Question:
What do employers think of business/trade school grads vs. university grads?
I went to one particular trade school back in the late 90s, convinced that a university was financially out of reach. At the trade school I went to, most of the instructors were pretty good. But the career placement person kept sending my resume out to jobs not even relevant to my studies there. I did alot on my own part for a job search back then to counteract that. But when I went on interviews, no employer seemed all that impressed with the trade school's name on my resume, even though at least my GPA was a 3.83. So, I'm still pursuing higher education today, since my previous became outdated and wasted. Has anyone else who went to a trade school have similar experiences, even if they had a high GPA? Is it possible that some employers hold it against you just because you didn't go to an expensive university right out of high school?
Answer:
I think the problem with a lot of trade schools is that they're not as held to the same accrediting standards as a normal university, which generally means that the quality of the education is lower. Of course, this varies widely by school - some trade schools are excellent, but unfortunately, the bad ones give the rest of the field a bad name.
Also, a lot of employers prefer graduates with 4 year degrees because it generally makes for a more well-rounded employee. That's what the Lib Ed requirements are for, which most trade schools don't require.
I don't think the cost of the school is necessarily a factor that an employer considers - after all, there are some wonderful (and perfectly affordable) state schools out there. I think an employer would rather hire someone from school they know something about, or have at least heard of, but I'm just guessing.
