Job Search & 4-year degrees

[Kiwi Lover]

All of the following posts that have been copied & pasted into this thread were originally included in a "Diploma Rant" thread. Kate (Librevore) made an excellent suggestion that these posts should be broken out into a thread with a more applicable title, so the comments don't get "lost" in an unrelated thread.

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Originally posted by cinderly on 07/15/07:

It actually depends on the employer. Most seem to verify degrees by either (a) calling the school or (b) asking for transcripts.

My concern has more to do with the networking aspect of work -- will my friends, neighbors, or coworkers be less likely to put me in contact with the person who can get me my next job if they think I have a diploma-mill degree, and how much does the appearance of the diploma itself play into that?

The Other Human's HR specialist sister-in-law is the source of most of the "write-away diploma" snobbery -- her field of specialization gives me concern as to how widespread these attitudes are.

I'm still on the fence -- graded DSSTs, credit for GRE, and ease of use were all reasons I chose EC over TESC in the first place. On the other hand, I'm trying to change careers, so I *am* concerned about what sort of perception non-distance-learners have of a given school.

[Kiwi Lover]

I posted this on 07/15/07:

One thing I have noticed during my job search is how many employers are specifying in their ad that you must have a "4-year degree". I assume this to mean that even a legitimate degree from an online school wouldn't count, since they are not the "traditional" method of earning a degree over 4 years. Personally I think it is really lame that employers do that, and it would serve them right if it diminishes the number of well-qualified applicants they get for the position (I know...wishful thinking.)

Has anyone else noticed the "4-year degree" requirement when they look at ads for jobs? Just curious if it comes up in other fields as much as I have seen it with accounting jobs.

[Kiwi Lover]

Posted by cinderly on 07/15/07:

Maybe this is unbridled optimism, but I would read that as "accredited bachelor's degree" i.e., "no, your experience and/or associate's are not sufficient." Snobbery, still, just of a different sort.

Have you tried applying to any of these? Maybe the HR person just doesn't write ads well.

[Kiwi Lover]

I posted on 07/15/07:

Cindy,

No, I purposely haven't applied to any of these because I figured they wouldn't look at me twice once they found out what kind of college Excelsior is. If the HR person doesn't know how to write ads well, then there are a LOT of them out there! LOL

I guess it couldn't hurt to send in my resume when they specify a 4-year degree if I know I have EVERYTHING else they are looking for.

JoAnne

[Kiwi Lover]

Posted by Basket Weaver on 07/15/07:

JoAnne,

Wow, I never even interpreted it like that before. I always thought 4-year degree referred to a Bachelors degree and not the amount of time it took you to get your degree. How can they snub an accredited degree? I wouldn't think that would be legal... maybe a bit discriminatory?

[Kiwi Lover]

Posted by mjno on 07/15/07:

Hey All,

I am not sure about the 4 year degree criteria that some HR people put in their ads. I know a lot of people that have finished their BM degrees in as little as two years and as many as seven years and no one (as far as I know) questioned them about how long it took to get the degree. Before I enrolled in Excelsior I did some research with about seven different HR managers to make sure I was making the right decision in transferring and they all said that as long as it is an accredited school that is all they cared about.

I hope that helps a little.

Thanks.
Mike

[Kiwi Lover]

Posted by chosin01 on 07/15/07:

So does that mean if you procrastinated or had too many kegger parties and it took you 6 yrs to get your bachelors degree you're sure to get the job??!!

[Kiwi Lover]

Posted by Librevore on 07/15/07:

Same here, JoAnne. I would interpret it as meaning that you need a bachelor's degree. Apply away, my friend.

[Kiwi Lover]

I posted on 07/15/07:

Hi Mike...Yes that does help. I guess I'm looking like a complete IDIOT here with that post (wouldn't be the first time and definitely won't be the last...stay quiet B.W.). I just had always assumed they meant that you went through a 4-year program as opposed to a quicker 2-year program with an online school. I guess there is only one way to find out!

Thanks Mike!
JoAnne

[Kiwi Lover]

Posted by Katterina on 07/15/07:

My take on the whole "four-year-degree" concept was that they are asking for 120+ accredited semester credit hours combined into the completion of some sort of bachelors degree. I've read that a regular bachelors degree consists of three years of study in some parts of Europe (I assume the equivalent of 90 semester hour credits?), while they call the four-year version the "honours bachelor." I always thought this was the reason for the "four-year-degree" distinction.