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High School Grades

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Mike_Naylor
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High School Grades

Post by Mike_Naylor » Fri, 26 Feb 2010 9:43 am

After recently being accepted for a job, the HR person I was dealing with me asked me to send them verification of high school grades. GCSE etc.

This surprised me quite a bit, being in my late 30s, with a top University degree,and 15 years in the trade.

I basically explained that it's not the type of thing 30 somethings in the UK are asked for, and I can't even recall the last time I even saw my little high school slips, let alone used them for work.

I was actually a bit peeved at the time. Bearing in mind I've never even had to produce the paper copy of my degree until now (which I'm quite happy to do by the way).

Also, being nearly 40, I have to be totally honest here, in saying I'm not 100% certain that my hazy recollection of my grades is completely spot on anyway. I know the basics of course, but I'm not the type of person who remembers whether they got a C or a D in home economics or things like that.

Anyway, I just said that I don't have high school stuff any more. But I can of course bring out my degreee. Which they said was fine, as that is all they need anyway apparently. She was just telling me that high school stuff was "ideal for their records," but not a pre-requisite.


I'm just wondering, I'm not going to get myself in a situation, where I get out there, and this changes am I?

As in, can I safely assume that turning up with my degree will be the end of this discussion? And I can just get on with things.

Can HR departments in Singapore actually check UK high school grades?

I'm just envisiging getting there, handing over my degree, getting on with it, and 6 months later being called up as they've checked my grades, and I got a D in drama in 1990, and not a C.

You know, I'm all for verifying degrees. I realise that bad stuff goes on. But I draw the line at having school grades being snooped at.

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Post by irvine » Fri, 26 Feb 2010 9:57 am

I was concerned too. Especially that P7 for Moral. Would they think I don't have much of a moral?

Truth be told, I had too many things to memorize and those 36 moral values and subvalues just didn't stick. Oops.

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Post by sundaymorningstaple » Fri, 26 Feb 2010 1:49 pm

Yeah, sounds like a bit of a power trip for some HR exec to me. It's total BS unless it's your highest schooling.
SOME PEOPLE TRY TO TURN BACK THEIR ODOMETERS. NOT ME. I WANT PEOPLE TO KNOW WHY I LOOK THIS WAY. I'VE TRAVELED A LONG WAY, AND SOME OF THE ROADS WEREN'T PAVED. ~ Will Rogers

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Post by ceej1979 » Fri, 26 Feb 2010 9:05 pm

sundaymorningstaple wrote:Yeah, sounds like a bit of a power trip for some HR exec to me. It's total BS unless it's your highest schooling.
I'm just planning to take my degree for mine when I head over.

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Post by Mike_Naylor » Fri, 26 Feb 2010 10:49 pm

sundaymorningstaple wrote:Yeah, sounds like a bit of a power trip for some HR exec to me. It's total BS unless it's your highest schooling.

Hi. Thanks for the information. I most certainly have a full honours degree, from a big UK university. Have the certificate hanging on my wall in my flat as I recall. Where it has stayed since the late 1990s! As I said, I'm not even used to using that for jobs.

It did seem that way. His line changed from “we need this school stuff”

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Post by nakatago » Fri, 26 Feb 2010 11:33 pm

byproduct of Singapore's world-famous educational system?

DUN, DUN, DUN... :P :P :P
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Post by sundaymorningstaple » Sat, 27 Feb 2010 6:59 am

If you have them, though it really shouldn't matter, a copy of your Honours degree & transcripts might be handy to have. Other then than, the up through A levels crap don't worry about. Your High School grades are somewhat of a given if you made in into Uni and came out with an honours degree. I wouldn't sweat it.
SOME PEOPLE TRY TO TURN BACK THEIR ODOMETERS. NOT ME. I WANT PEOPLE TO KNOW WHY I LOOK THIS WAY. I'VE TRAVELED A LONG WAY, AND SOME OF THE ROADS WEREN'T PAVED. ~ Will Rogers

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Post by morenangpinay » Sat, 27 Feb 2010 8:30 am

it might be good to bring the original docs in case u decide to become PR. i got into an argument with the officer when i was presenting my docs because i didnt bring my original degree certificate but instead i had a letter from the school saying i graduated with this degree...with the school seal and all...together with an original transcript...and they still kept asking for the degree certificate. it was disastrous lol

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Post by wcs » Sun, 28 Feb 2010 5:59 am

Forms here ask for O level and A level results. I am still trying to figure out why that is if you have a degree. I have taken to filling in NA for them all as I did not study in the British system. That is what I was recommended to do.

My best guess is that if you are an old boy from the employer's old school but stuffed up A levels they might give you a job out of personal bias, but that is total conjecture!

Unfortunately some HR juniors here just want to fill out all the gaps in the forms or are worried about what their senior will say if they don't have ALL your details.

I had a lecturer friend who was requested for her O level results cause the form asked for it. Despite having a number of degrees including a PhD, and a decade of lecturing experience.

I guess it is trouble with a society where for some people obeying the rules is given a higher priority than common sense.

As for searching out your high school results, the govt does have a unit which specialises in verifying degrees and other details, to the extent of having team members based overseas to do the research.

So in the interest of efficiency your paperwork is approved now, but questioned down the road. I am not sure they would worry about this for just an Employment Pass though.

But please don't be spooked by this. It is only a problem if you make false declarations. So just say you don't have it, it is easier than guessing.

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Post by SunWuKong » Sun, 28 Feb 2010 9:36 am

The wonderful accoutrements of a meritocracy. Not to be confused with meretricious.

Here in Singapore, pigeon holing is a national pastime. The HR attendant would have asked for your kindergarten results if it could help in pigeon holing you. And quite possibly it could, so don't let on you have those.
The nature of Monkey was ... irrepressible!

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Post by Girl_Next_Door » Mon, 01 Mar 2010 1:12 pm

A little random but somewhat relevant.

I was just filling an online job application and they requested for my final year university subjects results! I can't even remember what subjects I took in university since its almost 10 years ago, let alone the grades!

Anyone have similar experience? Is that the current trend or the company is asking for way too much information?

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Post by beppi » Mon, 01 Mar 2010 2:33 pm

Worst are the local public service job application forms: They run short of asking for the shoe sizes of all uncles and aunts, but seem to be concerned if a grandparent had a criminal conviction ...

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Post by irvine » Tue, 09 Mar 2010 1:51 pm

I just attended an interview yesterday. The HR girl asked for my high school results. I said, I don't have them now. She asked why. To which I said, it's in my parents' house, in my home country.

She gave me THAT look.

Sigh...

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Post by nakatago » Tue, 09 Mar 2010 2:01 pm

irvine wrote:I just attended an interview yesterday. The HR girl asked for my high school results. I said, I don't have them now. She asked why. To which I said, it's in my parents' house, in my home country.

She gave me THAT look.

Sigh...
It's one of those WTF moments, isn't it?
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Post by irvine » Tue, 09 Mar 2010 10:15 pm

Sigh... yeah, and it was a waste of time that interview.

I did state my expected salary when I applied, turned out they couldn't pay (would be at least $500/mth lower) but trying to tell me my expertise is just a fraction of what that position role is to fulfill. I was thinking, why did they bother to write the job description in the first place when they were going to top up a bunch of many roles during the interview.

And they had the cheek to ask for my high school diploma AND grades. They are either mad or very sophisticated.

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