Let’s admit it. If we are lined up for a job interview, and the person sitting next to us happens to be a graduate of a prestigious university, we’ll automatically feel inferior because we just finished our degree in a city college somewhere. And when the time finally comes to wait for the “call,” we won’t even want to dream about competing with someone from an Ivy League school.
For years, experts have been convincing companies not to hire from elite schools anymore. For them, they have the same skills as graduates of other simpler schools. So, why should a company pay more for them? And yes, organizations are paying elite college graduates more than they do graduates of simpler colleges. Not to mention, graduates of elite colleges and universities are more demanding than their counterparts.
Still, there’s a reason why you should still consider hiring someone from an Ivy League school. There are still a lot of benefits for your business when you have someone who is connected with an elite college and an even more elite group of friends. It is still worth the risk.
Exclusivity
Everyone knows that only a few get into prestigious universities. The acceptance rate for Stanford University in 2020 is just 4.3%, while Harvard University has a slightly better 4.6% rate. This means there will only be a handful of fresh graduates every year. How many companies can say that it has a Stanford graduate in its office?
Most companies boast about their employees’ achievements to stakeholders, clients, and customers. They brag about these accomplishments if they benefit the company. They put these accomplishments front and center of their About Us web page.
Network
Students of expensive and prestigious universities and colleges have an enviable network. They are well-connected. Sometimes, their own families have businesses that an organization can use to its advantage. Why wouldn’t a business want to hire someone like that? They can tap this vast network of classmates, seniors, and professors for their own interests. They can even invite some of their more famous friends to bring recognition to the business.
Such a network shouldn’t remain untapped. Not only can a business take advantage of the vast resources and potentials that kind of network offers, but it can also learn more about running the organization through professionals, politicians, and business owners who graduated from the same elite college. Their alumni association will be a big source of mentorship opportunities.
Skills and Know-how
Studies have already shown that students of elite colleges and universities have a marginally better skill set compared with their counterparts. So, if you happen to receive a resume from someone who graduated from Yale, Harvard, or Princeton, why wouldn’t you take a look at it again? There will be some preference, but only until that applicant shows you that they rightfully belong with the company.
Why are the graduates of these prestigious universities more equipped with the right skills set? Paying that high tuition rate has its perks. Most of these graduates have been abroad to train under the best institutions. They also do internships with global companies, and their professors are some of the most known in the industry.
They also have the right equipment and facilities in the school. Your office is not the first time or place wherein they will encounter certain environments, programs, and software. They will be exposed to these systems in school way before they join your company.
Confidence and Bravado
These graduates are confident of their knowledge because they know they have the backing of their diplomas. That bravado and confidence can be intriguing to hiring managers. What is it that these graduates can prove? Are they as good as they say they are? You won’t always see a similar kind of bravado from anyone else. Graduates of elite schools are programmed to believe that they are better and more equipped than everyone else.
As a result, they are more confident doing their tasks in the office. They are self-assured, so they push on despite the complexities of what’s before them. You cannot always find this level of confidence in anyone else but graduates of these elite schools.
This, of course, doesn’t mean that you should only hire graduates of these exclusive universities. Experiences play a huge and critical role in understanding the tasks needed to be done in the office. Employers should also value the skills that applicants get from their other jobs, training programs, and experiences. The diploma alone must not satisfy a prospective employer. There are many other ways that employees showcase their capabilities.
