3 Questions
Marcia Robinson, MBA, SPHR
Does It Matter Where You Went To College?
@HBCUCareerCntr
Dr. Mike Robinson, host of 3 Questions interviewed Marcia Robinson, MBA, SPHR, Chief Engagement Officer at The HBCU Career Center - the #1 career and job search helper for diverse college students, new alumni and professional staff to find out if it matters which college one attends.
Marcia Robinson work experience and practice are always guided by the principle that inclusive workplaces are sustainable workplaces. She believes that employees who experience personal, career and professional growth, become the cornerstones of stronger institutions. When these organizations benefit from enhanced workplace productivity and employee engagement, everyone wins. Mrs. Robinson is a strategic thinking problem solver with 15 years of professional experience in Human Resources Management and Career Center operations in Higher Education. Broader based leadership experience developed in the Aviation, Technology and Hospitality sectors. Her personal motto: Avoid competency complacency; never believe you know enough to stop learning. She is a former Pilot and Air Traffic Controller (in another life) who still gets excited about airplanes, travel and discovery!
Dr. Mike Robinson: Do employers really care where you went to school?
Marcia: Good question. Every year the National Association of Colleges and Employers conduct a survey of what employers look for in new college graduates. The results are a list of 10 behaviors such as teamwork, communication skills, the ability to problem solve and the ability to plan, organize and evaluate priorities. My advice to students is always to focus on these skills and behaviors and not worry about where they developed the skills or which college they attended. Essentially, it has been my experience that the employer doesn't really care about where you went to school. The only exception that I have seen is when a school has a particular reputation for a specific discipline and has hired successful candidates from the program before. The reputation of the school matters to the extent that the employer has been satisfied with the graduates they have hired from that school before.
Dr. Mike Robinson: Does a college or university’s accreditation impact a graduate of those institutions ability to get a job?
Marcia: This is one of the myths that I address with new graduates all the time. In fact, I wrote about this a few years ago with the following statement. I hear this one all the time, particularly from the new graduate who did not expect that he or she, simply because of the school they attended, would have to compete for a job after graduation. Some new college graduates have bought into this notion that the reputation of their college is their personal reputation. To some extent, yes, your school’s reputation goes a long way in terms of which employers may be attracted to recruit through university relations programs. However, although your school’s reputation might bring an employer to your college campus, it will not make the employer hire you. New grads must be able to compete regardless of the perceived pedigree of the college they attended. Once you have graduated, your focus is on identifying job opportunities, not underestimating the value of your degree. Having said that, I have talked to employers who have concerns about the ability to encourage further education, if an employee has a degree from a school that is not regionally accredited by one of the six accrediting bodies in the US. The long term ability to transfer credits and build on education is really important. Therefore, people have to evaluate their options carefully when choosing a post secondary education program.
Dr. Mike Robinson: If you attended a college or university that is not accredited or the academic program at the institution is not accredited what can students do to ensure employers they are capable of doing the work required because of the knowledge they have gained while enrolled?
Marcia:This is one of the reasons why I really focus on behaviors employers are looking for rather than on college majors. One exercise that I put students through is to make a list of the top 10 behaviors, rank themselves and then work on developing examples of behaviors in that area. Meaningful internships, job shadow experiences or non-trivial projects help students get the skills they need regardless of where they attended school.
Marcia Robinson work experience and practice are always guided by the principle that inclusive workplaces are sustainable workplaces. She believes that employees who experience personal, career and professional growth, become the cornerstones of stronger institutions. When these organizations benefit from enhanced workplace productivity and employee engagement, everyone wins. Mrs. Robinson is a strategic thinking problem solver with 15 years of professional experience in Human Resources Management and Career Center operations in Higher Education. Broader based leadership experience developed in the Aviation, Technology and Hospitality sectors. Her personal motto: Avoid competency complacency; never believe you know enough to stop learning. She is a former Pilot and Air Traffic Controller (in another life) who still gets excited about airplanes, travel and discovery!
Dr. Mike Robinson: Do employers really care where you went to school?
Marcia: Good question. Every year the National Association of Colleges and Employers conduct a survey of what employers look for in new college graduates. The results are a list of 10 behaviors such as teamwork, communication skills, the ability to problem solve and the ability to plan, organize and evaluate priorities. My advice to students is always to focus on these skills and behaviors and not worry about where they developed the skills or which college they attended. Essentially, it has been my experience that the employer doesn't really care about where you went to school. The only exception that I have seen is when a school has a particular reputation for a specific discipline and has hired successful candidates from the program before. The reputation of the school matters to the extent that the employer has been satisfied with the graduates they have hired from that school before.
Dr. Mike Robinson: Does a college or university’s accreditation impact a graduate of those institutions ability to get a job?
Marcia: This is one of the myths that I address with new graduates all the time. In fact, I wrote about this a few years ago with the following statement. I hear this one all the time, particularly from the new graduate who did not expect that he or she, simply because of the school they attended, would have to compete for a job after graduation. Some new college graduates have bought into this notion that the reputation of their college is their personal reputation. To some extent, yes, your school’s reputation goes a long way in terms of which employers may be attracted to recruit through university relations programs. However, although your school’s reputation might bring an employer to your college campus, it will not make the employer hire you. New grads must be able to compete regardless of the perceived pedigree of the college they attended. Once you have graduated, your focus is on identifying job opportunities, not underestimating the value of your degree. Having said that, I have talked to employers who have concerns about the ability to encourage further education, if an employee has a degree from a school that is not regionally accredited by one of the six accrediting bodies in the US. The long term ability to transfer credits and build on education is really important. Therefore, people have to evaluate their options carefully when choosing a post secondary education program.
Dr. Mike Robinson: If you attended a college or university that is not accredited or the academic program at the institution is not accredited what can students do to ensure employers they are capable of doing the work required because of the knowledge they have gained while enrolled?
Marcia:This is one of the reasons why I really focus on behaviors employers are looking for rather than on college majors. One exercise that I put students through is to make a list of the top 10 behaviors, rank themselves and then work on developing examples of behaviors in that area. Meaningful internships, job shadow experiences or non-trivial projects help students get the skills they need regardless of where they attended school.