Does Your School Matter in Job Interviews?

Employers nowadays are seeking for professionals who offer something unique and productive to their business. They pay attention to your credentials, and at some point, the university that you have graduated from. However, your school only matters for the beginning of your career and is not entirely your ticket to success. 

Today’s generation does not treat college education as significantly as they did decades ago. How you work, after being employed, dictates where your career will go. Although in some cases, employers only hire from top tier schools, together with a stern requirement process that still adds difficulty to the application process.

Top Universities in the US as Ranked by Employers

Harvard University

Harward is one of the most prestigious universities in the world and makes it the topmost preferred university by recruiters. Getting into Harvard is already a life-altering experience. It takes the best of the best, and the lucky, to secure a program in the university. 

Students from all over the world should be able to prove their excellence before they could even secure a college degree in the university. Harvard graduate will most likely be among the cream of the crop for most employers.

California Institute of Technology

A high percentage of graduates from the California Institute of Technology usually goes straight to the workforce. Interestingly a lot of students are recruited inside the campus, even before they graduate. 

The university features a networking session and annual career fairs that help their students in securing a job after graduation. A huge crowd of recruiters from 150 various fields are usually present to attend this affair.

Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Graduates from this university have played a significant role in developing some of the most innovative technologies of today, such as bionic prosthetics and 3D printing. 

The university strives with geniuses that excel exponentially in different fields of science, technology and engineering. A total of 89 Nobel Laureates, 58 National Medal of Science Winners and 48 MacArthur Fellows are alumni of the university. Notable MIT graduates include Ilene S. Gordon, Robin Chase, Kofi Annan and Jonah Peretti.

Is a Degree from a Prestigious University Helps During Job Interviews?

Yes, it does, but only up to a point. Most jobs nowadays require a very high level of skills, some of which may require a master’s degree. Most graduates from prestigious universities are brilliant and underwent rigorous entrance examinations and tests to be able to get a spot in these universities. The same applies to finding a job. These graduates will most likely perform as much as they try to enter the corporate world.

Graduates from not-so-famous colleges are also smart people. People from State Universities can be as competitive or can easily work alongside people from Harvard. In a corporate setting, the university where you graduated from eventually becomes insignificant in an organization where its members work with great enthusiasm, passion and capability.

What Employers Look for During a Job Interview

Passionate, Driven and Open to Learn New Things

Employers prefer new hires that know what they want in their careers. They want people who have a clear vision of what they want and are willing to work for it, regardless of where they got their college diploma. 

Great companies prefer professionals who have goals in life, who are driven to achieve their dreams and passionate to take on new challenges to achieve their dreams.

Thinks Independently Yet Values Team Play

Managers want people who can think and work independently. Gone are the days of being a cog in a wheel and waiting for your masters to guide you to success. A strong candidate is someone who can stand up for themselves, in a sea of professionals who are used to following the flow. Managers need smart people who have the courage to speak out and let their ideas be heard.

However, while one can work on their own, they should also know how to work with a team. After all, it’s what makes a company even more successful. 

Where you get your college diploma may or may not affect the results of your job interview. However, reaching for your career goals is never parallel to where you got your degree. Your skills, determination, passion, and drive to achieve your goals sets you apart from the rest of the applicants.