<p>ok so does it matter what school you went to after you have say, gotten that first job and worked there for a few years and are looking for another job?</p>
<p>Not very much, at least not in the US. Every degree out there is, to some extent, an 'expiring' degree in the sense that the longer since your graduation, the less important your school prestige is, and the more important your work experience becomes. </p>
<p>In other parts of the world, notably Europe, this seems to be far less true. In those places, the prestige of your school carries a lot of weight even decades after you've graduated. And there are certain schools in the US, notably Harvard, but also YPSM, that seem to enjoy unusual "prestige longevity". For example, 20 years after you graduate, you may still be referred to as the "Harvard guy". But by and large, US degrees fade quickly.</p>
<p>From personal experience, it fades with most people, overshadowed by your recent expereinces. But, for a few observers--some of them very important to you--the prestigeous undergrad degree will set you apart. This continues into your 30s, your 40s, and your 50s. </p>
<p>Of course, this assumes that the rest of your resume backs it up: no convictions, no front-page scandals, no stink-bombs, etc.</p>
<p>I think the one exception to this is in law. Even years after graduating from law school, the prestige of your law school is still considered by employers. (They no longer care about grades or rank, though -- just where you went to school.)</p>
<p>correct me if I'm wrong, but in general if you go on for a masters degree (whether it's masters in engineering or an MBA) then no one would care where you got your undergrad from, as long as your masters is from a most prestigious school.</p>
<p>Im a recruiting manager for an IT company and I have 20+ years in the biz. So heres the scoop: Coming from a brand name school will prove very useful when getting your first job. However, after your first year, your schools name isnt worth squat. Your work record and experience it what counts. An engineering degree is allot like a teachers, nursing or any other professional degree. It doesnt matter where you got your degree because in professional programs the subject matter is largely similar. It DOES greatly matter what you do with that degree. Professionals distinguish themselves, not their schools.</p>
<p>I agree with toblin. In engineering it is your experience that matters most, especially after the first job.</p>
<p>toblin, dr_reynolds -- what you're saying is very surprising.....pedigree goes a LONG ways in any professions. Engineers from Stanford, Cornell, Princton etc. WILL move up much more quickly!</p>
<p>Aehmo,</p>
<pre><code>In my experience engineers got promoted exclusively on their job performance, not what school they came from. I remember a colleague telling me about a case where there was a promotion decision between two candidates that were nearly identical in job performance, making it a tough decision. He said that management used college GPA to make the final decision. The funny this is that the one with the lower GPA went to the more prestigious school.
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pedigree goes a LONG ways in any professions. Engineers from Stanford, Cornell, Princton etc. WILL move up much more quickly!
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<p>This tends to be a function of the high quality of the students who go to such places, not the name of the school. The fact is, MIT, Stanford, and places like that have hard-working and sharp people who will tend to move up no matter what. </p>
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He said that management used college GPA to make the final decision. The funny this is that the one with the lower GPA went to the more prestigious school.
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<p>What makes it sad is that sort of practice ends up penalizing those people who went to harder schools. Let's face it. Even the guy who barely graduates from MIT or Caltech is still one of the top engineers in the world.</p>
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Let's face it. Even the guy who barely graduates from MIT or Caltech is still one of the top engineers in the world.
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<p>Hahahaha.........Now that's funny!</p>
<p>Toblin, you think that's not true.</p>
<p>Let's keep in mind that the vast majority of engineers graduated from no-name schools. There are literally hundreds of engineering programs out there, most of which nobody has ever heard of. Take a typical student from such a school, stick him in MIT or Caltech, and I would not be surprised at all to find him at the bottom of the class, or perhaps even flunking out completely.</p>
<p>Just getting admitted and passing college doesn't make you a great engineer, and while it's a relatively good indication it is by no means the end of the discussion. What about an amazing kid who can't afford the elite colleges, but is as good or better than anyone attending them? Yes most of the students comming from those schools would be near the top, but it isn't the only part of the equation.</p>