America’s Employers Place Technical Skills and Work Experience Above College Rankings September 7, 2017 By Carol D’Amico, Ed.D. Read Time Strada Article Career Connection Employers Research Research Team ... Important news for all students when it comes to getting a job: what you can do is more important than the ranking of the university you attended. According to hiring managers and direct managers at U.S. employers, college rankings don’t determine hiring decisions. The vast majority of students do not attend institutions that are “top ranked,” and this does not limit their career possibilities. According to a new national survey of employers commissioned by Strada Education Network and conducted by Gallup, 90 percent of hiring professionals say they don’t focus on college rankings when making hiring decisions. Based on interviews with 2,108 business professionals who assess and hire new employees at their companies, the majority (56%) said that college rank is “Not at all important” when making hiring decisions about an applicant. An additional 34 percent said that college rank is “Not very important.” Together, that’s a whopping 90 percent of hiring professionals who say they don’t focus on college rankings when considering a job candidate. . . . 90% of hiring professionals say they don’t focus on college rankings when making hiring decisions . . . So, what are they looking for when hiring? Employers are looking at skills according to the Strada-Gallup survey. Hiring and managing professionals place priority on a job applicant’s personal and technical skills, their interview presentation, and previous work experience. Beyond considering college rankings, students should consider what colleges do to develop the skills and experiences that employers value. Do they offer strong internship programs, experiential learning, career-relevant coursework, co-op job opportunities and professional mentoring? How do they connect academic content to the world of work? The more information education consumers have about what to look for in their education pathways and what they need to succeed in their career, the more valuable their college experience will be. At Strada, we call it Completion With a Purpose. Group 13 Group 11 Group 12 To create a PDF of the webpage, choose in opened window 'Save as PDF' option in 'Destination' select or something like that and click to save or print button. Got it Carol D’Amico, Ed.D. Learn More Latest From Research May 17, 2023 From College to Career: Students’ Internship Expectations and Experiences A wide range of experiences prepare students for success beyond the completion of their college degree. The evidence for the value of interning on students' future careers is strong. April 5, 2023 Employer and Community College Partnerships: Models and Practices for Supporting Students and Strengthening the Workforce In an era of student enrollment declines, tight labor markets, rising college costs, and a growing lack of confidence in the value of a postsecondary education, community colleges and employers have ample reasons to partner together. April 5, 2023 Trends in Employer Partnerships with Community Colleges: Insights From Strada’s National Grant Challenge Partnerships between community colleges and employers have the opportunity to address local and regional economic needs through a range of tools, including supporting student success through resources and services, integrating work-based learning, and building career pathways. November 16, 2022 Listening to Alumni About How Education Enriches Lives A rich mixture of skills gained in college improves post-completion outcomes for graduates November 16, 2022 Alumni Survey: Learning key skills during college led to $8,700 more in earnings At a time of growing societal uncertainty about the value of higher education and declining enrollment, the views of alumni turn out to be particularly insightful. This group can provide especially valuable feedback about how their education experiences have enriched their lives, which can help us ensure that today’s students maximize all the benefits that college offers. November 16, 2022 Value Beyond the Degree: Alumni Perspectives on How College Experiences Improve Their Lives The list of benefits associated with earning a college degree is extensive and oft-repeated. It includes higher average lifetime earnings, employment security, greater self-esteem, and better health, among many others. September 21, 2022 The Great Resignation: Workers’ Experiences with Job and Education Transitions Amid all of this disruption, the number of U.S. workers leaving or changing their jobs sharply increased. Known variously as the Great Resignation, Reshuffle, or Realignment, the trend has been cast in the cultural imagination as a collective desire on the part of the American workforce for more rewarding or meaningful work. September 21, 2022 New Research on the “Great Resignation” Offers Surprisingly Good News New Study from Strada Education Network Reveals a Silver Lining at a Challenging Time July 20, 2022 Success Beyond Completion: How Can We Best Measure Student Outcomes? Over the past 80 years, our nation has made great strides in improving access to college, and then ensuring that many more students could complete a college degree. June 15, 2022 Education Expectations: Views on the Value of College and Likelihood to Enroll Spring 2022 enrollment numbers from the National Student Clearinghouse reveal a fifth straight semester of enrollment declines, with more than 1 million fewer students enrolled compared to spring 2020 March 16, 2022 The Power of Work-Based Learning Applied connections between education and work are increasingly a part of undergraduate education in the United States.