<p>Heres the situation…</p>
<p>-Undergrad graduation ceremony
-I’m an out-of-state student
-Parents/siblings will NOT be attending (too much hassle/long travel)
-I DON’T want to go. I simply don’t need anyone or anything to confirm my accomplishments. So the ceremony itself means nothing to me.</p>
<p>Problem:
My future employer is an alumni. He will be attending the undergrad graduation ceremony and is giving a commencement speech but NOT for my college program.</p>
<p>My parents STRONGLY suggest I should still attend the ceremony simply to not seem “unproud” of graduating from my school. Needless to say… I don’t feel “unproud” in nay way. I am just not interested in the ceremony and would prefer to spend my time and money elsewhere.</p>
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<p>Pretend you are my employer. Would you see me as disrespectful or lose respect for me if I don’t attend? (With valid excuses and notifying him in advance I won’t be going)</p>
<p>My reasons: family not attending, road trip with friends, spend time with family back home (since I won’t see them as much after I take the job)</p>
<p>Is this a direct manager who will easily remember your name/face from the interview, or someone who might not even notice that you’re not there? </p>
<p>Personally I still wouldn’t go. If you already have the job offer in hand and are ready to start, you can simply explain to them that it was a long and costly trip for you to make and at that moment (not yet employed), you couldn’t justify it - especially if your family wouldn’t be there to support you anyway. They will know you’re out of state or relocating, whatever the situation may be. And if you tell them about it in advance, there should be no problem. They would need to be a pretty petty manager to care that much.</p>
<p>If I was the employer, I honestly wouldn’t even notice.</p>
<p>If he asks, then just say that you had planned a trip with friends that conflicted and you weren’t able to make it. No one will care. If you’re really worried about seeming proud of your school, then that will be seen by how you act and talk about the school, not whether or not you attended the graduation ceremony.</p>
<p>@NovaLynnx </p>
<p>It won’t be my DIRECT manager but I will be working in his department. Basically my direct manager’s boss.
The main problem is… I didn’t get the job the traditional method. IE: application/interview
It was sort of a family business connection situation. </p>
<p>How is that a problem? It still shouldn’t make a difference at all. Graduation ceremonies don’t mean that much to everyone.</p>
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<p>It really doesn’t make a difference. Why would they care if you went or not? Going to graduation does not make you seem more proud of your school than someone else. I knew a person who was invited to sit on stage with the faculty during graduation because of an award she had won, but still didn’t go to graduation because she had planned a trip to Paris with her friends right after finals. No one lost respect, and everyone thought she should go on the trip instead.</p>
<p>Is this person your family connection to the company? Or is it someone else?</p>
<p>If you’re really so worried about it, then just suck it up and go. But I personally don’t think anyone will care.</p>