We've all read and gotten advice about how badmouthing a current or previous employer can cost you your job or worse-future opportunities. Somehow we've failed to discuss the effects badmouthing your university can have on the value of your degree. I'm not saying everything you have to say about your university has to be peachy and positive, nor am I saying to censor yourself. After all, if you've truly had a terrible experience (the university refused to correct), or if your university behaves unethically, it is your duty to warn others before they fall victim as well.
However, there is a difference in sharing an isolated bad experience, as just that, one bad experience and badmouthing the university you've spent your hard earned money to attain a degree from. Every time a student from your university badmouths the school, the value of your degree diminishes.
Higher education, much like everything else in our society is a business. Your university is a brand. Potential students choose to attend or not attend based on that brand (more specifically, what they have heard about the school), just as future employers and corporate entities sometimes choose to recruit students from a specific university based on its brand.
When it comes to young alumni, with very little professional experience, recruiters are more likely to weigh their selection based on their knowledge of the university in which the prospect attended and how favorable they feel towards the school based on that knowledge.
Every time you or your classmates badmouth your university you are hurting the brand and damaging the value of your degree(s). That one comment you make can lead prospective students to change their mind about attending, cause enrollments to drop, leaving employers questioning the value of the education provided.
Look at what has happened across the country with for-profit institutions. "Some of the industry’s biggest players have made headlines in recent years for their poor performance, exorbitant pricing, and exploitation of vulnerable, low-income students", according to Alia Wong's 2015 report on the
Downfall of For-Profit Institutions .
The spark that lit this flame came from complaints of students past and present, and rightfully so, but that's a whole other post for another day. My point is, what you say about your institution does matter.
As I mentioned before, I'm not urging you to censor yourself. If you truly feel you have been wronged by your university, by all means, take the appropriate steps to rectify the situation. What I am suggesting, is to be mindful of what you say about your alma mater, especially on social media. More often I am seeing alumni post on their schools social sites and they are all to happy to share how awful their experience was and often times they are sharing on an unrelated post the school has made, which then just makes them look bitter.
As you recall from my
branding yourself post, you are also a brand, so remember, your resume list that same university as the place you 'chose' to earn your degree and how you feel about it speaks much louder than the major you've selected, the year you graduated or the GPA you earned.
Keep in mind, in this life there are going to be very few experiences you love every single aspect of. Rarely, if ever, will you agree with every policy, procedure or practice involved. Be practical when weighing the value of those experiences. If the pros outweigh the cons, maybe its not worth speaking on (or posting about).
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If you're a recent college graduate looking for help highlighting the value of your undergraduate education experiences MSU Denver Alumni Career Services is here to help. Please give us a call and schedule an appointment with one of our experienced career coaches, who has great experience working with young alumni in preparing for the job search.
Source:www.linkedin.com