Electrical Sales - My Rights At Work!

lynzpower

Person_one wrote: »

Anything less than a 2:1 will stop you getting onto post grad courses and into lots of graduate entry jobs, so while it might not 'blight your life' it will seriously restrict your options and is definitely not worth risking for the sake of a part time job.

Er, no it wont!

But yes, I agree, the part time job should go, and shouldn't jeopardize his education but please, getting a 2:2 or a 3rd- although no ideal doesn't block your career AT ALL.

Person_one

lynzpower wrote: »

Er, no it wont!

But yes, I agree, the part time job should go, and shouldn't jeopardize his education but please, getting a 2:2 or a 3rd- although no ideal doesn't block your career AT ALL.

That's not helpful advice, I have personally seen many masters and other post grad courses that state 2:1 as a minimum entry requirement and friends on GE schemes needed a 2:1 for the most part to get on.

Its possible to have a great career with a 2:2 or a 3rd it does close off some options, whether you accept that or not.

getmore4less

This is clasic case of where you have to be aware of any restrictions on other work(paid or not) when you take on a role.

Being a student is another job and comes with commitments that an employer needs to be aware of

If the employer has restrictions(if not you are fine) these extra commitments should have been communicated and approved at the time of taking the job

Tell the employer that you cannot do extra hours because you have another job to do so cannot do any extended hours at this time.

emilyteach1

Person_one wrote: »

Anything less than a 2:1 will stop you getting onto post grad courses and into lots of graduate entry jobs, so while it might not 'blight your life' it will seriously restrict your options and is definitely not worth risking for the sake of a part time job.

I'm lucky enough / worked hard enough to gain a 2.1, but I've seen tons of jobs and postgrad courses that will accept 2.2s.

I don't have a postgraduate degree as such [I have a PGCE] and I've been looking into Masters lately. I'm based in Liverpool, and if you include the Manchester area, there are perhaps 10 or so universities locally. Two redbricks, a couple of middle of the road ex-polys, and a couple of VERY new universities, spanning the 'best' to the 'worst' of what the education system has to offer. All of the Masters courses I've perused accept 2.2 candidates, at the very least by accepting them to study a PGDip with an upgrade to Masters pending pass grades at PGDip. Since most Masters are essentially PGDips + dissertation module, this seems sensible to me.

I'd agree somewhat with a 2.1 being a must for a lot of graduate jobs, but on the other hand there's also a LOT you can do with a 2.2, also. The most competitive graduate schemes seem to ask for 2.1 from 'reputable' universities [subtly implying that if you've studied at a post-1992 institution, you can forget it], PLUS top A-Levels, PLUS a wealth of experience and extraordinary attributes. But that's to be expected really, especially when times are hard in the job market. However, graduate schemes themselves aren't the be all and end all of graduate employment. I tick a lot of graduate scheme 'wanted' boxes, but I've never even applied for one, I've always sought employment elsewhere.

THIRD class degrees, however, seem to be a different matter. I don't know anybody with one, but I suspect that it'd create a lot of barriers to employment and postgrad study.

I guess the point for the OP, though, is that it'd be disappointing to accept a lower grade band if you were capable of higher, just because some silly job got in the way.

kiddy_guy

I'm sorry to take the OP's thread off on this tangent, but people saying 2:i, or even 2:ii are the minimums - I would dispute this.

Yes, if you want to become a teacher, or go on a grad training programme with a blue chip company, I'd agree. However, given that there are so many graduates nowadays, the fact is that these Blue chip companies will be looking for first class honours to differentiate. Ultimately 2:i or 2:ii is unlikely to make the difference.

And even then, as I mentioned previously, other factors are likely to make more of a difference. In this current climate where people are laying off rather than taking on, the pool from which to choose is much greater and I've had applicants that are taking jobs well below their level. I've actually had applicants looking for jobs below me who are qualified at my Director level! :eek: We had 40 applicants for an entry level position, when 5 years ago we might have had 10 who fitted the criteria.

For interest I have a 3rd class honours from a Top 10 University, and it has never held me back. By the age of 25 I was paid more and at a higher level than virtually all of my class who had chosen either to become teachers or gone on the aforementioned graduates training schemes. And I still am.

emilyteach1

kiddy_guy wrote: »

However, given that there are so many graduates nowadays, the fact is that these Blue chip companies will be looking for first class honours to differentiate.

On that note [and again, sorry, getting off topic here]:

I studied alongside someone who became a good friend of mine [read: boyfriend for a brief spell], who had already gained a degree elsewhere, in a different subject. He got a 3rd, but it was a matter of a complete lack of interest in the subject rather than academic incompetence.

Anyway, having started afresh, he gained a 2.1 in his second degree, and went on to study a Masters. Upon applying for certain graduate schemes, he couldn’t get past quite a few of the [computer-based] initial screening application forms, as the companies were asking ‘did you obtain a 2.1 in your first degree?’. He looked under the application FAQs to see whether or not there was any flexibility for his own case, but there wasn’t [there were questions dedicated to ‘I have 2 degrees, my second degree is my 2.1, can I apply?’ – NO and ‘I have a 2.2 and a Masters degree, can I apply?’ - NO].

THAT is ridiculous. I know times are hard economically [however, this was before the recession], but for companies to offer no flexibility for false starts, bad course choices, etc. is plain silly. It’s as though they expect everyone to have their lives perfectly mapped out at age 18, and that they will select a course that is absolutely, 100% right for the rest of their life.

Out of interest, the companies included PWC and Deloitte. Great grad schemes from great companies, no doubt, but I smell a massive dose of short-sightedness on their part.

kiddy_guy

I agree Emily - very short sighted.

However he's applying for PWC and Deloitte. If he was applying for Mcdonalds and B&Q I would be shocked, but as it stands he's trying to apply for 2 of the most difficult companies to get a job with, so no real surprise. Many friends of mine with 1st class honours got knocked back by them. They take the best of the best.

SingleSue

kiddy_guy wrote: »

I'm sorry to take the OP's thread off on this tangent, but people saying 2:i, or even 2:ii are the minimums - I would dispute this.

Yes, if you want to become a teacher, or go on a grad training programme with a blue chip company, I'd agree. However, given that there are so many graduates nowadays, the fact is that these Blue chip companies will be looking for first class honours to differentiate. Ultimately 2:i or 2:ii is unlikely to make the difference.

And even then, as I mentioned previously, other factors are likely to make more of a difference. In this current climate where people are laying off rather than taking on, the pool from which to choose is much greater and I've had applicants that are taking jobs well below their level. I've actually had applicants looking for jobs below me who are qualified at my Director level! :eek: We had 40 applicants for an entry level position, when 5 years ago we might have had 10 who fitted the criteria.

For interest I have a 3rd class honours from a Top 10 University, and it has never held me back. By the age of 25 I was paid more and at a higher level than virtually all of my class who had chosen either to become teachers or gone on the aforementioned graduates training schemes. And I still am.

I didn't have a degree or A levels but by the age of 21, had made manager level in a corporate setting and was a high rate tax payer....mind you, that was the early 90's which was a completely different world to today.

I am now studying for my degree via OU as the lack of it is now holding me back, despite having years and years of an exemplary work record.

Middy

bristol_pilot wrote: »

Final year of uni - drop the job. Anything less than a 2.1 will blight your career for life. Debt can be paid off, those uni marks are irretrievable.

That was my biggest regret. I worked for a clothing catalogue call centre and for my final year at uni, I worked 10 of the days between 15-30th Dec, doing 10 hours shift and the day of the final day to order to guarantee Christmas delivery - 7am -10pm! So I had 4 or 5 days to do uni work. I did receive about £750 in pay, back in 2002.

I almost got a 2:1 (overall grade was 59.3%) and if I just put in an extra day of work or two into my coursework, I would have got my 2:1, got a better career etc.

I am now working for a supermarket on the checkouts after having various other jobs in call centres and customer service.

Then again, in my current role, I have made some colleagues that are BFFs and I wouldn't met them if I got a 2:1. I probably saw them as nice friendly shop assistants from a customer point of view.

I have just read some posts that you can go far with a 2:2. Not in my subject and what I wanted to apply for.

bristol_pilot

The world has moved on. Those that got a 'third' prior to the expansion of higher education (aka dumbing down of higher education) were still able to get a start on a graduate career with many employers. Now 50% or so of school leavers go to uni and there has been a good deal of grade inflation which employers are fully aware of. A 2.2 was very good when my parents went to uni, OK when I went and now it excludes the graduate from many opportunities. The days when you could get a poor degree but still get into a Company because you played rugger or ran the student newspaper have also gone.

Many people who do not have good quals but have worked their way up to senior level within a Company are often in for a shock if made redundant in mid-career when they find they do not meet the 'minimum person spec' of potential replacement employers.