“It is all one to me if a man comes from Sing Sing or Harvard. We hire a man, not his history.” - Henry Ford
I have seen a senior faculty member who often toots her own horns about her educational background as she acquired qualifications from prestigious educational institutions. She ridicules another faculty member who acquired qualifications from low-profile educational institutions. I started to think about this and explored writing an article weighing both pros and cons. Are affiliations more important than achievements? Are the people qualified from prestigious educational institutions more competent than the ones from ordinary educational institutions? Are the candidates qualified from ordinary educational institutions less knowledgeable than the ones from extraordinary educational institutions?
It is indeed tough to conclude that the people qualified from prestigious educational institutions are smarter than the ones from low-profile educational institutions. It appears like an MBA degree holder from a prestigious institution can excel as a better CEO than one from a low-profile institution.
When we look at Bill Gates, Steve Jobs, Michael Dell, Mark Zuckerberg, and Larry Ellison, they are college dropouts but proved themselves to be successful CEOs. When you look at the 16th President of America, Abraham Lincoln, he was a self-educated man who proved far better than the 43rd President of America, George W. Bush who earned his MBA from Harvard Business School. Hence, it is unfair to jump to the conclusion that people from prestigious institutions are always better material than the ones from ordinary institutions. However, people from prestigious institutions have several advantages. They are equipped with employability skills, and companies prefer to hire them based on their educational and institutional affiliation. They enjoy amazing ambiance; have better visibility; and grow their career ladder quickly due to the connections created in the classroom. The knowledge they share is qualitative and the amount of effort they put in is smarter thus paying rich dividends. On the other hand, people from ordinary institutions put in a lot of hard work as they have to slog hard for acquiring knowledge and connecting with the right people. They go by stairs as they are not equipped to go by elevator, unlike the people from extraordinary institutions. Hence, it all depends on the individuals, not institutions; and achievements, not affiliations.
People from prestigious institutions often remain in their comfort zones while the people from ordinary institutions remain in their effective zones to prove themselves. There are instances where people qualified from prestigious institutions come up with high egos and become too big for their shoes and finally fall flat on the ground. In contrast, the people who come from grass root level understand the value of life and empathize with others. They take baby steps and grow steadily and consistently and rarely do they look back as their failure rate is lower.
Ordinary versus Extraordinary Educational Institutions
Anyone can join ordinary educational institutions by fulfilling the basic requirements and following guidelines despite not being good academically and sound financial. However, only the cream joins extraordinary educational institutions. Self-starters join ordinary institutions and kick-starters join extraordinary institutions. The admissions into ordinary institutions are flexible while the admissions into extraordinary institutions are strict. There is often spoon-feeding in ordinary institutions while there is self-feeding in extraordinary institutions. The teaching pedagogy in ordinary institutions is traditional and examination-oriented while the teaching pedagogy in extraordinary institutions is updated and innovative. The extraordinary institutions adopt team-based, case-study-driven, and out-of-the-box approaches leading to many solutions to problems. The students are reshuffled physically in the classroom and it creates new vibes and ideas. They understand the psychology of other students and think critically, analytically, and logically; acquire and apply knowledge effectively apart from building great connections. In addition, they are connected with other bright students virtually thus sharing and broadening their knowledge greatly. Above all, the faculty in ordinary institutions serve as resource persons while the faculty in extraordinary institutions serve as moderators thus adding value to the existing cream.
Bad with Books but Good with Hands
Lao Tzu quoted, "Those who know, don't predict. Those who predict, don't know." Some people are bad with books but good with hands became job providers and leaders. At the same time, some people who are good with books but bad with their hands became job seekers and remained followers. Hence, it is tough to conclude that the people who are qualified from prestigious institutions achieve amazingly. But it can be firmly summed up that their success rate will be higher.
God gifted unique talents to everyone. However, all are not blessed with the resources to pursue their education in prestigious institutions. Hence, we cannot underestimate the people acquiring qualifications from ordinary educational institutions. What counts at the end of the day is how you acquire and apply your knowledge; how you deliver your goods; and above all, the difference you make in the lives of others. To conclude, it is the achievements count, not affiliations; it is the individuals count, not institutions.
"The difference between a successful person and others is not a lack of strength, not a lack of knowledge, but rather in a lack of will." - Vincent T. Lombardi
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