A LinkedIn profile is usually a quick introduction to someone’s professional life. Education, work experience and achievements are all placed together to give recruiters and other users an idea of a person’s background. But one unusual experiment shared online has started a discussion about how easily such information can be presented on the platform.The conversation has also moved beyond LinkedIn, with users discussing background checks, interviews, expensive higher education and the importance of formal qualifications in the workplace.
Man adds Harvard MBA to his profile
The incident was highlighted by Charly Wargnier, @DataChaz, who shared a screenshot on X that appeared to show a LinkedIn post by Gavin Fernand.According to the screenshot, Fernand had added a Harvard MBA to his education section even though the qualification was not real. He reportedly said he had done it “just for fun”,The profile reportedly included a Harvard logo and described him as “top of class”. Fernand also claimed that there was no verification process stopping him from entering the qualification.He said the addition led to a number of direct messages from people who appeared to believe the credential was genuine.
He questions the cost of a master’s degree
The post then took a broader turn.Fernand reportedly questioned why someone would spend several years and more than $100,000 on a master’s degree when a qualification could simply be added to a LinkedIn profile.He described master’s degrees as “useless” and asked, “Why Spend $100K?”He finished the post by saying, “Fake it till you make it has never been easier.”
X users discuss background checks
The idea quickly drew criticism from users who pointed out that professional recruitment can involve checks beyond a LinkedIn profile.One user wrote, “Dude’s clearly never had a job good enough that they check. There’s like 20 companies they outsource those checks; Certiphi, Checkr, HiPeople etc.”Another user focused on interviews, saying, “Adding the Harvard MBA takes 30 seconds, explaining it in an interview takes considerably longer.”A third commenter mentioned the role of documents and references during hiring.“You do know employers asked for references / certificates of qualifications… and passing interview questions would be impossible. Anyone can get a LinkedIn message.”
Others focus on education and employment
Some responses looked at the issue from a different perspective.One commenter claimed to have used a similar approach for years, writing, “He is not wrong I was doing the same for over 15 years, then I was like, i dont want it at all haha i deleted my linkdein, but i kinda miss having my 12 graduate degrees lol.”Another user spoke about people who do not have degrees because they did not get the opportunity to pursue higher education.“What’s sad is there are so many highly intelligent people out there who don’t have degrees only because they didn’t have the opportunity to get one. I hate how highly we reverse costly education here.”The discussion also included a comment about how master’s qualifications may be viewed by employers.“That’s funny because most I know with Masters degrees are actually taking them off of their resumes because it just makes them look too expensive to employers.”
Viral post sparks debate
The reactions to the post covered different aspects of professional life, from the reliability of information on LinkedIn to qualification checks during recruitment.While some users questioned the practicality of claiming a degree that cannot be supported with documents or references, others used the discussion to raise concerns about the cost of higher education and the way degrees are viewed in the job market.Disclaimer: This article is based on information and social media posts shared online. The claims and details mentioned have not been independently verified by The Times of India.Thumb image: Canva (for representative purposes only)
