Since the early years of our lives we are asked what we’d like to be in the future. Some individuals will become decision-makers, leaders, and top executives and others will find their purpose in other areas of work. One thing we must always remember though, school plays a major role in our path to become professionals. We are encouraged from our early years to seek a good education but we’re never truly told exactly what a “good education” entails. The group-think mentality that exists in this day and age is that a good education entails a good school but that would mean we’d have to clearly define the concept of “good school”.
Brand name may look good on paper but it does not tell an employer what kind of work you are capable of accomplishing. Any university that is accredited can be the key to landing that dream job you’ve always wanted or any job for that matter. In today’s world, what matters is what you learn and how you can apply those skills to your future career.
Were you an A or B student in college? Did you graduate with a degree in Business or Natural Sciences? If so, excellent, now show what you can do to improve an organization’s domestic or international influence. Where do you start? You start in school. Research all organizations within your university’s grounds that are involved in community projects and assist them with strong efforts. Chances are these are unpaid but the experience you gain will get you that paycheck you want in the future. After your service has been completed find an entry-level position that is relevant to the industry you represent. Upon graduation you have relevant experience that is required from all employers seeking top talent. In other words you did your homework while in school.
Think about this for a moment. We all have to go through an “audition” process to get into brand name schools or any accredited university. This process involves letters of recommendation, SAT scores, High School or two-year community college transcripts, and sometimes interviews for special honors programs. It’s the same process for an employer which involves completion of training programs, industry certification, and letters of recommendation.
The group-think mentality that should be on every young professional’s mind is “I want to get into a good company.” When I look at a resume and I see that a candidate is from Arizona State University (just as an example) I think nothing of it because it does not tell me anything about the candidate. When I look at his or her job experience and I see that they’ve worked for Fortune 500 companies or influential non-profit organizations or small businesses that completed significantly large projects in their communities, that gives more credibility then GPA or brand name school degrees.
Think about it like this…Is my Bachelor’s Degree in Education from UH-Downtown any different than your Bachelor’s Degree in Education from Fordham University? The answer is clearly no. The difference is one school is well known and the other is known in one region of the nation. Every accredited university offers opportunities to grow as a professional during the process of completion of a degree. It is up to you to research these and take advantage.
What about job titles in different companies? Is my Administrative Assistant position in a small business any different than the same position if I was working for General Electric? The answer is yes because of the size difference in companies and the reach each one has in the regions they occupy. By no means am I implying individuals should apply to jobs without an education. If you aspire to get into a good school then you are displaying your ambition which employers love but the key is to remember that experience gained as you grow professionally holds more value overtime.
Top talent can be difficult to find and in order to stand out from the competition you don’t need a fancy looking resume; you need relevant references, skills, and experience. Be the best you can be and achieve only the goals you can achieve. Remember the concept of “top talent” doesn’t mean a person with a degree from Harvard University or 10 years of professional experience, top talent means candidates whose experience is best suitable for the job in question.
Moran Enterprises, Inc. 