WHAT CAN YOU DO WITH A 2:2?

With degree awarding ceremonies now completed, GRB reveals in their latest survey that Class of 2011 is equally as frank as last year’s crop of graduates when it comes to explaining why they might have achieved a 2:2 rather than a higher degree class.

This year 37% were prepared to admit they simply did not work hard enough - a rise of 2% over last year.  A further 25% claimed they had issues of one kind or another that affected their studies family, health or financial issues. One in five admitted that they worked as hard as they could and a
2:2 was the best they could achieve, down slightly on the previous year and 14% found their course harder than expected.

Dan Hawes, GRB Co-founder added, “Perhaps students don’t realise that unlike A Levels most universities won’t allow you to retake your final year exams so it’s really important to do your best possible attempt first time round. A 2:1 is a prerequisite for many graduate schemes but not all. In fact I got a 2:2 and it made me more determined so it’s not all bad you just have to be more creative in your job search.”

Research conducted by AGR this summer showed that three quarters of employers specified a 2:1 when recruiting which tends to suggest that those with a lower second or third have failed in some way which, of course, is not the case. It is refreshing to discover the honesty of graduates in
analyzing why they got a certain class of degree.

There are lots of reasons why some students don’t achieve as high marks as others and this research helps to put the degree classification contest into perspective. We should also bear in mind that the 2:1 is not a standard across the HE sector. The way in which students work is assessed varies not just
from university to university but also from course to course at the same institution.

GRB x York University

It was with great pleasure that I was able to personally coach 11 students yesterday on their CVs. After posting a message on our facebook page offering one-to-one CV coaching to any student society at York we were delighted that Daniel (pictured, right) responded. Daniel booked a suitable venue on campus between 10am-4pm and then I coached each student for 30 minutes. I met 11 switched-on students either in their first or second year who realised the importance of getting their CV right now and not leaving it until they graduated!

This is just the start of their journey as we plan to coach them every step of the way right up to job offer when they all graduate in the next few years. It really is vital you make the most of your time at Uni building up your CV with skills and experiences.

GRB now plan to make several more visits in the Autumn to help the nations students get the perfect CV. If you would like us to visit your campus email us at info@grb.uk.com

Great Expectations

The latest GRB poll of students and graduates revealed that 4 in 10 felt that their university was overrated. That’s a high proportion by any standards. 3 in 10 felt that their institution was underrated which leaves just less than a third satisfied that their university matched up to their expectations.

Expectations management is going to be a key challenge for higher education, following the shifts in funding which will raise fees to £9,000 per year for a majority of students from 2012.

Expectations of students, and their parents, will surely rise as fees soar? The hope must be that raised expectations will drive up standards and quality improvements to the benefit of all stakeholders however the challenge is not just about demonstrating value for money to investors in higher education.

Students must be helped to form realistic expectations of what they can expect. Readers of this blog will appreciate that going to university in itself does not guarantee anything, least of all a dream job. It is what you do at university that makes the difference. And that starts by choosing the right course at the right institution. The requirement for informed and impartial educational and careers guidance in our schools has never been greater. Informed decisions lead to increased commitment, raised ambitions, more realism and higher levels of individual responsibility.

Universities can play their part by providing access to information on what students can expect from courses and the destinations for previous cohorts of students. Greater transparency is essential if student expectations are to be at all realistic. The return that most students expect from their investment in HE is a better quality of life which is translated as a decent career. From day one, universities should be encouraging, indeed cajoling, students to prepare for their exit from university.

There are lots of practical steps that an institution can take to prepare their students for life beyond university. The key requirement is to ensure that student employability is taken seriously by academic as well as careers staff. Tutors should monitor student progress and issue tough love if warranted. Courses should be designed in such a way as to embed employability skills into the curriculum: for example, getting students to work together in project teams to develop work skills such as team working and project management.  Students should also be taught to reflect on their learning to understand what it is they have learnt and how it can be applied in the workplace.

Universities should strive to create an environment which is closer to the world of work, encompassing 21^st century work skills. More opportunities for students to undertake quality work experience are required along with greater employer engagement on campus. It’s a tough call but the stakes are high. If, beyond 2012, a high proportion of graduates look back on their experience and feel let down by their alma mater, the outlook for HE will be bleak. Nothing is more likely to damage future enrolments than a vociferous disenchanted bunch of graduates.

The Only Way Is Sussex!

In the spirit of next month's Brighton Festival, GRB are opening their doors to Sussex based students and graduates. Every Wednesday in May between 10am-4pm you are invited to an open day. Come and enjoy a coffee, a freebie and a free CV review.

Places are limited so please reply to d.hawes@grb.uk.com today!

Early Bird Catches The Worm

GRB’s latest poll reveals some shocking results – at least for graduate recruiters. Asked when they plan to start applying for jobs, 34% said not until after they have graduated. Add to this the 19% who plan to defer their job search until after their finals and more than one in two are not engaging in the jobs market during their final year.

Many employers open their applications season in the autumn when as few as 19% of students are ready to make job applications. We can surmise from this that a significant proportion of final year students are choosing not to aim for a graduate job in the year they graduate. This might explain in part why recruiters are receiving more and more applications from graduates from previous years.

Is this good practice? Well, the logic might be that gaining a decent degree is more important than getting into work so the emphasis is on study rather than job search and it is true that applying for jobs takes time and effort. However, the risk is that the market might deteriorate during the year and in 2012 there could be fewer jobs and greater competition. Students pay their money and make their choices. One hopes however that they have not made up their minds that there are very few jobs around so why bother. That kind of negative thinking almost certainly diminishes the prospect of getting a job, no matter what degree class the graduate obtains.

Click Here For Poll Results

Employers Offered Fast Track Route To New Talent

Graduate Recruitment Bureau (GRB) today launches their Rising Stars for 2011. Recruiters are invited to choose from our pick of the finest emerging talent, handpicked from ten of the UK’s top universities. After the great success of 2010's Rising Stars, GRB’s specialist consultants have screened and shortlisted fifty exceptional students from a range of degree disciplines graduating this summer.

The list is available online at: bit.ly/grbrisingstars

If companies couldn't find really strong graduates last year then they need get ahead of the competition and see this list – these students are truly exceptional. I have personally vetted every single one from hundreds that were shortlisted by the GRB team and they are all special in one way or another. I have one word of warning though; they will find work very quickly so recruiters have to act quickly to snap them up to start later this year. Last year our first Rising Star was snapped up within three weeks of the list being published with an offer of work in the summer.

How does it work? Employers need to visit bit.ly/grbrisingstars and request log in details. This will enable you to see a short summary of each candidate with the option to request a CV and Personality Profile and arrange an interview.

AGR Recruiters Want You In 2011

As members of the Association of Graduate Recruiters (AGR), the voice of mainly graduate scheme recruiters, GRB were invited to the Winter Survey Launch in London last night. Attended by MP David Willetts and chaired by Terence Perrin, the mood was upbeat and hopeful for 2011. Surprisingly, many AGR members had vacancies unfilled in 2010 which unfortunately didn't register with last year's graduates. A 3.8% increase in vacancies for 2011 across most sectors was encouraging and a message that needed to get out to graduates despondent with recent events.

GRB has also seen an uptick in business and would agree things have turned around but it is still an employers market with recruiters standing firm on graduate salaries with an unprecedented freeze on the average of £25,000 and sticking to high entry requirements of a 2.1 from a Russell Group university. Although this survey represented 222 recruiters offering 20,971 roles on schemes this was only 10% of the overall graduate jobs market. GRB have seen many graduates opting for non-scheme roles which makes up a huge part of the destinations for recent high calibre graduates. Here's a round up of how some of the media is reporting the survey;

BBC - http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/education-12266766
The Guardian - http://www.guardian.co.uk/money/2011/jan/25/graduates-employment-rise-outlook
Financial Times - http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/e633b398-27f9-11e0-8abc-00144feab49a.html