Will my university hinder my chances of getting the job i want?

Lokolo

Blacksheep1979 wrote: »

If by having to work harder and study something harder you mean not enjoy then you really aren't going to like or do well in the working world. I can't really think of any other reason to prefer Stoke on Trent (which is a pit) to the likes of Manchester, Leeds etc - far more fun places to live.

Yes I am 29, it still makes me most likely the best part of a decade older than you which in real world terms is quite a bit of experience and a hell of a lot more than you. I'm saying that he will fare far better with a masters than without - if you disagree with that then you obviously are rather stupid..

Thats what I mean, you don't at all know what you're talking about. Staffordshire University has 2 campuses; 1 in Stoke on Trent, which is Art and Humanties, 1 in Stafford which is Computing Enginerring and Technology. Both seperate from each other. I go to Stafford, which if you have ever been to, is an exceptionally nice town, very peaceful and out of city, which is what I actually wanted. I visisted quite a few universities and I hated all the city ones, my second choice was Portsmouth, which was still second as I preferred it here.

And the thing is, my uncle is senior software engineer and he hasn't got a degree what so ever. I can't remember who he works for, Micro something in Reading, and has a pretty good job with decent pay.

And yeh 10 years experience is a lot more than me, but I just don't feel as though a masters would be as good as you all say it is. You're all acting as though he is going nowhere with his life because of the university he is at.

melancholly

lokolo - YOU started the arguement.... no-one else did and you provoked those comments by insulting oxbridge graduates in post 2.

you go ahead and live in your delusional state that you will find it as easy to get a job as all the other thousands of gradutes with degrees these days. or take a reality check from Blacksheep and the rest of us. i am in a relationship with an IT manager with responsibility for recruitment who finds this whole thread comical. to even get a look in with a degree from anything below a top 40 uni, you would need one amazing cv with other plus points - i'm not trying to insult your university but you need to really really seriously consider how getting a degree (and in the course of this getting into debt) from some institutions will help your job prospects.

there are too many graduates and not enough jobs, coupled with a tanking economy. it is entirely ludicrous to believe that just having a degree will make employment easy - this is much more of an issue from a less prestigious university. to say anything else is just not fair - it gives false hope to people and students need to know what's going on to prepare. they can then make sure they have sufficient other things on their CV to give them a fighting chance.

(incidentally, if you think someone with Es at A level would fail at oxbridge, doesn't it rather prove the point that some courses are harder than others by your own words?

lokolo = the new studentphil?!

*off to edit ignore list*

Lokolo

You go and do that but the fact is you haven't read my posts what so ever. You are saying that the OP is not going to get a decent job with a masters. Simple as. I disagreed.

And the fact is the argument didn't start with my second post so I honestly don't think you know what you're saying.

And no I actually meant that the expections will be a lot higher at oxbridge hence why they will fail. How would you feel if you were surrounded by people that are a lot smarter than you? You don't feel great and you will suffer because of that.

[edit] also I know what you meant by the whole getting a degree from a university unless from top 40. my university knows this, hence why they do sandwich courses. I plan on doing my sandwich course at Accenture in London, which I think will help boost my CV for when I graduate, agree?

Also melancholly - just reading back through the posts you thought my stereotyping of oxbride students is wrong because you went to cambridge, which is fair enough you can not like me for that. but thats exactly what blacksheep is saying about expolys.

Blacksheep1979

Nope I said that the op wouldn't stand a chance of getting a job with a top end employer - someone like pwc etc without having something that makes him stand out (which a degree from an ex-poly won't) but an MA would help.

You're making things up as you come along - uncle who works for someone somewhere that you can't quite remember about has some sort of job with something maybe to do with computers and he possibly earns an ok wage.

As for sandwich courses/work experience, of course it helps - have you been accepted by Accenture yet?

Lokolo

I said I can't remember what company it is. He does earn a decent wage, you should see his house! And he is a senior software engineer, I did say. I asked him the other week because I was looking for my industrial placement so was looking at poistions like his. I am looking for the company now but I keep thinking, micro, microsft then sun micro systems, which isn't them lol.

Um I don't apply until start of second year so won't start applying yet. The uni actually gave us a list of employers who students usually go for and as I live (when not at uni), in High Wycombe, going in and out of London shouldn't be too bad. Also will apply to HP but Accenture are my main targets.

[edit] text mother, its Microfocus! Knew it was micro something!

Cardelia

Lokolo wrote: »

To be honest, its just like football. Once you are at the top there is very little chance you are coming down. Manchester United, Liverpool, Chelsea, Arsenal have hardly moved in years and years because of demand, because of this demand they can get more money, which then means they can stay at the top. Its the same with universities, once they are at the top they will stay at the top because they can. But then again, Wycombe (3 leagues below) drew with Chelsea 1-1 in the Carling Cup last season! And I know I know its not exactly the same but theres not so much of a difference that that people aren't going to do well in life because of the university they go to.

Sorry for dragging it back to this, but I fundamentally disagree with this analogy. Chelsea are only at the top because they've had a massive injection of cash. It would be like Leeds Met. (now Leeds Carnegie I believe) buying all the top academics in every field, bribing the top students to come and study there and then crowing about topping the league tables. Have they actually achieved anything through hard work and dedication? No, they've taken the easy route and thrown money at a problem until it's been solved. Any idiot can do that. Also, Man United were in Division 2 within the past 30 years and Liverpool haven't won the title for 20 years. Hardly shining examples of constant success.

Oh, and "Once you are at the top there is very little chance you are coming down"? Remind me, where exactly are Leeds United at this moment in time?

dmg24

Blacksheep1979 wrote: »

Nope I said that the op wouldn't stand a chance of getting a job with a top end employer - someone like pwc etc without having something that makes him stand out (which a degree from an ex-poly won't) but an MA would help.

You're making things up as you come along - uncle who works for someone somewhere that you can't quite remember about has some sort of job with something maybe to do with computers and he possibly earns an ok wage.

As for sandwich courses/work experience, of course it helps - have you been accepted by Accenture yet?

Whilst I think that you and Lokolo are both going round in circles and contradicting yourselves, I would like to correct you on the highlighted point.

The big four accountancy firms are not interested in which university you went to, as long as you have a 2.1 (or 2.2, depending on which area you are applying to) in a respected subject.

I know this for a fact, because I went to an ex poly, I do not have a Masters, and I was offered graduate positions with three of the four companies (I didn't apply to the other one due to location). I know many others who had the same academic background as me but with considerably less work experience, who were also successful.

It really is not difficult to get into accountancy anymore!

Lokolo

Cardelia wrote: »

Sorry for dragging it back to this, but I fundamentally disagree with this analogy. Chelsea are only at the top because they've had a massive injection of cash. It would be like Leeds Met. (now Leeds Carnegie I believe) buying all the top academics in every field, bribing the top students to come and study there and then crowing about topping the league tables. Have they actually achieved anything through hard work and dedication? No, they've taken the easy route and thrown money at a problem until it's been solved. Any idiot can do that. Also, Man United were in Division 2 within the past 30 years and Liverpool haven't won the title for 20 years. Hardly shining examples of constant success.

Oh, and "Once you are at the top there is very little chance you are coming down"? Remind me, where exactly are Leeds United at this moment in time?

Yeh I think this threads more or less dead now.

But what about Col U? They also had a massive cash injection, went up 2 leagues and now are heading straight back down. Happens in football too!

But as with Chelsea and Man United - do you really see them going down? Same with Oxbridge!

Nevermind eh. We'll see how the op is doing in 10 years :-)

Lokolo

dmg24 wrote: »

Whilst I think that you and Lokolo are both going round in circles and contradicting yourselves, I would like to correct you on the highlighted point.

The big four accountancy firms are not interested in which university you went to, as long as you have a 2.1 (or 2.2, depending on which area you are applying to) in a respected subject.

I know this for a fact, because I went to an ex poly, I do not have a Masters, and I was offered graduate positions with three of the four companies (I didn't apply to the other one due to location). I know many others who had the same academic background as me but with considerably less work experience, who were also successful.

It really is not difficult to get into accountancy anymore!

Yey I have a chance in life lol. :beer:

[edit]

i always contradict mysef and I never back down - if you want to blame anyone, blame my mum because thats who I got it off

Blacksheep1979

Well you have a chance if you want to do accountancy - maybe I was wrong about that but I know I'm right about employers in the IT field...