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A mate of mine has just had an interview and they asked for proof of his degree. All he has is his certificate and a picture of him wearing a silk dressing gown and a silly hat. He finished his degree back in 1999 and has thus far not been asked for proof, he has asked the uni for something but is waiting for a reply.
A copy of the certificate is all I’ve ever produced. Surely that’s it’s whole purpose?
You should be able to order an academic transcript, which has a watermark.
I get why you'd ask someone fresh from uni for proof, but a degree from 1999 isn't worth a fraction of whatever (relevant) experience has been built up in the 26 years since. All you can do is ask the Uni and see what they provide if they even still have the records of course.
They just want to see the certificate.
I don't think the OP would have started a thread if it were that easy, Konagirl.
The certificate is all that should be needed - as a Uni, we just check certificates for people wanting to do a PGCE. We don't ask for more 'proof'.
The certificate is all that should be needed - as a Uni, we just check certificates for people wanting to do a PGCE. We don't ask for more 'proof'.
Thats what I was thinking. Its probably some jumped up twerp in the personel department that has a box to tick on a spread sheet.
I did wonder how a French administration would react to a degree certificate in Welsh but it was accepted without question or translation.
In what HR hellscape is a degree certificate not ample evidence of a degree acquired a quarter century ago? Next they'll be asking him to name all the stops on the Fresher's Week pub crawl, in order.
I used to work with a chap in a previous job who had a fake degree for visa purposes 20+ years ago. It was fairly convincing compared to the real thing at the time. I knew it was fake as I found the editable document on the server.....I also knew he had a city and guilds in joinery not a 2:1 in mech eng from a local uni.
Ironically his job did not require a degree....just the visa department in certain country's do not consider you skilled labour without one. - #oilfieldlife
Fortunately I know he's not still using it as he's pushing daisy's now.
So i can understand why people would want to verify -but surely if they are vested enough in the chap to ask they have the means to verify otherwise its making getting a degree somewhat pointless.
I don't think the OP would have started a thread if it were that easy, Konagirl.You would be surprised. It would be very odd if that was not what was required. It would be even more unusual if they didn't then tell the person what they actually needed. It's implausible that the HR person said, "I need to get proof of your degree", and when presented with the certificate said "get your friend to ask on a mountain bike forum what he should do". Its much more plausible that the applicant thought - well a bit of paper in a tube is hardly proof, there must be more to it.
90% of the time this is a box ticking process, the job said it needs a degree so now I need to have something in the file that shows he has a degree. Where it is actually required for some regulatory purpose they may even check that it is real - but they will do that direct with the institution.
I don't think the OP would have started a thread if it were that easy, Konagirl.You would be surprised. It would be very odd if that was not what was required. It would be even more unusual if they didn't then tell the person what they actually needed. It's implausible that the HR person said, "I need to get proof of your degree", and when presented with the certificate said "get your friend to ask on a mountain bike forum what he should do". Its much more plausible that the applicant thought - well a bit of paper in a tube is hardly proof, there must be more to it.
90% of the time this is a box ticking process, the job said it needs a degree so now I need to have something in the file that shows he has a degree. Where it is actually required for some regulatory purpose they may even check that it is real - but they will do that direct with the institution.
Next they'll be asking him to name all the stops on the Fresher's Week pub crawl, in order.
Buchanon Street
St enochs
Bridge st
West st
Forgotten
Kinning Park
Forgotten
Ibrox
Govan
Partick
Kelvinhall
Hillhead
Kelvinbridge
St georges
Cowcaddens
That’s the sub crawl
You want proof, here's my certificate. You want more proof there's nothing further I can do, go ask the University. There's ways and means of tracking down certification even if the examining board no longer exists, I think there's a guide on gov.uk.
Honestly though, if they won't accept a certificate for a 25-year old certification during the interview process, is that really a company you want to be working for? Go look somewhere else.
If he has professional registration that requires a level of qualification that would do it?
I'm a nurse, never asked for my certificate, usually just look me up on NMC register as can't be on there without qualification.
Present the certificate if the employer wants to verify it is genuine they can use a service such as Hedd. It might not be just box ticking but a response to increasing fraud, a lot of employers now need to see and verify right to work in UK for example.
Hedd offers a centralised system for degree verification that connects employers, agencies, universities, embassies and councils.
With prices starting at £14, you can verify a current or past student's place of study, the award and grade received and dates of attendance.
Hedd is not for use by students or graduates to verify their own awards.
I've only ever needed certificates. Still need to provide them when moving around the civil service, despite having had them checked and accepted 4-5 times in the last 23 years.
Was more offended when the HR box ticker had to ask a colleague what an O level was.
I was asked to produce all my certificates, from O level up for my current job at a university, but only after I was offered the position. The HR person looked really pee'd off at having to scan so many documents, many of which were over 40 years old.
I'm surprised they're asking for so much detail prior to job offer TBH, and as others have said, it's not even really relevant if it's so old, demonstrating experience in the role is far more important.
I was asked to produce all my certificates, from O level up
Bloody hell, thank god I'm retired. I wouldn't know where to begin to look for my O level certificates. Maybe my mum's loft ....
Bloody hell, thank god I'm retired. I wouldn't know where to begin to look for my O level certiicates.
It was a bit of a challenge finding them all TBH
I've only had to provide certificates for any of my qualifications. I didn't have my a level certificate for years - it was stuck in drawers in my parents office. Nobody complained - then again post A-level I've got a bachelor's degree, masters degree and professional certification.
I'm surprised they're asking for so much detail prior to job offer
I think because so many jobs require minimum grades in English and Maths, they have to check - especially as if it is requested, the employer could get in hot water if it came to light that us old folk had not provided them and someone kicked off about level playing fields
I think because so many jobs require minimum grades in English and Maths, they have to check
Was just coming back to say this. GCSE (or o-level if you're as old as me) in English and Maths are prerequisite in many jobs that require much higher lever qualifications as well, so having that old o- level certificate is useful
I recently had to do the same for a job that I've been doing for 18 years and for which doesn't require a chemistry degree. I had to get a transcript from the Uni, cost about £25 and took a couple of weeks iirc.
Edit:
Porter Brook
Lescar
Nursery Tavern
Hanrahans
The Harley
Cavendish
Forum
Frog and Parrot
Leadmill/Bed/Republic
Report
In what HR hellscape is a degree certificate not ample evidence of a degree acquired a quarter century ago? Next they'll be asking him to name all the stops on the Fresher's Week pub crawl, in order
I have no idea where my certificate is but:
Queen's Head
Fez
Great Ex
Lyndhurst
Upin Arms
Back of Beyond
Pavlov's
Purple Turtle
And then we'd kind of split up and the trendy ones would go to the Litten Tree and the rest of us would head to the After Dark.
Queen's Head
Fez
Great Ex
Lyndhurst
Upin Arms
Back of Beyond
Pavlov's
Purple Turtle
The old (pre Oracle) Turtle or the Current Turtle?
The Oracle was there but was quite new.
There was the Turtle, then The FEz Club (which I think is now something else?) and then the jazz club I can't remember the name of, all next to each. Not The Jazz Club, that was the one in the railway arches.
Loved the Turtle. I live 400 miles from it now. Does it still exist?
(The Fez above is of course the The Fez & Firkin, not The Fez Club. That never go confusing 🙄)
Report
In what HR hellscape is a degree certificate not ample evidence of a degree acquired a quarter century ago? Next they'll be asking him to name all the stops on the Fresher's Week pub crawl, in order
I have no idea where my certificate is but:
Queen's Head
Fez
Great Ex
Lyndhurst
Upin Arms
Back of Beyond
Pavlov's
Purple Turtle
And then we'd kind of split up and the trendy ones would go to the Litten Tree and the rest of us would head to the After Dark.
That's in quite an odd order. You go into the town back out and then back in again.
Fez is now the Turks again.
Ah ok that Fez not the horrible Fez and Firkin.
Turtle still exists but live even further.
Last time I was asked for "all" qualifications. I gave 20 years experience,PGCE, PhD and degree and stopped there
Canny mans
Marlin
Napier's union at holy corner
Golf Tavern
Somewhere
Somewhere
Burnt post
Bennets
Grindlay St union (that's dates it)
Not quite sure...
IDK, a certificate would seem to be sufficient proof.
Not sure I had to produce my certificates for my current employer but the background checks did take a while and were fairly thorough. Though not to the extent that they interviewed neighbours or checked the bins.
A friend did a PGCE later in life after a long career. They had to go back to their college to ask for a copy of their PhD certificate, undergraduate degree certificate, and rustle up 40+ year old O level certificates to satisfy the basic maths and English requirements. It’d be a challenge to get a chemistry PhD and sustain a high-level R&D career without at least basic numeracy and literacy but that’s bureaucracy for you.
Grindlay St union (that's dates it)
It was still there in '76, but 14p a pint rather than 12p in '72
GCSE (or o-level if you're as old as me) in English and Maths are prerequisite in many jobs that require much higher lever qualifications as well, so having that old o- level certificate is useful
I'm aware of a person who changed career; they used to be a lawyer. The new job required GCSE English, they wouldn't accept an O level cert. Eventually, the poor chap had to sit a GCSE English exam as an external candidate to satisfy the box ticking exercise.
Loved the Turtle. I live 400 miles from it now. Does it still exist?
Assuming you mean the Purple Turtle in Reading, it's still there. Or at least, it was when I was back down there about a year ago.
Assuming you mean the Purple Turtle in Reading, it's still there. Or at least, it was when I was back down there about a year ago.
Although not in its original pre-Oracle Centre position. It was far more divey back then.
I used to live just beside the Back of Beyond a near-lifetime ago.
As for my student pub crawl, I think most of the pubs on it have closed now. Maybe the Lass O'Gowrie and the Salisbury are still open, that's about it I think.
Certainly it's not unusual for employers to have rules that require a degree for particular jobs/grades, pretty much regardless of further experience.
When my wife and I visited Germany for a few weeks we had to provide PhD certificates to get "Dr" in front of our nameplates on the office door so we didn't bother 🙂
But a certificate should be all that is required, if the employer needs more than that, they'd better be more specific about exactly what they want.
Depending on the uni you might find they have a online degree verification service.
"Next they'll be asking him to name all the stops on the Fresher's Week pub crawl..."
I'm impressed at the ability of STWers to recite a list
I can't even remember the first, although I do remember wondering how we ended up in Rose St (Edin) for a Uni Glasgow pub crawl. Still, it was a lifetime ago. 🙂
GCSE (or o-level if you're as old as me) in English and Maths are prerequisite in many jobs that require much higher lever qualifications as well, so having that old o- level certificate is useful
I'm aware of a person who changed career; they used to be a lawyer. The new job required GCSE English, they wouldn't accept an O level cert. Eventually, the poor chap had to sit a GCSE English exam as an external candidate to satisfy the box ticking exercise.
I hope that the first thing he did after getting his law qualifications is sue the stupid bastards who made him take GCSE English