Ex Google Executive Explains Why He Was Disappointed To See "Harvard Alum" On Candidate's CV

Parminder Singh, former Managing Director of Google and Twitter, recently took to X to call out people who claim to be alumni of Ivy League institutes without having completed an undergraduate or graduate degree programme there. In a tweet, Parminder Singh said he was disappointed to see "Harvard alum" on the CV of a candidate he was interviewing as further enquiry revealed that the candidate had only completed a short-term course at Harvard. "I couldn't help but form the impression that he's prone to exaggeration and questionable in terms of trust," Mr Singh wrote in his post. 

The Ex-Google MD shared that this wasn't the first time he had encountered such a situation or felt this sense of disappointment. "Being an alum of a premier institute implies undergoing a rigorous selection process and spending a considerable amount of time with individuals who have undergone a similar process. A paid short term course is a good addition to the CV but it doesn't quite qualify you as a Harvard Alum," he explained. 

"Harvard Alum," read the candidate's CV I was interviewing. There were no other details about his educational background. When I asked what he studied at Harvard, he replied, "A Course on Entrepreneurship." When I inquired about the duration of the course, he said it was four…

— Parminder Singh (@parrysingh) June 14, 2024

Mr Singh also shared a personal example and a word of caution for all job seekers. He said that he himself had completed an executive education course at Kellogg. "I used to make it very clear that it was a short-term course and by no means would I dare call myself a Kellogg alum. Once, someone mistook me for a Kellogg alum during an interview. After that, I removed it entirely from my CV," Mr Singh wrote in his post. 

"Employers value honesty above all else. By attempting to take a shortcut like this, you risk coming across as duplicitous. It's simply not worth it. Integrity is far more valuable than any Ivy League degree," he concluded.

Mr Singh shared the post last week. Since then it has amassed more than 80,000 views and several reactions. In the comments section, users pointed out several such examples of people who claim the "alum" tag. 

"Reminds me of a Ruskin Bond story when someone asked Uncle Ken if he was at Oxford or Cambridge. He replied Cambridge, not specifying that he once went there just to visit his family," wrote one user. 

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"I see even CXOs of Bluechip co.s who take these short term courses, proudly call themselves alums of Ivy League institutes on Linkedin. I am not sure if the HRs value Integrity because whenever such CXOs join a new org., the press release mentions them as Harvard, INSEAD alums," shared another. 

"Integrity is the cornerstone of success, both in academia and beyond. Misrepresenting one's credentials, however tempting, undermines the trust essential for professional growth. True achievement lies in honest, diligent effort, not in decorated honours," expressed a third user. 

"Thanks for calling this out! As a recruitment professional I encounter this problem everyday! There is no harm in mentioning it under the certifications/ education section of the resume clearing calling it a short term course," commented one user. "Institutes are very clear on whether you are eligible to call yourselves an alum or not. This is not a grey area," another person said.