What's In A Name? Executives Split on Importance of Degrees From Prestigious Universities : CollegeRecruiter.com Insights by Employers Blog

The university a new accounting graduate attended can catch an employer’s attention, but it may not guarantee a job offer, according to a new survey. Chief financial officers (CFOs) polled recently were split regarding how much weight the prestige of a candidate’s alma mater should be given in hiring decisions. Fifty-one percent of respondents felt the stature of an institution was very important or somewhat important, whereas 49 percent said it was not important at all.

The survey was developed by Accountemps, the world’s first and largest specialized staffing service for temporary accounting, finance and bookkeeping professionals. It was conducted by an independent research firm and includes responses from more than 1,400 CFOs from a stratified random sample of U.S. companies with 20 or more employees.

CFOs were asked, “When evaluating an entry-level accounting or finance job candidate, how important is the prestige of the university the person attended?” Their responses:

Very important	13%
Somewhat important	38%
Not at all important	49%
	100%

“Because many entry-level candidates have little professional experience, hiring managers often consider non-work-related factors, such as the quality of the applicant’s formal education,” said Max Messmer, chairman of Accountemps and author of Human Resources Kit For Dummiesâ, 2nd edition (John Wiley & Sons, Inc.). “But learning extends beyond the classroom -- valuable skills and knowledge also are gained through extracurricular activities, internships and jobs held during college.”

“Employers should avoid letting a single factor, such as where an applicant went to school or which internships he or she completed, carry disproportionate weight in the evaluation process,” said Messmer. “A strong work ethic and the ability to adapt quickly to new environments for example, are equally desirable.”

Article courtesy of Accountemps. Accountemps has more than 350 offices throughout North America, Europe and the Asia-Pacific region, and offers online job search services at www.accountemps.com.

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Posted by Sarah Ennenga on July 10, 2007 9:58 AM | Permalink

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