Why the reputation of your university matters later in your career

Not all tertiary institutions are created equal in the eyes of some employers.

Graduates are linked to the reputation of their university “for life”, so new enrollees are urged to choose their tertiary institution with care.

Jack Moran, from international higher education network Quacquarelli Symonds, says it is too early to know how Covid and the subsequent shift to online learning has affected the tertiary choices of students, but university rankings, as well as other data such as graduate employment outcomes, can help students shortlist their preferred universities.

“We know that employers are increasingly adopting a holistic perspective in making hiring decisions and this means that the greatest weight will always be placed upon the individual’s particular temperament, experience, suitability and academic background,” Moran says.

“But, of course, attending a high-ranking institution will never be anything other than a positive inclusion on a person’s CV and it may well help a graduate hire attain a decisive edge.”

QS World University Rankings 2021 lists Australia’s top five universities as Australian National University (ANU), University of Sydney, University of Melbourne, University of New South Wales (UNSW) and University of Queensland (UQ) – but there are many other organisations that produce rankings based on different criteria, and some universities are regarded differently depending on the specific faculty or field of study.

An applicant’s choice of university can influence some employers. Picture: iStock

Carnegie Mellon University Australia deputy head Ben Olijnyk says enrolling in a well-respected, world-ranked university makes it much easier to find employment.

“The reason why more students want to go into the higher-ranking universities is because employers start approaching the students (about work opportunities) rather than the students having to approach the employers,” he says.

“The good name of higher-end universities is something that will be associated with you for your entire life.

“Students really need to be aware of what industry is thinking (about a university before they enrol) … particularly in our local scene, where it gets out quite quickly if a particular university is not doing very well (producing high quality graduates).”

Olijnyk says the reputation of a tertiary institution also heavily influences internship and other opportunities available to students during their studies.

He says at Carnegie Mellon, which consistently ranks among the top 50 universities worldwide, postgraduate students from the Australian campus have access to paid internships with “high-end” companies, such as Microsoft.

Olijnyk says the increase in online tertiary offerings – potentially opening up the opportunity for Australians to enrol with prestigious universities from around the globe – will make it more important than ever to select highly reputable institutions. However, he believes the highest-ranked unis will always require some elements of on-campus, face-to-face study.

Michael Guy believes his choice of university gives him an edge. Picture: Supplied

Michael Guy completed a Master of Science in Public Policy and Management through Carnegie Mellon University Australia last year and was almost immediately recruited as a senior planner with the South Australian Housing Authority, after previously working for the Environment Protection Authority SA.

“CMU’s reputation worldwide is really very good,” Guy says. “It came down to a couple of ­candidates but, I think, having the CMU-related study gave me that extra edge.”