Ex-Google MD rejected a candidate with 'Harvard alum' on his CV. He calls it 'degree dramatising'

Parminder Singh is the Chief Operating Officer of Tatler Asia.

Parminder Singh, Chief Operating Officer of Tatler Asia and a former managing director at Google spoke about a growing trend that's raising eyebrows in hiring circles: the embellishment of academic credentials, or what Singh terms 'degree dramatizing.'

Singh recounted an interview with a candidate who boasted of being a "Harvard Alum" on his CV. However, upon probing, Singh discovered that the candidate's Harvard experience was limited to a four-week course on entrepreneurship.

This immediately raised red flags about the candidate's honesty. Singh noted that such instances of exaggerated claims are becoming disturbingly common.

“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 weeks,” Singh wrote, adding that this was not the first time he experienced this.

The issue, Singh explained, lies in the distinction between short-term courses and full-fledged academic programs. While short-term courses from prestigious institutions can enhance a CV, they do not equate to the intensive, selective experience of a full-time program.

“A paid short term course is a good addition to the CV but it doesn't quite qualify you as a 'Harvard Alum'. In fact, Harvard University's website explicitly defines who qualifies as a Harvard Alum,” Singh explained.

Drawing from his own experience, Singh mentioned his completion of an executive education course at Kellogg. Despite the program's prestige, he was always careful to clarify that it did not make him a Kellogg alum. After being mistakenly identified as one during an interview, Singh chose to remove the reference from his CV entirely to prevent any misinterpretation.

Singh had a concluding insight for his viral post with over 2,400 likes: “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.”