Credentials Don’tMatter

“Don’t judge a book by its cover” Then why judge people by their resumes?

In today’s advanced world, the significance and relevance of credentials are sometimes no longer enough for several companies. The concept that resumes alone can accurately describe individuals’ capabilities is increasingly challenged by many. While these documents have long served as indicators of a person’s educational background and expertise, it may be time to consider the fact that they are no longer the only determining factor of an individual’s qualifications and credibility.

The Association for Career and Technical Education describes credentials as “verification of an individual’s qualification or competence issued by a third party with the relevant authority to issue such credentials.”

It’s common belief that academic degrees, awards, and certifications are considered measures of success. If you have a college degree, people usually think that you are already successful. But how does one define success?

Cambridge Dictionary suggests that success is the “achieving of the results wanted or hoped for or a positive result” This meaning may be subjective to many, especially when talking about credentials, however, as technology continues to shape industries, employers are rapidly recognizing the limitations of relying only on credentials alone. Some people might have graduated from prestigious universities but this does not guarantee they will become good employees.

In fact, there are a lot of personalities who didn’t finish college, but in the end, they became one of the most successful people in the world like Bill Gates, Steve Jobs, Mark Zuckerberg, Steven Spielberg, and many more. This is one indicator that degrees are not the only way to measure success. However, this does not mean that people are encouraged not to go to college anymore.

In contrast, there are also cases where individuals qualified on paper are sometimes the very people who lack the necessary skills at work, and in some situations, commit offenses or violations. For instance, many professionals with post-graduate degrees constantly receive low evaluation scores and complaints from their subordinates, and this especially true even among university professors. Many students from different institutions have stories about negative experiences they have encountered from several instructors, even those with doctorate degrees or those from religious sectors. Apart from poor work performance, a few of these have actually committed unethical, malicious, or criminal acts of fraud or scandals, just like politicians who people look up to but have abused their influence for personal gain.

“The importance of accurate and extensive background checks by companies should be looked into, especially in this age of technological advances and widespread disinformation, where several documentary requirements can be easily edited for harmful intentions”, one faculty member said.

Most companies look for employees based on experience and qualifications. In an academic setting, a perfect example would be during accreditation, where faculty members primarily need to have aligned master's or doctorate degrees in spite of their poor teaching performance and skills.

But does having a professor with a doctorate degree guarantee quality education and good behavior? Well, some may be great at what they do, usually at teaching, but some also are not. Many may actually be qualified based on their credentials alone, but are not effective teachers, usually at the expense of the students. Several of them can’t even keep up with technology, and are not even trying that hard in giving importance to students’ welfare, and this is just one of the many concerns students in most universities here in the Philippines have. The problem generally is, highly qualified instructors are become increasingly rare, and so, their attitude and work ethics may frequently be overshadowed by their sought-after credentials.

This notion doesn’t mean that we should not accept high-caliber people but rather, do extensive background checks while at the same time give budding applicants a chance to grow in the industry. They are the Davids amongst many Goliaths, and these people can prove to others that they are also worthy.

Companies need to invest more in people and in their professional growth. Individuals with lesser credentials, when trained properly, become more qualified in their field of expertise. This way, companies will not have problems with succession plans as the younger ones will be ready to take on the mantles of their seniors.

But credentials are not the only thing that matters. In the end, apart from one's qualifications, it is also important to look into attitude and character. Mind you, these attributes cannot be imprinted on a single piece of paper.