3 ms·

There is some correlation between presence/specific college/type of degree and certain relevant properties of a worker. That's why employers want to know. That

by gleb 19y ago

There is some correlation between presence/specific college/type of degree and certain relevant properties of a worker. That's why employers want to know. That's why everybody puts this info on the resume. Do read this http://paulgraham.com/judgement.html http://paulgraham.com/judgement.html

raganwald 19y ago
Nice. Did you know that Port goes well with Fruit and Cheese? You may find this goes well with that: http://weblog.raganwald.com/2005/07/why-you-need-degree-to-work-for-bigco.html http://weblog.raganwald.com/2005/07/why-you-need-degree-to-w... ;-)
- jey 19y ago
  Nice post.
- gleb 19y ago
  Do read that PG article. A simple non-emotional and non-defensive answer to the hiring manager telling him you didn't go to college, but rather did whatever else you did would be best, IMO. How did you spend your your time in the mid-eighties, btw? You've got me intrigued now.
  - raganwald 19y ago
    I read that article when PG published it, and again when you mentioned it. What makes you think I gave a defensive or emotional answer to the intermediary who asked the question? I'm perfectly aware of the fact that the person asking the question either considers this piece of data of paramount importance OR they have twenty resumes on their desk that all look the same, and they're looking for an easy way to winnow the pile down to three, so even if it isn't that important, it's a way to shorten the pile. I personally doubt that they were looking at twenty nearly-identical resumes. My experience is that either of two situations hold: first, they might really believe this is the most important thing they need to know, or second, they might not be particularly skilled at identifying good candidates. Note that I am not claiming I'm a good candidate: but if I'm not worth an interview, they should be able to tell without that question, the facts are in plain view.
Alex3917 19y ago
"There is some correlation between presence/specific college/type of degree and certain relevant properties of a worker." There is? What is it?
- gleb 19y ago
  Colleges select and applicants self-select based on some criteria, different for different colleges. Having attended specific college implies positive correlation for those traits. Some also believe that students actually learn something in college, and the effects of this baseline training/exposure are still discernible in people with job experience.
  - Alex3917 19y ago
    1) College X selects for Trait Y 2) Graduates of College X tend to have Trait Y 3) Therefore, employers who want Trait Y select from College X. See the problem(s)?
    - gleb 19y ago
      Problem for job seeker not from College X, problem for employer or problem for society? So long that #3 is not exclusive and its just used as one of indicators (think spam filtering), I don't see an issue for anybody. Using #3 exclusively happens, most of the times is seriously sub-optimal, and free market usually fixes it. If you do detect this kind of market inefficiency, there is an obvious way to arbitrage it -- startup started by and hiring people that market does not properly value. PS It is possible that employer is legally restricted from using Trait Y for selection, and is just using College X as a proxy. I don't condone doing that.
      - raganwald 19y ago
        "If you do detect this kind of market inefficiency, there is an obvious way to arbitrage it -- startup started by and hiring people that market does not properly value." PG? Is that you??

by gleb 19y ago

raganwald 19y ago

Nice. Did you know that Port goes well with Fruit and Cheese? You may find this goes well with that: http://weblog.raganwald.com/2005/07/why-you-need-degree-to-work-for-bigco.html http://weblog.raganwald.com/2005/07/why-you-need-degree-to-w... ;-)

jey 19y ago
Nice post.
gleb 19y ago
Do read that PG article. A simple non-emotional and non-defensive answer to the hiring manager telling him you didn't go to college, but rather did whatever else you did would be best, IMO. How did you spend your your time in the mid-eighties, btw? You've got me intrigued now.
- raganwald 19y ago
  I read that article when PG published it, and again when you mentioned it. What makes you think I gave a defensive or emotional answer to the intermediary who asked the question? I'm perfectly aware of the fact that the person asking the question either considers this piece of data of paramount importance OR they have twenty resumes on their desk that all look the same, and they're looking for an easy way to winnow the pile down to three, so even if it isn't that important, it's a way to shorten the pile. I personally doubt that they were looking at twenty nearly-identical resumes. My experience is that either of two situations hold: first, they might really believe this is the most important thing they need to know, or second, they might not be particularly skilled at identifying good candidates. Note that I am not claiming I'm a good candidate: but if I'm not worth an interview, they should be able to tell without that question, the facts are in plain view.

Alex3917 19y ago

"There is some correlation between presence/specific college/type of degree and certain relevant properties of a worker." There is? What is it?

gleb 19y ago
Colleges select and applicants self-select based on some criteria, different for different colleges. Having attended specific college implies positive correlation for those traits. Some also believe that students actually learn something in college, and the effects of this baseline training/exposure are still discernible in people with job experience.
- Alex3917 19y ago
  1) College X selects for Trait Y 2) Graduates of College X tend to have Trait Y 3) Therefore, employers who want Trait Y select from College X. See the problem(s)?
  - gleb 19y ago
    Problem for job seeker not from College X, problem for employer or problem for society? So long that #3 is not exclusive and its just used as one of indicators (think spam filtering), I don't see an issue for anybody. Using #3 exclusively happens, most of the times is seriously sub-optimal, and free market usually fixes it. If you do detect this kind of market inefficiency, there is an obvious way to arbitrage it -- startup started by and hiring people that market does not properly value. PS It is possible that employer is legally restricted from using Trait Y for selection, and is just using College X as a proxy. I don't condone doing that.
    - raganwald 19y ago
      "If you do detect this kind of market inefficiency, there is an obvious way to arbitrage it -- startup started by and hiring people that market does not properly value." PG? Is that you??