Doctorates In
Quackery
According to degree-mill
watchdog John Bear, in this
credential-crazed world, thousands of people
are willing to shell out $5,000 - though the
"tuition" is negotiable for fake degrees to
pad their resumes, get promotions or woo
customers and patients.
These days, thanks to the Internet, the
business of phony schools is bigger than
ever. "It's like the drug trade - the only
reason people are prospering is because
people are buying their product," says Bear,
co-author of "Bears' Guide to Earning
Degrees by Distance Learning."
"It's rampant on the Internet," says Allen
Ezell, a former FBI supervisor who oversaw
investigations into diploma mills in the
'80s that helped close 50 shady operations
and netted more than 30 convictions. U.S.
law-enforcement agencies aren't aggressively
pursuing these scams because they're so hard
to nail down and expensive to investigate,
says Ezell.
The bogus-degree trade is mushrooming as
legitimate on-line education grows in leaps
and bounds. Some 85 percent of "real"
colleges and universities in the United
States currently offer some form of online
learning, says Vicky Phillips, CEO of
geteducated.com, an e-learning consulting
agency.
And by 2004, legitimate schools will invest
more than $744 million in online education,
up from $334 million this year, according to
the Massachusetts research firm IDC.
Students looking for degrees online should
make sure the school they're looking at is
accredited by the U.S. Department of
Education, the Council on Higher Education
Accreditation (CHEA) or the Distance
Education Training Council (DETC).
Source: Laura Williams, New York Post
January 7, 2001
Root Out Rising Resume Fraud
Fact: Experts say that more than one-third
of all resumes contain fabrications.
According to a recent survey by Reid
Psychological Systems, a whopping 95 percent
of college students say they would lie to
get a job - and 41 percent say they already
have.
Advice: Redouble your scrutiny of
candidates' resumes. Make sure you and your
hiring managers are doing the following to
detect fraud:
- Check
for inconsistencies, like slip-ups in dates
or contradictions between job titles and
duties.
- Require
interviewees to fill out applications. Then
look for differences in the resume and
handwritten application.
- Call the
college admissions office to verify degrees
and other claims.
- Test skills.
Do a skills check if an applicant claims to
have proficiency in a certain area.
- Ask for and
always check as many references as you can.
If the applicant gives no reference for a
recent job, ask why.
- Have a
colleague review the resume or sit in on the
interview to get insights you may miss.
Source:
"Success in Recruiting and Retraining",
March 2001, issue
P.O. Box 9206
McLean, Virginia 22102-0206
What To Look For In A Resume
Identify the characteristics, skills and
core competencies needed for the position.
- Are there
frequent job changes? If so, are they the
result of lack of personal stability?
- Rapid career
advancement?
- Business
reasons beyond the candidate's control?
- Are there
time gaps in the candidate's employment
history? Why?
- Are there
salary dips in the candidate's employment
history? Why?
- Has the
candidate earned relevant degrees,
certifications or other credentials that
would strengthen his/her candidacy for this
position? Is the candidate overqualified?
- Is the
candidate willing to take a cut in income to
fill this position? If so, why?
- Are there
former employers or supervisors he or she
does not want you to contact? Why?
- Is there a
"hook" in the fist half of page one of the
resume that makes you want to read on?
- Is there a
"knockout factor" in the first half of page
one that makes you doubt the viability of
this person's candidacy?
- Does the
resume have visual appeal?
- Does the
resume answer your questions about the
candidate?
Is the resume
full of buzzwords and meaningless jargon
that provide little useful information? Or
is it straightforward, factual and helpful
to you as a Hiring Manager trying to make a
decision.
Are results presented in the form of
numbers, percentages, dollars or other
measurables to which you can relate? Is
there at least one solid achievement listed
for each position held?
Source: Bill Hendricks, Ph.D
Information Delivery Inc.
2600 Park Lake Dr.
Boulder, CO 80301
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