The UKs Top 50 Graduates Available Online Now

We have spent the last 3 months searching, screening and selecting the UKs top 50 graduates so you don't have to. Presented on our website as GRBs Hot Graduates you are exclusively invited to view their CVs today. Discover more...

ONE IN THREE GRADUATES ADMIT THEY COULD HAVE TRIED HARDER

With more and more employers using the 2:1 degree class as a screening tool in the graduate job selection process, a timely survey from Graduate Recruitment Bureau (GRB) reveals that 35% of respondents with a 2:2 admitted they did not work hard enough to get the grades.


According to Dan Hawes, GRB Co-Founder, "This refreshing honesty among graduates is welcome and might actually help them to find ways of overcoming what increasingly appears to be a barrier to graduate jobs. Employers do appreciate frankness and those who do not stick rigidly to the 2:1 class when screening candidates may well be impressed with a candidate who admits that they could have worked harder as long as they emphasise what else they have to offer."

A surprisingly high number of respondents pointed to external factors affecting their performance – financial, health and family issues affected 21% of graduates suggesting that employers should not jump to conclusions why results might have been low. A further 15% felt that the course they studied was much harder than they expected while 22% admitted that they did the best they could do suggesting perhaps that they were satisfied with their results.

Reflecting on the results, Hawes commented, "There is a growing emphasis on the need to achieve a 2:1 but employers should be reminded that the degree classification system in the UK is not intended to be a national standard so comparing one candidate with another on the basis of their degree award is potentially misleading. The results of this survey also suggest that other factors can affect individual performance. I'd suggest that recruiters of graduates, despite the rising number of applicants in the economic downturn, do their best to treat each application on its own merit and not to make assumptions as to why someone should obtain a lower second or a third class degree for that matter."

Graduate Schemes V Graduate Jobs

So the graduate class of 2010 face just as tough a jobs market as 2009. Of course in a recession and in slow growth phases employers are naturally cautious but lets look at the big picture. The AGR survey represents 199 recruiters - the big, well-known firms - offering 17,900 vacancies on graduate schemes but did you know that there are thousands more jobs with these employers and many others that are NOT on a scheme!

These jobs might not be well advertised and offer fast track promotion to management but they all require a degree with little or no experience. This slice of the jobs market often gets overlooked as they do not come under "graduate schemes" and as such gives a skewed view of the graduate jobs market. My message to graduates is look at the big picture, do your research, target niche areas and tailor your CV. What you read or hear about the graduate jobs market may only be the tip of the iceberg as many jobs for graduates are not advertised and remain in the hidden jobs market.

Meet GRB at the AGR Conference

Chris and Steve from GRB will be travelling down to Newport, Wales for the fantastic AGR Conference held at the Manor Resort Hotel next Monday/Tuesday. This has always been a high point in our calendar as it gives us an opportunity to meet our clients, learn something new, enjoy great food and get entertained! If you are coming look out for these two chaps during the two days.