Document Type
Honors Thesis
Source Publication Title
IEEE
Deposit Date
7-10-2024
Abstract
Increasingly, higher education institutions are investing in a booming microcredentialing industry. These flexible, self-paced courses often promise to improve learners’ hireability through teaching skills that meet market and employer demands. This paper investigates the perceptions of microcredentials within the context of hiring entry-level workers who recently graduated from undergraduate technical and professional writing academic programs. Our qualitative research study reports on the findings from 4 interviews with hiring managers and recruiters in a U.S. metropolitan area. In the guided interview protocol, participants were asked to reflect on their reactions to two sample résumés that included different qualifying credentials. The findings suggest that while microcredentials are appreciated for demonstrating a candidate's initiative and eagerness for self improvement, they are not yet seen as equivalent to traditional degrees. Portfolios were highlighted as a valuable tool for candidates to demonstrate the practical application of skills, especially when microcredential rigor is in question.
Disciplines
Adult and Continuing Education | Technical and Professional Writing
Publication Date
2024
Language
English
Faculty Mentor of Honors Project
Timothy Ponce, Amy Hodges
License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
Recommended Citation
Booth, Jordan; Ponce, Timothy; and Hodges, Amy, "Employers’ Perceptions of Microcredentials on Entry-Level Résumés in Technical and Professional Communication" (2024). 2024 Spring Honors Capstone Projects. 42.
https://mavmatrix.uta.edu/honors_spring2024/42
Comments
Acknowledgement to the McNair Scholars Program for initial funding and continued help.