Given job offer even though I don't meet minimum requirements?

lonewolf123

Hi guys

I recently applied to some graduate jobs that I didn't meet the minimum requirements. However I still managed to get through to the interview stages and subsequently to an offer for one of them.

The condition was 2:1 and 320 UCAS points from the top 3 A-levels in the same year so pretty much this is saying that they don't accept resits. I got the 2:1 and additionally the 320 UCAS points but instead of it being in the same year, one of my A-levels are a year apart due to me resitting one of them. However I still got an offer at the end and the topic was never brought up the two times I went in for an interview.

I must stress that on the application form I did not hide anything and everything is correct despite not meeting the minimum requirements. However I still got offered a position. I'm not sure whether they have a hidden leeway or if the HR screwed up.

I have confirmed my acceptance of the offer and the next stage is for them to verify my results from my certificates. They will find out that I do not meet their minimum requirements but at the same time I didn't hide this either. Do they have the right to cancel my offer? Surely it's their fault in the first place?

Thanks

Two4Tuesday

It's likely to be fine. At the end of the day if you've been honest and you got an offer, then well done you!

At this point, worrying is only going to make you feel worse when you should be excited in the run up to a great job.

Congratulations :beer:

kloana

lonewolf123 wrote: »

Hi guys

I recently applied to some graduate jobs that I didn't meet the minimum requirements. However I still managed to get through to the interview stages and subsequently to an offer for one of them.

The condition was 2:1 and 320 UCAS points from the top 3 A-levels in the same year so pretty much this is saying that they don't accept resits. I got the 2:1 and additionally the 320 UCAS points but instead of it being in the same year, one of my A-levels are a year apart due to me resitting one of them. However I still got an offer at the end and the topic was never brought up the two times I went in for an interview.

I must stress that on the application form I did not hide anything and everything is correct despite not meeting the minimum requirements. However I still got offered a position. I'm not sure whether they have a hidden leeway or if the HR screwed up.

I have confirmed my acceptance of the offer and the next stage is for them to verify my results from my certificates. They will find out that I do not meet their minimum requirements but at the same time I didn't hide this either. Do they have the right to cancel my offer? Surely it's their fault in the first place?

Thanks

Tricky - if your 'lack' of UCAS points gained within the specified timeframe has already been noticed, you should have little to worry about here.

However, whether they've been noticed or not depends upon the sophistication of their application system. It may be a case whereby applicants are taken through automated application systems on the assumption that they do meet the requirements (as advertised/stated), subject to checking later. A particularly unsophisticated application system could, theoretically, 'pass' an applicant with no qualifications whatsoever, provided that they've been asked to confirm elsewhere that they do meet the stated requirements...

Your upcoming qualifications check may be to verify that you meet the 2:1/320 UCAS benchmark, or to verify that you do have the ('lower') qualifications you've stated. Only time will tell - or a phonecall to their HR/recruitment department.

Bear in mind that the people who interviewed you may have had no specific knowledge whatsoever of your qualifications, other than that you obviously met the requirements (in correctness, or in error).

Either way, they can withdraw the offer for whatever reason they like, provided that discrimination doesn't enter the equation (that is proper discrimination as defined in law - not 'discrimination' against having re-sat your A-levels ).

Good luck.

zzzLazyDaisy

kloana wrote: »

Either way, they can withdraw the offer for whatever reason they like, provided that discrimination doesn't enter the equation (that is proper discrimination as defined in law - not 'discrimination' against having re-sat your A-levels ).

And they can dismiss you during the first two years (less one week) of service, even if you have done nothing wrong (with the discrimination proviso referred to above).

robin58

Op, you ever thought the way you presented yourself at the interviews was the reason you got the job?

Personally I would rather employ someone who has the possibility of doing the job than just going by exam results.

Either way, good luck with your job.

theoretica

Congratulations! I am distinctly borderline for meeting the requirements for the job I have now. While they could withdraw the offer it would waste a lot of their effort after interviewing you twice.

Daedalus

Minimum requirements are merely used to reduce the number of applicants, they are rarely fixed nor rigid. They don't have time to interview every applicant to find the best so they used methods like CV and grade requirements to shortlist people. You impressed them with the interview, the fact you didn't meet one of their lesser requirements is not going to be a deal breaker.

silvercar

The recent A level system allows you to "cash in" your results at any point.

So if you had chosen to, you could have cashed-in your earlier results a year later and had them all on one certificate.

AT my son's school this was common practice. He took 3 A levels and 1 AS level. As the AS level (that you only study in the first year of 6th form) only gave him a low grade he didn't cash it in that year (in order that it would appear on his uni application as pending rather than the grade). He then cashed it in the following year, so that it appeared that he had done 3 A levels and 1 AS in the same year.

If it does become a sticking point for you, I would explain that you could have waited to cash them all in together and then they would be none the wiser.

pauletruth

you have the 2.1
you have the a levels
they interviewed you and offered you the job.

big deal you did one a year later. you have shown that your able to study to a high level.

i would not worry about it. if they decide to be that picky then maybe its not the job for you.

Voyager2002

Firstly, well done. You have obviously been selected against many well-qualified candidates, and have impressed the selection panel.

The chances are that everything will be fine. However, if the organisation is particularly bureaucratic the HR department might insist that you cannot be appointed (if they notice!). That would lead to an internal argument between HR and the department who recruited you, who clearly do not want to lose a good appointment and waste the time and trouble required to find another suitable person.

Do you have another job offer? If you intend to decline something else in order to accept this position, then think very carefully. Otherwise, probably it is best just to forget about this issue.

browneyedbazzi

I've been offered, accepted and done very well at a couple of jobs that I didn't meet the minimum criteria for - recruiting managers do often have some discretion so if the pool of candidates isn't what they expected they can choose to shortlist candidates that don't tick all the boxes. If you've made the shortlist on those grounds then been the best at interview then you can get the job. I think it's always worth taking a punt and applying for jobs when you tick all but one or two boxes - so long as you're honest in the application and interview they can't really hold it against you.

If you're thinking of rejecting another offer or giving up a current job to pursue this new one, then I'd probably ring HR and just bring their attention to the issue and check that they were aware and are still happy for the appointment to go ahead.