How Long Does it Take Your College To Send Your Diploma
After your college graduation, you will probably be applying for jobs to start your career. Unfortunately, though you've completed your degree, you won't have access to your diploma yet.
Diplomas are important documents that signify education credentials and readiness for the next step in a career or academic advancement. So how can you apply for entry-level jobs after graduation without a diploma in your hand?
Luckily, if you're a new graduate who is ready to start your career, there are other ways of verifying your degree without a physical diploma. Though universities typically take a long time to send out diplomas after graduation, you can choose other ways to show your qualifications. We'll go over the timeline of receiving a diploma, how employers may verify your education claims, and helpful tips to show your academic achievements to land a job.
How Long Does It Take to Receive Your Diploma After Graduation?
Universities do not hand out diplomas at the ceremony. So while you may have completed your degree, you won't have access to your diploma. The amount of time it takes for colleges to send out diplomas to recent graduates varies by school. But it can take anywhere from one to two months after the ceremony for a school to send out diplomas.
After four years of hard work, many recent graduates are excited to finally receive their diplomas. However, because of the long standard wait time for college diplomas, students should be prepared to plan accordingly and make alternative arrangements while applying for full-time positions that require proof of graduation.
Why Do Schools Take So Long to Send Diplomas?
You may have received your high school diploma on the day of graduation. When it comes to college degrees, why does it take so much longer to receive your diploma? The reason why college diplomas take a long time to receive is that there's more going on behind the scenes besides someone signing a piece of paper.
Colleges have to follow certain guidelines and steps to determine that a degree is awarded to a student. Often, when students apply to graduate, they are in the midst of completing required courses. Professors will need to finalize grades at the end of the term, which doesn't leave a lot of time for the mass production of diplomas before the graduation ceremony. Graduating college classes are typically bigger than high school classes, which means that there is a lot more paperwork and applications for the school's staff to complete and verify.
Also, not all students follow the typical four-year graduation timeline. Some students may finish their degree at other times. But everyone will need to complete the graduation application deadline in order to finish their degrees on time, as the university needs to figure out which students met their requirements to finish their degrees.
How Do Employers Verify You Have a College Degree?
The job market can be competitive depending on the industry. Having the right qualifications is often essential to landing a good job. A lot of full-time positions have some kind of educational requirement, like a college degree, and some employers won't even look at your resume if you don't have one.
Because there is such an importance placed on college degrees in the job market, some applicants will try to lie about having one on their resumes. Because of the possibility of lying or inaccurate information on resumes, most employers will want some type of verification that your academic credentials are legitimate.
One way that an employer might verify your education is by asking to see your diploma. Sometimes, employers will even make a copy of your diploma for their records, depending on whether the position or industry requires certain levels of education.
Unfortunately, for new graduates verifying their education with a physical diploma isn't possible. Does this mean that graduates have to put their job search on hold while they wait for the diploma? Not at all. But graduates should be prepared to provide other information to prospective employers that show off their educational prowess and ultimately land them a job.
How Can You Get a Job While You Wait for Your Diploma?
For new graduates, entering the workforce can feel intimidating and stressful. Without a lot of work experience to explain, applicants may need to rely on their educational merits to prove to employers that they can perform a position satisfactorily. While it's true that a physical diploma is helpful to prove to others that you are knowledgeable and capable in a given field, there are other ways to land a job.
If you are planning to enter the workforce soon, preparing yourself for applications and job interviews ahead of time will help you get a job soon after graduation. The following tips are intended to help you through the job search preparation process so that you have time to gather the necessary materials and educational information in time for your interviews.
Your Employers Can Request Verification from the School
The simplest way that employers might verify your education is by requesting information from your university. They can either use a third-party search or simply request the information themselves. Because electronic records are prevalent in universities, it's easy to find information about a student quickly.
With this method, employers can easily verify if you received your degree or not. If you start applying to jobs a few weeks before graduation, it's important to indicate on your resume that your graduation date is "expected." Employers will then know that they need to verify your degree at a later date. However, if you don't stay on top of your grades the last semester and you fail a required course, you will not end up being awarded a degree. Employers may rescind the job offer if you don't have the degree at the expected time. It's always a good idea to make sure that your grades are in order or that your graduation application has been approved before you try to apply for jobs.
Letters of Recommendation from Your Professors
If you are a young full-time student, you may not have a lot of job experience. In that case, relying on your academic career to show your skills and abilities is the best way to impress a potential employer. Professors are considered to be professional references. If you got the chance to work for a professor in any capacity or you had a close academic relationship, then asking for a letter of recommendation is useful in your job search or applying to graduate school.
In the letter, the professor might mention your knowledge, dedication, practical skills, communication abilities, or many other positive qualities that employers look for in potential candidates. Having reference letters from eloquent and respected professors is an effective way to show employers that you are serious about your academic career.
Projects, Essays, and Awards
Another way to show employers that you are serious about your education is to provide them with any important projects, essays, or awards that speak to your academic talent. Often employers like to see these kinds of things on your application. If a job posting doesn't already ask for these types of additional documents on the application, it might be a good idea to ask if they'd consider these types of samples if you think it will prove your ability to do the job.
Before you get ready to graduate or apply for jobs, it's helpful to put together a portfolio of writing samples (like essays, research papers, or creative work), projects that you've done, and any documents of awards or publications. It's important to put your best self forward, so you'll want to choose the samples and projects that received high marks and honest feedback from your professors. If you're not sure which ones to include in your portfolio, then it may be helpful to ask a peer or your advisor for their advice.
Order Transcripts
While you're waiting for your college diploma to be sent to you, ordering transcripts is one of the best alternatives to prove that you are ready to graduate and receive a degree. Transcripts show detailed information about your performance throughout the program. You'll be able to see the final grades of every class you took, credit hours, and the total timeframe of earning your degree. With this information, employers will be able to see the relevant coursework and resulting grades to determine if you have the knowledge and skills necessary to perform the position.
If you're on a time crunch, ordering transcripts from your university may take too long. When it comes close to graduation time, the administrative staff will have their hands full. If a potential employer wants to see your academic history, providing them with a copy of your transcripts can show them what classes you've taken and your g.p.a.
It's important to note that some employers may specifically ask for official transcripts from your university. In that case, sealed transcripts will be sent directly from your university to your prospective employer without going through you. This process is to ensure that there is no forgery and that all information is correct.
However, some employers might be okay with an unofficial transcript if they are using other ways of verifying your degree. If you need to provide your unofficial transcript quickly for a job interview, buying one from Same Day Diplomas will likely be a much faster process than going through your university. With both electronic downloads and hard copies available, you'll be able to get professional and authentic-looking transcripts in a short amount of time.
What to Do If You Don't Receive Your Diploma?
If you haven't received your diploma in the estimated window of delivery, then you should reach out to your school's registrar's office. It's possible that there was a mix-up in the office or during the mailing process. Diplomas may even be returned to the school if the address is undeliverable. If there is an error outside of your control, schools will often resend your diploma free of charge. However, it's important not to procrastinate contacting your school because if you wait too long after the fact, they might enforce a fee.
What If You Want Multiple Copies of Your Diploma?
With such an important document, you may not feel comfortable displaying your diploma in public. Or perhaps, you want to display your diploma in multiple locations. Whatever the reason, ordering multiple copies from the university is likely, not feasible. Because it's an important original document, universities will not issue copies of your diploma unless the original has been lost, stolen, or damaged.
On the bright side, there are other options for getting an authentic-looking diploma. Same Day Diplomas provide realistic diplomas that focus on the small details. The team works hard to create a replica diploma that has an appropriate seal, font, and size so it looks similar to your real one.
Graduating college is a scary and exciting time in your life. It's time for all of your hard work to be celebrated at graduation. However, applying to jobs can be tricky as a recent graduate. Your educational accomplishments will probably be under closer scrutiny as you won't have as much relevant job experience. In addition, your diploma also won't arrive for several weeks after graduation. Luckily, with a bit of preparation, not having a physical copy of your diploma won't stop you from landing a job. Same Day Diplomas can provide you with professional and polished academic transcripts that can showcase your knowledge, abilities, and educational success.