It has been brought to my attention this past year here at ASU, that students feel anxious when considering their futures in professional world.
Some students claim that they worry the long-held reputation of ASU as a hardcore party school will be a detriment to them when competing for their careers.
While the hiring process for post-graduation jobs almost always seems more daunting from the student’s standpoint, it got me thinking.
Is there a possibility that my degree from ASU will be a detriment to my job search after graduation?
Queen’s University’s The Journal, a from a renowned party school of Canada, states, “A party school reputation isn’t enough to deter HR departments from hiring graduates.”
Deborah Nanton, owner of a human resources consulting firm in Toronto gave her opinion on the subject. “If you get a whole bunch of young people together with a whole lot of beer, you’re going to have problems … but this happens at all of the schools.”
This approach to the four-year learning limbo we call college is relieving, to say the least.
It’s important to keep in mind that the people hiring you are not just suits responsible for providing you with a paycheck.
More often than not, they went to college too and know the dance. Employers understand what goes on in college; they’re human.
An article in Personal Psychology reads, “New graduates are evaluated more highly on open-mindedness and willingness and ability to learn new things.”
Showing a genuine interest in the job and a willingness to learn will far outweigh any reputation your university has obtained.
Payscale.com provides a selection of U.S. schools listed by type and ranked by starting and mid-salary. I was shocked to find that ASU fell under the state school listing, not that of the party-school listing.
Perhaps our reputation truly is making a shift.
With more and more research grants coming in and a growing reputation as a school concerned with including people rather than excluding people, it is about time that ASU was realized for what it really is — a great university where you can get a great education.
ASU’s projected salary range, as predicted by payscale.com was from $44,500 to $79,900 for new graduates.
Why not use ASU’s reputation to your advantage after college than allow it to add stress to your job search?
The ASU Alumni Association provides graduates with a multitude of outlets for making contacts with other Sun Devils in the world of work today.
Don’t be discouraged by ASU’s party-school reputation. Keep in in mind that as a Sun Devil, you are a part of a network of hard working individuals tens of thousands deep.
That’s a lot of possibilities to network, and a big “family” to lend you a helping hand.
Sure, it’s a tough economy, but when your team has more reserves than they know what to do with, it’s a safe bet that things will turn out fine, even if people are convinced you only got a degree in partying.
Reach the columnist at ebeckley@asu.edu
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