Are Credentials Overrated?
Published: 1 year, 7 months ago (Jan 11, 2009) in RandomTags: people · Print This Post · Leave a Comment
Why do we strive for noteworthy credentials when in reality, they rarely matter. We’re used to elections which come down to “popularity contests” and employment opportunities based on how “connected” someone is. So what about those hard-earned experiences? Why do we even bother fluffing up our vitas with activities, when another individual with virtually no qualifications has just as much of a chance to “win” by some other means?
I think too much emphasis is placed on the end result of our ambitions rather than the process by which we get there. We learn a lot about life (and more importantly, ourselves) as we participate in activities and build relationships. Those who are given blind opportunities solely because they have ways to get around the “system” miss out on these chances and are often prematurely thrown into the real world without even knowing who they are.
So are credentials overrated? No, because the steps we take to obtain them are vital in our upbringing as successful adults. To simply bypass these learning opportunities is to, yes, jump ahead of your peers; however, one cannot take pride in his or her accomplishments without knowing that they were a product of their own, individual efforts. Interventions from mommy/daddy, or the uncle who got you an internship, or the aunt who put the word in for you to shadow her cardiologist, etc. seem to invalidate the parameters of a person’s ability to be independent in our changing society. And for their sake, I really do feel bad. Though they may reap the benefits of a well-paid job and admiration from their peers for the time being, their ability to be independent is displaced by an ever-growing reliance on others.
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Published: 1 year, 7 months ago
Hmmm… interesting. I may actually contact you sometime in the near future about how to acquire domain names; I’m a novice at this stuff. Thank you so much for the help!
Published: 1 year, 7 months ago
Anytime man. Look forward to hearing from you soon!
Published: 1 year, 7 months ago
To clarify (and sorry for the “rambling” nature of this post), I am not Baptist. I do not want to have a “Baptist” worldview imposed on my writing. I would like my writing to be taken on its own merits and not based on how people perceive my writing should be due to the religious affiliation of my place of education.
Published: 1 year, 7 months ago
Congrats on the VP position!! You speak my mind so well. I was troubled applying to medical school with “HBU”-pinned to my name. Heck, the first thing we had to do at our Baylor College of Medicine interview is announce our names, our major(s), and our undergrad institution. Being in one of the last rows, I had my fill of hearing Harvard, Stanford, UPenn, MIT, CalTech, Duke, Princeton, etc. all mentioned and gawked at. Fortunately, HBU tends to have a good reputation among the Texas medical schools, and I was confident in my application. In my case, the interview (which was based purely on me as a person and completely independent of HBU) was my opportunity to shine. Hopefully, you too will find the quality of your work being valued far more than your background, though at first it’s an obstacle you must overcome.
On another note, you mentioned that blogging may be of interest to you? If you’re looking to get started, you can get a free blog at wordpress.com, but if you’re looking into something more personalized, maybe hosting a blog on your own domain may be of more interest to you? Let me know, and I can probably help! Haha, I actually did a quick check, and “meenatadros.com” is available for purchase.
Published: 1 year, 7 months ago
Thanks for the encouraging words! Things have indeed been going well. I’m Vice President of Phi Psi now, which places me the position of second in command to one of the most powerful social groups on campus.
Ya, I have actually been looking into the internet for a source of distribution (something like this blog of yours), seeing as how one does not need any credentials for an internet page. It can also be a quick way to expose people to your ideas and writing without the pains of mass distribution of actual physical material.
Also, I have noticed that credentials matter based on the particular field… what I mean by this is that if you’re trying to promote yourself as a doctor, you’d best have graduated from a good med school, if you’re trying to promote yourself as a businessman, UT is your best bet. Someone like me though, who wants to do unique writing about topics not yet explored, my best shot seems to be “word of mouth” like you said.
My main concern however still stands; I know that HBU carries little clout compared the the Ivy Leagues, but part of me wishes I went to a public school instead. It’s that “Baptist” part that is killing me. I majored in Biology and Philosophy, both of which (especially Philosophy) can be written off as “oh, well that’s just the stuff they teach at those silly religious schools!” Essentially, I’m terrified of not being taken seriously due to the religious affiliation of my university. I guess I just have to put out my best and hope that my work gets judged by that and that alone.
Published: 1 year, 7 months ago
And reading over that… I noticed like 20 different typos… damn. myself as a writer….
Published: 1 year, 7 months ago
Hey Rishi! This is the first post that I’ve posted on your blog. I’m not sure if this post will go noticed or not, being that this is an older topic, but it is one that bares interest to me. I remember reading something (I wish I had the link for evidence, but alas, I do not) about Harvard students where not more likely to succeed due to their education at Harvard, but rather that they were more likely to succeed due to their being the type of people that are determined to get into a place like Harvard. Essentially, to summarize, if one gets accepted to Harvard, one doesn’t actually have to go there to be successful, because if that person’s work ethic is high enough to guarantee him/her a spot, then that person’s work ethic will guarantee a successful outcome nonetheless.
I guess this is a personal issue I struggle with, as I fancy myself becoming a writer later in life, but sometimes I wonder what “Houston BAPTIST University” will mean for me printed in the front cover…
Published: 1 year, 7 months ago
Hey Meena! Great to hear from you, buddy! Haha, I know exactly what you mean man. Let’s face it, when it comes down to comparing HBU to one of those Ivy League schools, we have very little clout. In your case, though it may be difficult to get people to read your literature initially, word-of-mouth will become a very useful tool in promoting your work. The handful of people who choose to look beyond your alma mater and focus on the quality of your content will definitely promote just that. Hope you’ve been well.