Do employers take online colleges seriously?

[brett05]

When I hire, I don't care at all about degrees period (let alone where they came from). I look for different qualities depending on the level of employee I'm hiring. If it is a more junior position, it's all about a few things for me:

1) Can this person self teach? Are they a problem solver? How well can they think?
2) Aptitude / talent - this can kind of vary based on the specific position (e.g. design, development, marketing). But I know "it" when I see "it".
3) Are they motivated / hungry?

For more senior positions, all of the above are important...but relevant experience and a track record of success comes into play as well. Degrees are about #30 on my list of things that I care about when hiring someone.

Your mileage may vary based on the potential employer / field etc though.

My 2 cents.

I love this. But the ironic thing. Without #30, no one will ever see #1-29. Too many programs that just weed out applications based on degree being on the resume.

 

[Omeletpants]

There are only two circumstances where employers care about degrees:

-Fresh out of college because they have nothing else to gauge you on

-If you go to a really prestigious university like Yale, Harvard, Stanford, Vanderbilt, Northwestern. If you go to a scrub school like Northern Ill or UI it's all the same

 

[KittiesKorner]

not quite. At some academic institutions, you can't bring adjuncts on pro rata or full-time unless they have a master's degree. I ran into this a LOT when I was chairing a department, and it sucked because often the people who had been out there in the field accruing relevant experience that they could pass onto the students didn't have higher degrees, and wouldn't stick around because they'd never get more than adjunct pay.

Also, at the place I work now, I know there is a unilateral pay grade ceiling for people who don't have anything more than a bachelor's.

 

[nvanprooyen]

not quite. At some academic institutions, you can't bring adjuncts on pro rata or full-time unless they have a master's degree. I ran into this a LOT when I was chairing a department, and it sucked because often the people who had been out there in the field accruing relevant experience that they could pass onto the students didn't have higher degrees, and wouldn't stick around because they'd never get more than adjunct pay.

Also, at the place I work now, I know there is a unilateral pay grade ceiling for people who don't have anything more than a bachelor's.

That sounds like a huge issue. I don't get that thinking at all and really glad I don't work in that world.

 

[Iwritecode]

With the same amount of time money(more than likely less after FAFSA an financial AID) and effort they can start taking courses at a local community college and get an associates. I'd rather have them walk into me with that and take the initiative of saying they want to continue pursuing their education towards a bachelor and beyond and have my business helps with a 50% tuition reimbursement once you've been at the job for 6 months. Most work places don't even offer tuition reimbursement for online degrees because they are too unreliable, too easily cheated, and are basically joke curriculum.

The sob stories about work, kids, etc don't work on me sorry. For the same amount of time you'd put in an online degree you could be taking actual course work at an actual school. Also, many CC's now offer night classes where you can bring your kids t class and/or have onsite child care.

Online degrees are the easy way out and mean jack squat and there's no real way to substantiate that person even really did the work for them. Sure they could cheat their way through CC and a 4 year school but that's much more unlikely and much more difficult to pull off than sitting at a computer for someone else.

Online degrees are garbage, so that's where I put them.

I know from personal experience that a 2-year degree will only take you so far. If I want to learn any new programming languages, I have to take online courses.

The difference in the amount of time spent learning something online at home compared to actually going to a class in a physical building once or twice a week is worlds apart.

 

[FirstTimer]

Yeah, still not making sense...

I could have figured as much.

 

[Crystallas]

Because other people are dumb and focus on the wrong things

Some of you know my education history here. Some of my past hiring managers were dumb and focused on the wrong things. Some of their companies have become either obsolete, bought out, or overtaken by myself or companies I work for/with.

The lazy way out, is treating a person based on a very narrow criteria on a resume. If you can't place a person with low/no experience and profit from their labor, you are the one that is not qualified to hire anyone, and one of the businesses I work with will eventually over-take you. And/or the person who brings this mentality to hiring will be naturally replaced.

 

[FirstTimer]

There are only two circumstances where employers care about degrees:

-Fresh out of college because they have nothing else to gauge you on

-If you go to a really prestigious university like Yale, Harvard, Stanford, Vanderbilt, Northwestern. If you go to a scrub school like Northern Ill or UI it's all the same

Disagree. Alumni networks are worth their weight in gold.

 

[FirstTimer]

Some of you know my education history here. Some of my past hiring managers were dumb and focused on the wrong things. Some of their companies have become either obsolete, bought out, or overtaken by myself or companies I work for/with.

The lazy way out, is treating a person based on a very narrow criteria on a resume. If you can't place a person with low/no experience and profit from their labor, you are the one that is not qualified to hire anyone, and one of the businesses I work with will eventually over-take you. And/or the person who brings this mentality to hiring will be naturally replaced.

Even lazier way out?

Online degree.

 

[nvanprooyen]

Even lazier way out?

Online degree.

Not really.

 

[Ares]

There are only two circumstances where employers care about degrees:

-Fresh out of college because they have nothing else to gauge you on

-If you go to a really prestigious university like Yale, Harvard, Stanford, Vanderbilt, Northwestern. If you go to a scrub school like Northern Ill or UI it's all the same

UIUC is a high ranking Computer Science school.... I got calls from recruiters fresh outta school simply because they were recruiting only CS Majors from the top 10 Computer Science programs in the nation. So in some cases even if the school does not have tons of prestige like a Yale, or Harvard, or Stanford.... certain programs in certain schools may be well worth it.

I have heard from a lot of people that Illinois State Business is a program that is respected enough to help people get their foot in the door if nothing else.

 

[FirstTimer]

Not really.

Yes. Really.

 

[Ares]

Is this really happening?

 

[FirstTimer]

UIUC is a high ranking Computer Science school.... I got calls from recruiters fresh outta school simply because they were recruiting only CS Majors from the top 10 Computer Science programs in the nation. So in some cases even if the school does not have tons of prestige like a Yale, or Harvard, or Stanford.... certain programs in certain schools may be well worth it.

I have heard from a lot of people that Illinois State Business is a program that is respected enough to help people get their foot in the door if nothing else.

Ill St. education/teaching program used to be pretty highly regarded. They turned into kind of a diploma mill for it though so it's gone down a bit in the last decade, but regionally it's still viewed decently enough.

 

[FirstTimer]

I know from personal experience that a 2-year degree will only take you so far. If I want to learn any new programming languages, I have to take online courses.

The difference in the amount of time spent learning something online at home compared to actually going to a class in a physical building once or twice a week is worlds apart.

Obviously. I'm also well aware of CEU's etc for post graduate/hiring training and career expansion. Not the same deal though as (trying to) walking through my door with your entire post HS educational experience being from Univ of Phoenix or some other online joke "college"

 

[Ares]

Ill St. education/teaching program used to be pretty highly regarded. They turned into kind of a diploma mill for it though so it's gone down a bit in the last decade, but regionally it's still viewed decently enough.

Yeah I can see that for sure.... teaching definitely... that program is drowning in bottom of the barrel college students.

My roommates gf in college went through 3 different majors and finally decided "Eh I will just go back to teaching, at least I get summers off"

My little step-brother is at ISU now for Business and when he was in high school he told me "I was thinking of doing teaching or business, but teaching seems easier and you get more time off"

I have 4 teachers in my family.... 1 is my sister who is a great one that loves the profession and 3 cousins.... oldest of them is OK, she does Special-Ed, the middle one took 5 years to graduate as a PE Teacher cause it was "easy" and the third one went in to teaching, dropped out, and did CC for 2 years and now is trying to go back to ISU or EIU for teaching cause its "easy".

I think its a major problem in college and later in the job market.... teachers who are teachers cause its "easy" and you get lots of time off.

Edit: Oh Nursing too... not as bad as teaching, but Nursing is a program it seems like any girl will go in to if she doesn't want to be a teacher but can't decide on anything else. I swear like 30% of the girls in my graduating class in High School went to Nursing. Another job market that is becoming flooded with people who are there for no other reason than because it was their lowest hanging fruit they could tolerate in college.

 

[FirstTimer]

Yeah I can see that for sure.... teaching definitely... that program is drowning in bottom of the barrel college students.

My roommates gf in college went through 3 different majors and finally decided "Eh I will just go back to teaching, at least I get summers off"

My little step-brother is at ISU now for Business and when he was in high school he told me "I was thinking of doing teaching or business, but teaching seems easier and you get more time off"

I have 4 teachers in my family.... 1 is my sister who is a great one that loves the profession and 3 cousins.... oldest of them is OK, she does Special-Ed, the middle one took 5 years to graduate as a PE Teacher cause it was "easy" and the third one went in to teaching, dropped out, and did CC for 2 years and now is trying to go back to ISU or EIU for teaching cause its "easy".

I think its a major problem in college and later in the job market.... teachers who are teachers cause its "easy" and you get lots of time off.

NIU for a time about 10-15 years ago counter acted ISU's plan with basically making their education major a competition to get into. Basically every year they would only take like 35-50 students into the major who had been pursuing it as an undergrad for at least two years. Trying to get the "cream of the crop" each year to give education majors and degrees to. Not sure if they are still doing ti that way but it was an interesting idea at the time to try and elevate themselves as well as take a bit of a shot at the mill ISU was becoming.

 

[nvanprooyen]

Obviously. I'm also well aware of CEU's etc for post graduate/hiring training and career expansion. Not the same deal though as (trying to) walking through my door with your entire post HS educational experience being from Univ of Phoenix or some other online joke "college"

Lol. Walking through your door. One can only imagine what that looks like...

"MOM....Can you send the next candidate down to my office please?"

"You mean the basement sweetie?"

"I told you not to call me sweetie in front of them. It undermines my authority. And for the last time, it's not a basement, IT'S MY OFFICE".

"Ok pumpkin. You sound cranky. PBJ's with no crust coming up in 10 minutes! I know how you get when your blood sugar gets low".

 

[FirstTimer]

Lol. Walking through your door. One can only imagine what that looks like...

"MOM....Can you send the next candidate down to my office please?"

"You mean the basement sweetie?"

"I told you not to call me sweetie in front of them. It undermines my authority. And for the last time, it's not a basement, IT'S MY OFFICE".

"Ok pumpkin. You sound cranky. PBJ's with no crust coming up in 10 minutes! I know how you get when your blood sugar gets low".

As long as she keeps the Univ of Phoenix graduates away I'm good.



:umad:

 

[nvanprooyen]

As long as she keeps the Univ of Phoenix graduates away I'm good.



:umad:

Touche.