitte hopes to combat what it calls “unconscious biases” about applicants’ home universities and seek talent in a broader field, not limited to more traditional universities, says BBC education correspondent Sean Coughlan.

The company assures that it’s partly motivated by a civic concern: improving social mobility in the country.

But, David Sproul, an executive at the firm, also assures that the measure suits Deloitte since companies need “to hire people who know how to think and innovate in different ways, who come from different contexts and bring with them a range of perspectives.”

Several of the multinationals that compete with Deloitte in the UK have adopted similar measures, says our correspondent.

The accounting firm Ernst and Young, for example, “will remove all academic and educational details from its job application process,” says Sean Coughlan of the BBC.

However, this topic is still very controversial, and there will be those who don’t agree because, in the world we live in, many companies take into account where you studied.

Companies discriminate against the work capacity of students who graduated from universities that aren’t prestigious. This is because companies, before looking at the capabilities of professionals, first look at which university they’re graduated from.

Although a University is very important for the training of a professional, this isn’t all, that is, the name of the institution shouldn’t be worth more than the intellect and skills of the person applying for the job.

Does the university influence you to get a job?

The socioeconomic level influences the training we can access. And all this has an impact on employability, on the work that can be obtained, and on the salary that is possible to achieve.

But to what extent can reputation be beneficial or detrimental to getting a job?

The reputation of the university matters, but not as much as the universities would’ve you believe when it comes to getting a job. The number one factor considered by most organizations that hire people is the individual, their accomplishments, attitude, and demonstrated knowledge and skills. 

However, no one is going to give you a percentage of how important it can be, this will depend on the nature of the job, the employer, and whether or not the university you graduated from has contact with the company you are applying to.

A university or government agency is more likely to consider a university reputation important than an industrial company, a high-tech company, etc.

This is because companies succeed by having employees who produce outstanding results, not by having outstanding resumes for their employees. And keep in mind that businesses are where most of the jobs are located.

Another important consideration is that individual academic programs matter more than the college reputation. For example, an engineering degree from Harvard would be considered less prestigious than one from Purdue, but a history degree from Harvard would be more prestigious than one from Purdue.

When you look at two students from different universities, with roughly comparable grade point averages and other achievements, you must determine how far apart reputations are.

The US has over 3,000 four-year colleges and universities, so anyone who graduates from one of the top 100 programs in most fields would be considered very well-educated. Most companies wouldn’t consider the difference significant. 

On the other hand, if the field is highly specialized where there aren’t many schools offering it, rankings and reputation would matter more. If a student comes from a country where there are only a few highly rated universities/programs, the ranking would matter a bit more.

Another thing to think about is whether the college will allow the student to do the kinds of things that will eventually look good on a resume: good grades, accomplishments outside of the classroom, etc. A “huge state university” will generally offer many assets and resources, but many distractions and a lot of competition for those assets and resources.

A smaller university will offer more individual attention and a greater opportunity to stand out from the crowd. A program that offers a cooperative option will result in the student having several years of work experience in their field of study, which will be very attractive to most employers.

Does the university guarantee success? 

This question has been the subject of multiple debates in recent years and the answers are inconclusive. On the one hand, the academic camp says yes. That the university is essential to achieve our goals and objectives in life

On the other hand, the empirical and experiential camp says no. That university at this time isn’t essential to be successful, much less it’s a guarantee of finding a good job. What do you think?

The answer seems to be far from easy. For example, I’ve met professionals with the best qualifications who have been stranded looking for a job according to their knowledge. People with majors, masters, and doctorates who barely earn a little more than a baker, electrician, or mechanic. 

At the same time, I’ve also met many people without university studies who decided to undertake and were successful with their businesses, brands, and projects. However, we’re not going to fool ourselves: there are successes and failures on both sides. 

Here it isn’t a question of judging some and exalting others. However, according to the experience of various entrepreneurs and what they’ve been able to learn throughout their career, we can say that university doesn’t guarantee success and we’ll explain the reasons.

The educational system destroys creativity

From childhood, we’re programmed to compete in a system based on qualifications. It doesn’t matter what your skills, tastes, or talents are. We all have to take the same exam at the end of the year to see if we’re “qualified” to advance in the course. Our abilities, instead of being enhanced, are repressed in a homogeneous and not very diverse educational model.

The thrill of knowledge

Success isn’t having money. It’s leading a life according to what we believe, think, and feel. It’s a perfect balance between wanting and doing. Wanting what we do and doing what we want.

The educational system teaches us, of course, it does, but it teaches us dates to memorize, idyllic social settings, and the value of obedience. And beware, my criticism isn’t directed towards knowledge, because I’m a great reader, a person who is always investigating, learning, asking questions. My criticism is directed towards our educational system, which takes away all the emotion from the process of knowing, investigating, and inquiring about new things.

The Eternal Student Bubble

Don’t get me wrong, going to college isn’t bad. But ask yourself one thing, what good is it to spend the best years of our lives accumulating undergraduate, specialization, master’s, doctorate, and postdoctoral degrees? Doing an educational career from first grade to a doctorate can take us up to 30 years of our lives. Worth it? 

Today’s society suffers from the syndrome of accumulation of titles. Thirty years ago our parents got a good job with just a high school degree. As the years passed, they began to demand an undergraduate degree, then a master’s degree, and now a doctorate. How far will we go?

In my opinion, in this system, we waste a lot of valuable time, especially because we shouldn’t confuse studying with going to university, or knowledge with academic achievement. And hey! Luckily people like Elon Musk at Tesla and Tim Cook at Apple are quickly picking up on this.

In both companies the selection processes are practical. Instead of asking for college degrees, applicants are given a test that consists of solving a practical problem. Has the applicant doctorate or bachelor’s degree.

So, what do you think? Do universities guarantee success?

FAQSs: Does it matter where you get your degree?

In this brief guide, we answered the question “Does it matter where you get your degree?’’ academic or social elite, university and its influence to get a job, and if university guarantee success.

So, where are you going to apply for university?

If you have any questions or comments please let us know.

References

Bernick, M. (2014, April 10). It Doesn’t Matter Where You Go to College. Retrieved October 2, 2020, from Time website: https://time.com/54342/it-doesnt-matter-where-you-go-to-college/#:~:text=Today%2C%20whether%20you%20go%20to,skills%20you%20can%20show%20employers.

Graves, S. (2018, November 15). Does It Matter Where You Go to College? Retrieved October 2, 2020, from Moneycrashers.com website: https://www.moneycrashers.com/matter-where-go-college/

Stahl, A. (2015, August 12). Six Reasons Why Your College Major Doesn’t Matter. Forbes. Retrieved from https://www.forbes.com/sites/ashleystahl/2015/08/12/six-reasons-why-your-college-major-doesnt-matter/#66abc7f935a0

The Boar. (2016). Retrieved October 2, 2020, from Theboar.org website: https://theboar.org/2016/11/does-which-university-matter/