Do employers care more about university reputation or what students actually did there?
There is no single answer to whether employers place more weight on university reputation or what students did while enrolled. A university name can be one piece of information about an applicant, and experiences such as coursework, research, extracurricular activities, or part-time work can also provide material for applications and interviews. It can help to explain the experience itself, your role, and what you learned in concrete terms.
Key points
- Both university name and student experience can be information used to understand an applicant.
- Experiences are easier to communicate when you can explain their content, your role, and what you learned.
- Consider showing how an experience relates to the work you are applying for.
Things to check
- What is emphasized can vary by industry, employer, role, and stage of the selection process.