[anigbrowl]

Credentialism is often a side-effect of rent-seeking, where existing participants in an industry agree to create barriers to entry (eg requiring a bachelor's degree) while often 'grandfathering in' existing market participants who may lack the qualifications in question. It's one approach to self-regulation, and can interact with governmental regulation in various ways.

[literallycancer]

Isn't it more just a reflection of assessing people being very hard, so you either prefer people with some work behind them, or use a widely available metric (a degree), even if it only improves the chances of finding good people a tiny bit, because it doesn't cost you anything?

[anigbrowl]

That's a factor too, and likewise you can point to things like legal liability driving pressure for employers to pick people who look good on paper.

I don't mean to suggest all credentialing is bad, obviously I would prefer doctors to have been to medical school and so on. but rent-seeking is a powerful economic force that often goes overlooked and is worth taking time to understand because it's so widespread.

Also lol at that username ;)

[mdpopescu]

> obviously I would prefer doctors to have been to medical school

I have twice had the experience of doctors (generalists) looking up symptoms on Google and picking a site - with me there. They didn't even go to a school for learning how to search on Google.

People tend to overestimate the value of credentials.

[tapatio]

This is something they don't teach in college but you realize once you're in your 30's and start interacting directly with upper management.