Although there has always been an intensive debate on whether qualification or experience matters more in an employment situation, it is a verifiable certainty that the degree courses you display on your resume can make the difference between getting called to an interview and being overlooked in favor of other applicants. In this respect, accreditation is always a controversial subject, as it appears to be the only way to guarantee that your diploma is authentic and worthwhile. To get a wider perspective about the perspective of employers on accreditation, let’s take a closer look at what it actually refers to.
What is accreditation?
In terms of education, accreditation can refer either to a process or to a quality of a particular educational institution. As a process, accreditation represents a very lengthy period of time, in which a certain University or college is tested and evaluated by the committee of a recognized accrediting organization. During this time, the members of the committee focus their search on multiple significant aspects of the evaluated school – the quality and level of expertise of the staff, the relevance and standard of the information delivered, the satisfaction of the students, the employment possibilities of alumni, the appropriateness of the institution’s facilities and many more.
If a University or college demonstrates that it upholds certain high standards in all the evaluated aspects, then it is declared accredited by the committee. To begin this process, an educational institution must apply for evaluation and then prepare a very well-documented portfolio containing relevant information and notable achievements. A period of on-site evaluation ensues upon the approval of the application, after which the members committee take a few months to deliberate. The conclusion is then announced and the school either becomes accredited or is presented with possible future improvements. As an average, the entire process usually lasts for a few years.
What does it mean for you?
You’ve surely heard a lot about the importance of accreditation when it comes to your education, especially if you’re considering an online program. Indeed, having diplomas that come from accredited institutions is one of the easiest ways to pass a background check on your CV, which usually eliminates all the candidates with suspicious qualifications.
Nevertheless, accreditation is sometimes overrated, as there are several other ways to support your qualifications. Indeed, one of the most important things when trying to land a job is the way you respond at your interview. It is essential for employers that they find people who can communicate well, as well as take the initiative and defend their claims. One of the easiest ways to demonstrate that you are one of these people is to show that your diplomas are just as valid as those earned from traditional higher education institutions.
How? There are a few good arguments you can use. For instance, since accreditation is such a lengthy process, there are hundreds of great schools that offer a very high standard tuition and that don’t have accreditation yet, simply because they didn’t get the chance to apply or to complete the evaluation. You should also remember that the most important quality in an employee is whether or not he or she can excel at their profession, and this doesn’t necessarily relate to the type of degree they have earned. If you are great at what you do, make sure you let your employer know about it!
