Can I still call myself a graduate if I completed an ordinary degree 5 years ago?

Broads.ie · 01-03-2012 02:30PM #1

I want to call myself a graduate on my CV but am not really sure whether this term is reserved just for recent graduates, or generally anyone with some form of 3rd level education no matter how old.

Chinafoot · 01-03-2012 06:15PM

It was always my understanding that "graduates" are people recently finished college who are looking for their first 'proper' job in or around their field of study. Entry level jobs and the like. Open to correction though!

5 years might be pushing it tbh.

Bannasidhe · 01-03-2012 06:19PM

Chinafoot wrote: »

It was always my understanding that "graduates" are people recently finished college who are looking for their first 'proper' job in or around their field of study. Entry level jobs and the like. Open to correction though!

5 years might be pushing it tbh.

My understanding would be that a 'graduate' in this context is someone who has graduated from a third level institution - how long ago that was is immaterial.

Broads.ie · 01-03-2012 08:00PM

All the definitions of graduate I could find mention nothing about time.

danthefan · 01-03-2012 09:33PM

Was wondering this myself, I left college in 2010 and have been working since, there's one particular graduate program I'd like to apply to in Dublin but was wondering if I'm too far past graduating now to be considered. Will apply anyway and see what happens.

PaulieBoy · 01-03-2012 09:41PM

Chinafoot wrote: »

It was always my understanding that "graduates" are people recently finished college who are looking for their first 'proper' job in or around their field of study. Entry level jobs and the like. Open to correction though!

5 years might be pushing it tbh.

Well your understanding is totally wide of the mark!
A graduate is someone who graduated from a course, once they graduate from that course they are a graduate. No passing of time undoes that fact.
There is such a thing as a 'recent graduate' which is perhaps what you are thinking off ? You are a graduate for life, it is not withdrawn after a period of time.

Eoin · 01-03-2012 10:56PM

Getting away from the dictionary definitions, if someone is looking to hire graduates, it generally means someone pretty fresh out of college. And they're going to pay accordingly.

That's not to say they'll turn away someone who graduated 5 years ago, but it does often mean they've a certain profile of candidate in mind. Rightly or wrongly, they might specifically be looking for younger people to hire for whatever reasons.

Out of interest, in what context are you putting "graduate" in your CV? It's not a job title - are you putting it in a personal statement or something?

Chinafoot · 01-03-2012 11:09PM

PaulieBoy wrote: »

Well your understanding is totally wide of the mark!
A graduate is someone who graduated from a course, once they graduate from that course they are a graduate. No passing of time undoes that fact.
There is such a thing as a 'recent graduate' which is perhaps what you are thinking off ? You are a graduate for life, it is not withdrawn after a period of time.

We are talking in the context of looking for work yes? Not just "I have a college degree therefore I am a college graduate." I am aware of the literal definition of the word, thanks.

Companies that recruit for "graduate positions" are generally looking for people recently finished college, who may have little experience, and who will be working in entry level positions.

Broads.ie · 02-03-2012 06:03AM

Eoin wrote: »

Out of interest, in what context are you putting "graduate" in your CV? It's not a job title - are you putting it in a personal statement or something?

It's for a personal statement, yes. I'm not applying for a specific job that requires a recent graduate, but I do need to call myself something in the statement.

From reading the reactions here, I guess calling myself a graduate would be almost dishonest in a way, which is a load of bollocks, but that's just the way it is. I feel like throwing my degree in the fire.

Do you have any suggestions as to what I could call myself other than graduate?

For example, a "handsome, intelligent, arrogant .... individual? young man...?"

Mellor · 02-03-2012 06:13AM

I wouldn't bother with a personal statement. Your CV is about the facts of your carer so far, not if you perfer cats ot dogs or who you support.

You can say graduate if you like, I jsut think its a bit weird. why would you sell yourself short like that.

Broads.ie · 02-03-2012 07:54AM

Mellor wrote: »

I wouldn't bother with a personal statement. Your CV is about the facts of your carer so far, not if you perfer cats ot dogs or who you support.

You can say graduate if you like, I jsut think its a bit weird. why would you sell yourself short like that.

And who are you?

Your spelling is all over the shop. I'm guessing you're in bits after a night out.

I'm writing a personal statement because I'm seeking work overseas and that's just the way they do things.

Eoin · 02-03-2012 10:55AM

Broads.ie wrote: »

And who are you?

Your spelling is all over the shop. I'm guessing you're in bits after a night out.

No need for that, cut it out.

Broads.ie wrote: »

I'm writing a personal statement because I'm seeking work overseas and that's just the way they do things.

Of course you are still a graduate. It just depends on the context of how you say it when it comes to employment. And if you're working abroad, then maybe there's not much point in getting into the semantics of how the word is used in Ireland.

Chinafoot · 02-03-2012 05:39PM

Broads.ie wrote: »

Do you have any suggestions as to what I could call myself other than graduate?

For example, a "handsome, intelligent, arrogant .... individual? young man...?"

Why don't you say something like "I am a hardworking, focused, ambitious individual, with a degree in 'x' from 'y' college and experience in..." ?

Jim2007 · 03-03-2012 09:19AM

Chinafoot wrote: »

Why don't you say something like "I am a hardworking, focused, ambitious individual, with a degree in 'x' from 'y' college and experience in..." ?

And don't forget to mention: "I'm an expert in Cut & Paste"

The summary/overview/objectives, call it what you want, is the only part of a resume where you can really set yourself apart, so make it count! Otherwise, you will just come off as another one of the one hundred hardworking, focused, ambitious individuals who applied for the job.

While doing some recruiting work in the UK a few years ago, we can across a resume where the person's stated career objective was something like: "To obtain sufficient job application rejections each month to enable me to continue claiming unemployment benefit of the foreseeable future" Interesting enough he became the one candidate everyone on the panel wanted to meet, we all wanted to know if he was just being sarcastic or just plain dumb! He got the job.

Chinafoot · 03-03-2012 10:46AM

Jim2007 wrote: »

And don't forget to mention: "I'm an expert in Cut & Paste" The summary/overview/objectives, call it what you want, is the only part of a resume where you can really set yourself apart, so make it count! Otherwise, you will just come off as another one of the one hundred hardworking, focused, ambitious individuals who applied for the job.
.

The point of what I posted was to show the OP how he can incorporate the fact that he has a degree without referring to himself as a graduate which is a term that implies straight out of college, feck all experience and will work for peanuts.

The words I used at the beginning of the sentence are not the important part. Feel free to actually offer an alternative though, you know, instead of just being condescending and insulting.

Rossin · 03-03-2012 10:57AM

Cool story though!

jon1981 · 03-03-2012 07:04PM

To be honest the only opinion that matters is that of the employer you are seeking employment from. If you want to refer to yourself as a graduate to pursue a graduate position in a company, then I can understand your question.

Typically employers normally throw in the caveat of "must have graduated in the last 2 years"

Mellor · 04-03-2012 09:08AM

Broads.ie wrote: »

And who are you?

Your spelling is all over the shop. I'm guessing you're in bits after a night out.

I'm writing a personal statement because I'm seeking work overseas and that's just the way they do things.

Touch screen phone and stubby fingers means I spellz bad.

Where overseas? Just asking because any Irish CVs that come into our office get CC's to me. Almost always would they would be better off if they trimmed the info down.

dory · 04-03-2012 03:40PM

You wouldn't hear the term 'recent graduate' if every graduate was recent. Therefore....use the term all you like!

Can I still call myself a graduate if I completed an ordinary degree 5 years ago?

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