Previously, we discussed factors that may help us choose which college to attend, such as the proximity to home, which colleges our friends are applying to, as well as the cost of living in the city where we wish to attend college.  Today, we are discussing the actual schools, their names, their reputations, and what they symbolize for potential employers in the real world.

Does Going to an Ivy League Really Matter?

Was the name of a college a deciding factor when you were deciding which colleges to apply to? Some people dream of going to an Ivy League school because they will receive a top-notch education.  However, some students want to attend an Ivy League school because it looks good on their resume.

Before we continue, I would like to remind you that Mark Zuckerberg, the creator of Facebook, is a Harvard dropout.  I would also like to note that President Obama is a graduate of Harvard Law School. This is just something to think about.

Ivy League schools include Columbia University in New York City, Cornell University in Ithaca New York, Dartmouth College in New Hampshire, Yale University in Connecticut, Harvard University in Massachusetts, Princeton University in New Jersey, University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia, and Brown University in Rhode Island.  These schools were named the Ivy League because they all have luscious green leaves of ivy plants flowing down their brick and cement walls.

Can an Ivy League School Get You the Job?

Attending an Ivy League School definitely looks good on our resume, and employers may be very impressed with our academic ability to be accepted at a prestigious Ivy League School.  However, does the cost of an Ivy League education really give us an advantage in the job market after graduation?

It is no secret that attending an Ivy League School can help you make valuable connections with alumni, professors, and potential employers; but who is to say that these valuable connections cannot also be made at a Community College?

Having attended an Ivy League School definitely looks good on our resume, and there is no doubt that it can definitely get us an interview with potential employers.   However it is very expensive to attend an Ivy League School and education is not everything that employers look at when we are applying for jobs after graduation.  During the interview process our work experience, volunteer activities, as well as our personality can score big points for us with potential employers.

At the Financial Institution where I work we will interview almost everyone with a College Degree and some type of work experience.  However, it is really the interview and the candidates personally that determines whether they will be asked for a second interview.  It is great to have educated employees, but if they cannot work well in a team with other people or with customers then they cannot work in a Financial Institution, or almost anywhere for that matter.

Keep in mind that a good education is a key factor in getting our resume to the top of the pile, but our personality and work experience determines whether or not we get the job.

Photo by Joe