Elitist attitudes by going to prestigious universities?

[Shaun_W]

Or my views are based on companies in North Wales, South Wales, South West England, Mid West England, North London (above M25) and Kent. Not saying they're all with the 'elitist are best' view, but I've never been involved with a company inside the M25 (that would be a big donut shaped motorway surrounding the city of London).

Which ones?

 

[story645]

They essentially find that a degree from an elite college will help you get a foot in the door, but skill quickly triumphs.

The New York Times wrote up another study that:

compared students at more selective colleges to others of “seemingly comparable ability,” based on their SAT scores and class rank, who had attended less selective schools, either by choice or because a top college rejected them. The earnings of graduates in the two groups were about the same — perhaps shifting the ledger in favor of the less expensive, less prestigious route. The one exception was that children from “disadvantaged family backgrounds” appeared to earn more over time if they attended more selective colleges. The authors, Stacy Berg Dale and Alan B. Krueger, do not speculate why, but conclude, “These students appear to benefit most from attending a more elite college.”

source
Original paper: http://papers.nber.org/papers/w7322

 

[twofish-quant]

Probably yes, but I'm not talking about submitting a CV/resume. I'm talking about the online application forms that ask a multitude of competency questions as well as your personal details.

In the US, if you are filling out an online job application that means that your application is going into a database that no one is looking at.

It's important to note that Kingston University is in London, and thus his views are likely to be heavily biased based on what goes on in industries like consultancy and investment banking.

My views are also heavily biased by what goes on in industries like investment banking. It may be that US investment banking is very different from UK investment banking. One thing that I know is a big difference is that US investment banking is very heavily influenced by the culture of NYC. There were a lot of immigrants that came to NYC with no formal education that made their name in banking and finance. Goldman-Sachs was built by someone with a junior high school education.

Now there are one or two industries that will hire a fraction of a percent of the year's graduates will treat you like royalty if you have an elitist university name on your CV. But they are predominantly located in London and in the financial services sector, a large employer of engineers (and other numerical based degrees).

You have to be very careful about generalizations.

That's not what actually happens in the places I've worked at. When a lot of recruiting, you need warm bodies, and so they head over the the local university and hire people. What is interesting is that the universities HR hires from are not necessarily the big names.

Also, a lot depends on the manager. I know of some managers that are very school-brand oriented. I know of some managers that are *anti-school brand* oriented (i.e. having a big name degree means that you are less likely to be hired).

 

[twofish-quant]

So Harvard is ultra competitive because it offers the same opportunities & prestige as Odds n' Ends U? yea right

It's ultra competitive because he has the marketing to have people think that if offers more opportunities and prestige. Part of the reason that they can do this is that most people have no direct experience taking courses at Harvard. (Anyone other than me ever taken classes at Harvard?)

 

[twofish-quant]

Here's an interesting study of employment outcomes from students of an elite university in Israel (Hebrew University) versus students of a less prestigious university (College of Management Academic Studies). They essentially find that a degree from an elite college will help you get a foot in the door, but skill quickly triumphs.

But what any of this means if you aren't looking for a management position is Israel is questionable.

There are some industries in which you are dead if you don't get your foot in the door. Research professorships are that way. If you don't get your foot in the door, then you are pretty much doomed unless you do something to fundamentally change the system.

 

[xGAME-OVERx]

In the US, if you are filling out an online job application that means that your application is going into a database that no one is looking at.

Why do the companies pay to implement and maintain such an application system if they don't use it?

Most job applications in the UK are online now - the pre interview stages at least. I got my internship via an online application, so I don't think this is the case over here.