Graduation and what that means for employability
Graduation. The ultimate goal of your time at university. When the all-nighter study sessions, countless hours of reading, copious quantities of caffeine, and mastering the art of staying in when everyone else is hitting the pub starts to come together.
You’ve finally handed in that last assignment and your final exam! Now, what…?
With all the excitement surrounding the completion of this milestone, it can be quite overwhelming to navigate just how to make the leap from uni kid, to full-blown adult in the real world.
Terms such as graduate, testamur, transcript, graduate program, and final results get thrown around. You may be thinking “how am I meant to get a job when I haven’t been given my testamur yet” or “I haven’t graduated yet, can I start applying for grad programs?”
The good news is, you can get a job at any time! In the eyes of an employer, you are a graduate the day you receive your final results! Woo!
A graduation ceremony, whilst it’s an incredible rite of passage is just that…a ceremony. It is a chance to celebrate your achievements and formally say goodbye to your uni days. By this point, you are already a graduate. Well done =)
Luckily, most graduate employers understand that you will not have access to your testamur straight away so they will often only require a copy of your final results. Here at UNE, there are a few simple ways to get this info. Simply print them from your MyUNE page, have a JP sign to make it an official document, then submit that to your potential employer. If you’d prefer, you can purchase a transcript of results from UNE. Here is a bit more information on how to purchase your transcript and an idea of costs. You can find the application form here. Once you have received your testamur you can present that to your employer if required.
Here at UNE, we know you have put in the hours, made the sacrifices, and worked your butts off to earn that qualification!
Remember, there’s a lot of people in the same boat as you, and only a certain amount of jobs available. This means it is imperative to apply for jobs sooner rather than later, and really important to stand out from the crowd with a great cover letter and resume. The AAGE Employer Survey revealed that the average application process is between 2-4 months but thankfully some organisations open their graduate program applications as early as March for the following year.
It may feel a little silly but there is no such thing as being too organised! Applying for jobs is the last thing you want to be stressing about for those few last months before you get to put all your hard work together and start working.
If you’re still a little confused there are many support teams here at UNE you can reach out to!
Student Success and the UNE Employability and Careers can help you develop skills and make you more employable.
Our team at Advocacy and Welfare are also able to help point you in the right direction!
