Is a 2.2 really that bad :(

BigBouncyBall

lol cheers - i can't stand reading job adverts from 'those' companies. They make me cringe - "do you have at least a 2.1...". It's such a narrow minded criteria. I wouldn't ever want to work for a company that would turn me away on the basis of a number.

i know they have to have some selection process, but it still wrangles me.

tiamaria

2:2 in Maths.. you'll have no problem getting work[/quote]

Tell my son that - 2:1 and only 1 interview in 10 months!:o

Christa1

Also, my son wanted to go on to do a masters but with a 2:2 couldn't find a course that he wanted as they all asked for a 2:1. Even now he would still like do go and do this. The costs for one at Strathclyde Buisness School were going to cost £20,000, so totally out of the question.

patchwork_cat

Bigbouncyball - johndep would find it hard to get a job as a pharmacist if he got a first even - he is doing a degree in Chemistry . Not the same your high street Pharmacist is not a Chemistry graduate! They are only called Chemists - you really ought to know better if you went to Manchester Uni to do Maths.

The job market has changed but there has always been problems finding work were you are going into a non-degree related career. If you have a degree from a redbrick you should be employable, however you may have to undertake a postgrad qualification that is relevant to your chosen career or at least at interview tell them that you would be willing to undertake further study. Also don't let the interviewer feel that this job is a stepping stone as under 27's have a reputation at the moment for moving on as soon as they become useful in a job.

The main thing is to get shortlisted so if you feel that leaving off your class of degree , then give it a try. Maybe in the meantime you could do some voluntary work or such to add substance to your CV.

What about training as an accountant?

pinkshoes

Companies often look at which uni you went to rather than what class of degree you got, but most importantly nowadays is work experience.

I left my 2:2 off my CV, and got my first job with no problem (in 2004). Just handed my notice in recently and start my new job soon, earning a very good salary! Both companies were interested in which uni I went to, but neither cared about the 2:2, as they were far more interested in my work experience.

bandraoi

With a 2.2 you need to apply to smaller local companies.

The bigger companies get hundreds of applications, and will generally sort them by crude criteria to get rid of some before interviewing. Usually that means the firsts get interviews and some of the 2.1's.

The smaller/more local companies don't usually shortlist as much beforehand, and once you have the interview it's all to play for.

From there, if working for a big company is really your thing you can apply for more senior roles in them in a year or two.

Rich__101

I was in the same situation a few years ago, I got a 2:2 from Manchester in Computer Science in 2001. A lot of my friends who got 2:1 managed to land graduate jobs and get on with their lives. I was stuck temping even though I was applying for everything I could. I didn't even get interviews and most didn't bother to even send a thanks but no thanks letter.

There is a problem in that a lot of graduate jobs simply bin any CVs that come in with anything less than a 2:1 on them (I have spoken to various people in later life who are involved in graduate recruitment and know this is the case in a lot of places). This often means that a 2:1 from (former polytechnic) in something you may not even consider to be a valid subject is often better than a 2:2 in something good from a top 20 uni. It's a sad state of affairs but with so many graduates these days it is the reality.

My advice would be to try 3 things:

1. Seriously consider a masters
2. As mentioned earlier, try not putting the classification on your CV and see if it gets better results
3. Apply for jobs at smaller companies even if the wage offered is a good deal less than you'd want. If you are any good this will pay off in the end.

I eventually managed to get a job at a smaller company doing something entirely unrelated to my degree. I am also studing to get a professional qualification that will be worth a lot more than my degree if I ever went for a new job.


Good luck!

Christa1

Rich 101- ,but how can you do a masters when it seems to be a 2:1 to get you there? I am not saying this is for all case I don't know but it was for him and his friend. This was the problem my son had, he wanted to go on. Also how is a masters funded?

melancholly

a masters is usually self-funded.... not always a whole lot of fun as the workload is much higher than an undergrad degree so working part time is more diffcult (not impossible by any means, but it's hard!). if you have a 2:2 and want to get onto a masters, it's worth ringing the department and speaking to them. they are usually flexible if you show some initiative - you may have to produce some examples of work or something like that.

Cardelia

Funding for a masters depends on the subject. For example, in chemistry there are a lot of fully funded masters degrees out there which will accept people who graduated with a 2:2. I even know of someone who got a third yet still wangled her way onto a fully funded masters course.

In my case, I got a 2:2 and ended up doing a part-funded masters degree. My tuition fees were paid for by the university and my supervisor provided £3000 for living allowances - if I needed more to live on then I had to find it myself.

For reference, funded masters degrees (and PhDs) are usually advertised here:

http://www.jobs.ac.uk/

Do a search for "chemistry" (or whatever subject area you're interested in) and it'll bring up lots of results. If you find that a 2:1 is the minimum requirement but the project really interests you, e-mail the supervisor in question and ask nicely if they will consider you with a 2:2. Some may, some may not, but you don't lose anything by asking.