Tempest in a Teapot?

Or something more serious? Over the past year or so the Wall Street Journal has been writing about executives who have falsified their academic credentials. Today alone there are three separate articles. Most of the boastful executives claim that they have graduated from college. However, the liars only attended a particular college, they did not graduate. What does this say about them and about us?

The claimants have obviously lied about what they and our world consider an important matter. Is the lying brought about by insecurities?

One thing it says about us is that we value formal credentials too much. The assumption by most large organizations is that a college graduate has more to offer than the man on the street. In many cases this is true. But, I'm sure that you've met many people about whom you've wondered how they ever got out of high school, let alone college. You've also met many graduates of top colleges who should be working in a menial job, not pulling down bug bucks simply because he went to Harvard.

Evaluating a job applicant for what she or he can do is not easy. But to rely too much on what one sees on a resume is asking for trouble.