Graduate job seeking with a 2.2

Thony

Hi all,

In July I will be graduating from Bath uni with a 2.2 in maths and moving to Basingstoke.

As of yet I don't have a job lined up or any idea what I want to do. I want to try and find a finance job which will offer further training but am struggling to find anything. Going against me is the fact that I don't have any financial background having only worked in hospitality previously.

Does anyone have any advice on what sort of job I should be applying for and where I should look? So far I've been looking at jobcentreplus, reed, fish4jobs etc. Should I aim high and go for jobs that ask for a 2.1 and experience (when I have neither) or should I try and start at the bottom with reception/admin jobs and try to work my way up?

Thanks for you help

suicidebob

Thony wrote: »

Hi all,

In July I will be graduating from Bath uni with a 2.2 in maths and moving to Basingstoke.

As of yet I don't have a job lined up or any idea what I want to do. I want to try and find a finance job which will offer further training but am struggling to find anything. Going against me is the fact that I don't have any financial background having only worked in hospitality previously.

Does anyone have any advice on what sort of job I should be applying for and where I should look? So far I've been looking at jobcentreplus, reed, fish4jobs etc. Should I aim high and go for jobs that ask for a 2.1 and experience (when I have neither) or should I try and start at the bottom with reception/admin jobs and try to work my way up?

Thanks for you help

Why not stick with hospitality? Turnover at hotels is so high that positions come up quite regularly.

You'll deal with invoicing, issues with credit cards, cashing up. Do this well and the finance department will notice.

I spent 3 months working on a reception desk before a position in finance came up. Most 4* hotels will use the same systems for checking in as they do for producing accounts, so having this knowledge will put you in a good position to transfer to Finance.

I then spent the next year or so working with reception on finance issues, and we quickly became one of the best performers in the group. Once you transfer to finance, you'll have a better understanding of how all departments work together.

Entry level positions are likely to pay around £15K, but you should be looking at promotion within a year or so. Plus, training programs are usually on the go as there's a shortage of quality FCs in the hospitality industry.

dmg24

Given that the graduate market is flooded with applicants who have 2.1's and experience, I fear you are setting yourself up for disappointment if you concentrate on such positions.

GothicStirling

I don't know my degree classification yet, but I'm not really looking at graduate schemes at the moment. I'm over the moon to have just got an interview on Friday for a catering assistant job.

If I get the job, then I start worrying about looking into graduate level jobs.

goodgirl80

Do you want fries with that?

kksweety

I graduated last year with a 2:2 in microbiology and applied for every job I could. I ended up with a research job that had hundreds of applications and even some from abroad with masters!

There is hope!

kksweety

If you can manage financially, it might be worth offering to work for free for a bit to get experience... I know in the other half's office they had someone doing 1 day a week for free.

ferien_uk2011

Thony wrote: »

Should I aim high and go for jobs that ask for a 2.1 and experience (when I have neither) or should I try and start at the bottom with reception/admin jobs and try to work my way up?

Thanks for you help

Try applying for a wide range of jobs, then you'll find out for yourself. You may as well at least try applying for graduate positions rather than just assuming they won't have you. But also apply for non-graduate ones so you're not putting all your eggs in one basket.

hcb42

I also work in hospitality (revenue management) - it is a good way in if you have contacts, especially in four/five star where there will invariably be more financial positions on site. FC at a hotel like that could earn £45-50K potentially. (although you will be starting on rock bottom wages, as most positions don't require much prior experience or financial qualifications..)

Reactive

dmg24 wrote: »

Given that the graduate market is flooded with applicants who have 2.1's and experience, I fear you are setting yourself up for disappointment if you concentrate on such positions.

It takes brains to graduate with a math degree. Unlike the majority of degrees awarded these days. Fair play to the OP.

Reactive

Thony wrote: »

Hi all,

In July I will be graduating from Bath uni with a 2.2 in maths and moving to Basingstoke.

As of yet I don't have a job lined up or any idea what I want to do. I want to try and find a finance job which will offer further training but am struggling to find anything. Going against me is the fact that I don't have any financial background having only worked in hospitality previously.

Does anyone have any advice on what sort of job I should be applying for and where I should look? So far I've been looking at jobcentreplus, reed, fish4jobs etc. Should I aim high and go for jobs that ask for a 2.1 and experience (when I have neither) or should I try and start at the bottom with reception/admin jobs and try to work my way up?

Thanks for you help

You're in a very strong position with a math degree (even if it is a 2:2). Well done by the way!

I'd much rather have a 2:2 in math than a 1st in pretty much anything else!