Getting a job and degree grades

Former Member

Do employers really care what grades you got on your degree?

Former Member

Namaste wrote: »

Do employers really care what grades you got on your degree?

Depends on the job and what level of company you want to work for. I know a lot of places won't even look at your CV if you don't have at least a 2:1in your degree, 2:2 is still ok.

Former Member

It depends. A lot of graduate placements ask for 2:1 as a minimum, and some ask for a first (because they're so competitive), but a lot of jobs will just ask for the degree and not specify what classification. But it's likely that if you're similar to another candidate and you got a 2:2 and they got a first they'll be picked over you for interview or whatever.

Former Member

All the grad jobs I looked at wanted min of a 2:1. I know my company won't look at someone if their predicted grade isn't...it's just one of the many ways of lowering the number of applications to look through.

Former Member

totally depends on the job. but they will be looking at experience too which in many cases adds up to meaning more than the difference between a 2.1 and a 2.2.

Former Member

Some do and some don't. It is, however, an easy way that recruitment agencies can use to screen out certain CVs, which is helpful when you have 200 applicants for 1 position, say.

Former Member

Depends on the job and the person looking at the CV. When my boyfriend was at his last company and had to look through CVs he was always put off by 1st class degrees and preferred people with 2.1s or 2.2s. That's just him though

Former Member

It depends on what job you want to do and where you want to do it.

I haven't had any problems applying for jobs with my 2.2 and I'm doing alright for myself in a legal charity. But I would find it hard to get a training contract with a corporate firm because I don't have a 2.1.

Most graduate schemes say that they want a 2.1, but if you're good enough they'll take you anyway. The Civil Service Fast Track only asks for a 2.2. and one of the boss' best friends is a City graduate banker with a 2.2.

If you're not going for a high-flying graduate career role (and you don't strike me as the sort to want to go and work 60 hour weeks for PwC) then it doesn't really matter.

Former Member

When I job-hunted 5 year ago, they were either 5 x A-C GCSE's or 5 years of experience. Nothing inbetween. It meant that a degree + zero experience was useless for me.