Job Discussion Forums

[gwynnie86]

Hi (again)... sorry to be a pain but I worry too much ....
My Interac interview is on the 27th, and they want me to bring a number of things to the interview (and send copies in advance).
Among these are
1) Passport photos, 3x4cm. The standard UK size is a little big bigger... so what do I do? Will I be able to get smaller ones somewhere? Also, do you think scanning my passport picture, shrinking it on Photoshop and printing on photo paper would work?...
2) My university degree and
3) A letter of graduation. Now, this is a problem. I will not actually graduate until 16th of July... and if successfull, would be flying out in August.... I explained this, and they said of course they would have to wait for me to get my degree in order to send these... BUT as they won't "be able" to decide whether I'm a suitable candidate before having all my documents.... that means I'll be told whether or not I'm going to Japan with a couple of weeks notice??
This would make it impossible for me to sort out cheap flights, a loan, and everything else in time. Plus I don't want to madly research Japan for the next 3 months and then get rejected.
Has anyone else been in this boat, and can you offer me any advice? Anything would be greatly appreciated! Thank you...

[Glenski]

They need none of that stuff just for an interview. They need it only if they have agreed to hire you. The stuff is for your visa application.

Bring what you can, don't expect them to say "you're hired" 5 minutes after the interview, and be prepared to get the letter of graduation (totally unnecessary anyway, whether for an interview or visa) as soon as you can.

If they tell you anything else about why these documents are needed, consider that a bullying tactic. Interac is not the only fish in the sea.

[seklarwia]

They do ask you to bring these to the interview but if you haven't graduated then you can't bring your certificate and letter of graduation/official transcripts.

Just give them standard passport size photos, that's not a problem. Same with if you get accepted and get your COE to take to the embassy, the form asks for some really wierd dimensions... but they'll also take a standard passport photo.

Due to my cheque being lost in the post then my uni messing up my transcripts when I tried to apply to JET, me applying to Interac at christmas and my interview being the first week of January, there was no way I could get either the graduation letter or transcripts in time for the interview. That wasn't a problem and I still got my offer a couple of days after the interview despite that. I suppose that I had already graduated though, so I could give them a copy of my degree certificate (they only need the original if you are not supplying a letter or set of transcripts). Maybe they might want to hold off on giving you an offer until you at least get confirmation that you have passed all your finals.

I graduated on the 7th July 2007 (I think) but I got my final confirmation letter to say that I had passed and would graduate at the end of May. Do you get anything like that?

I did ask the interviewer why they wanted all the things for the visa application before they had given an offer. She said that it was just easier to have all the things collected rather than having to chase things from the successful candidates later and that of course the British postal service was another concern (... enough said... read my cheque getting lost above!). So if she collects things in person, she can check that everything is in order then send it all off to Japan in one go.

[gwynnie86]

Thanks
I might have to talk to the university about a letter of graduation... I only have 2 more things to be assessed, I would have to mess them up really badly to not graduate! I at least know my graduation date now so I can warn the interviewer!