yorkshire_lass

I know lots of people on here are very well informed and I need urgent advice.

I applied for a job, requirements included 'Must have a Bachelor's Degree'. I have a BA Hons from Leeds University UK, I also have a PGCE (qualified teacher status). the job wanted someone who preferable had experience of teaching (me! me!)

Anyway, the interviewer was really happy with me and we chatted for ages, she said they have only had 6 applicants for the job so far and I am the only one who has any teaching experience, so I am best qualified for the job and she liked what she heard in the interview. She called me this afternoon saying she had called her manager because she wanted to recommend me for the job (final say is with the manager) and then the bomb drops - she told me the manager said she should make sure that my degree is from a US accredited university. Well it isn't but I have offered to pay for my degree evaluating. She is going to put this to her manager and I am going in to see her tomorrow.

What I want to ask is: 1. Have any of you have your qualifications evaluated and know of good credential evaluators to use? and 2. If they don't offer me the job on the basis of my degree not being American, even with me offering to pay for evaluation, isn't that a form of discrimination based on nationality?
I am a permanent resident and have EAD etc. the only prob they seem to have is the degree not being American, but with the PGCE on top surely my qualifications are higher than an American BA would be?

kevntrace

A quick google of "education evaluators" turned up at least two possible firms that will do this work as the first 2 links.

I had a similar thing happen when I applied for my first job in the US. The hiring company applying for my H1B visa had to provide documentary evidence my degree was equivalent to an American degree.

Shouldn't be a biggie, so long as the "manager" understands what these firms do, and trusts their response. Don't know how much it costs, that was all taken care of by my employer.

Best of luck.

yorkshire_lass

Thanks for your reply. I have found a few firms who do the evaluations, some say you have to send original docs, some say you can fax copies, some want to contact the university themselves. The ones who let you fax copies in have a fast turn around which is what I need, but not sure if they are as reputable as the other ones. I don't think the manager has any clue about these companies and what they do or else she would have said that this needed doing, she just said they didn't want me if my degree wasn't from an American uni! It is me who suggested the evaluation. I am amazed, this is a big company, it is international and has offices in the UK!!

kevntrace

If its a large, multinational firm, maybe the HR department could provide some advice to the hiring manager about these evaluators? Maybe even recommend one?

ScousePete

The big two are www.wes.org and www.ece.org

An American who doesn't know there is a world outside the US? No way!

BigDavyG

If its an international company surely they should be able to sort this matter out internally by contacting one of their UK staff.
Would it not be enough for you just to contact your old uni, explain this situation and ask for some written confirmation of your degree status or a contact at the uni that you could put the potential employer in touch with.

As for your point about discrimination - you probably have a case but it sounds to me just like the hiring manager is a bit of a numpty. I'm sure that you'll be able to get this resolved without too much trouble.

I've always wondered if the whole credit rating thing over here amounts to discrimination against immigrants as it is virtually impossible for a non-resident to have built up US credit history prior to their arrival and so the rules currently in place discriminate against immigrants.

CarlM

It still amazes me when Yanks have the audacity to even try and compare a US degree to a UK one. (And i work for a US college!)

Teach3r

I moved here last year (04) having taught for 5 yrs in UK. My docs went through evaluation agency but be warned - takes over 6mths to get evaluated b4 u can even apply for certification - I would contact the County direct and speak to HR to find out their own procedures / company they use. Ive given up in public sector and now teach private having been mucked about my Tallahasse and lack of Notarised documents - having spent over 400 bucks getting it evaluated. Any more info let me know

fatbrit

Evaluation of credentials is all alchemy, anyway. I wouldn't bother wasting $400 -- if the company want's you they'll offer you the job, and if it's already reserved for the senior director's brother-in-law's best mate they won't. And no, they aren't breaking the law. Even though they are probably shortchanging their shareholders and customers.

What I would suggest you do, whether you get the job or not, is looking to get some US credentials on your resume. One option would be to get a state teaching license. For my wife (European university teaching degree), it was an evaluation of her degree by the company recommended by the state (($120 and one week) and taking the test (another $100 and so easy you couldn't fail she said) and fingerprinting. She has never used the license but it always goes on her resume, the obvious argument being if the state accepts my teaching credentials wtf don't you!

Another thing you should be looking towards is working for a company who will contribute to your Master's. It's all utter crap, but they love a Master's here and it will make you very marketable. You can do it on-line or in the evenings if you want and intellectually it's about the level of the eleven-plus. My wife's chose her first job with a bank solely because of the tuition reimbursement -- they paid for her US Master's degree.

AdobePinon

Don't bother going there. I'd go with fatbrit's advice. They are entitled to ask for a US qualification if they so mistakenly want, and as far as I know foreign nationals are not a protected class (unlike race). Beside which, it wouldn't be worth starting a job with that kind of 'discussion' as a foundation.

If they bite on the 'evaluation of qualifications', I (in my totally unprofessional opinion) think you should first try to get a contract signed contingent on i) the evaluation being performed, ii) a specific and expected finding of the evaluation acceptable to both parties. Otherwise I'd guess you'd be wasting your money.

If they want you, they want you. Else they'll find any number of excuses.

NC Penguin

Sounds like potential discrimination here. Check the job application desciption carefully. Does it say anywhere that applicants must have a degree from a US accredited university? If not, ask the interviewer, or even better, the manager to explain why the applicant should have "a US accredited" degree? The point is how is having a US accredited degree pertinent to the job.

Not had any of my academic qualifications "evaluated". I put the word in speech marks because companies that provide such service are not regulated in any way so anybody can set up a business to offer evaluated. So, you take your chances with asking for evaluation.

Do you have an official transcript of your degree (and possibly your PGCE) from the awarding institution? If you have such a document (preferably with official stamp and on the institution's headed notepaper), this may be of help.



NC Penguin

AdobePinon

Wouldn't matter, unless (maybe) it's a government job. They're free to make it up as they go along.

uktoamerica

Ok. This annoys me. Despite my many spelling errors (I type too fast and am too lazy to spell check)...I have five university degrees. Three from America, two from the UK.

I came to the UK as a post graduate student (Universities of Manchester and London) and was expecting a real challenge.....I grew up hearing...and still hear (and it annoys me to death) that American colleges/Universities were not as good as their UK counterparts. This is ridiculous. Get a crap uni in the US (or a small crap college) and compare it to a good school in the UK and of course the UK one will trump. Get a respectable standard uni or ivy league uni in america and compare it to the UK counterpart (respectable or ivy equivs) and they are in every way equals.

Its ridiculous that American employers even hesitate to recognise a British degree. But its equally ridiculous to assume UK unis are generally better.

There is an annoying stereotype going around that Americans are intellectual inferiors to the British.

I get this all the time from my UK 'book buddies' and I feel like telling them...I grew up in a holler in WV and still kicked LSE all over the place.

There's no difference. Standards smandards. I got an honours on coursework that I, myself, would never have given so much as a pass mark to. I appreciated it at the time because I had other more important things to do like drinking. But in retrospect....I just think...'what the freak!'.

So dont be so judgmental.

They are just as good and just as bad as one another.

(and again.....its stupid that a US employer doesnt have enough sense to know UK degrees are equal to US ones.)

Arghh.....(Sorry...but I have real issues with this.....I get the same stuff from my American buddies because Im from WV....arghh again!)

fatbrit

Would that Manchester place be near London then or in Scotland?
What language do they speak there?
What was it like living in a place with no freedom of speech?
Do they all have yellow teeth?
Did you meet Princess Di and have tea with her?

nethead

Wow, you must really love being a student.