A 2:1 Isn’t Good Enough?

July 6, 2012
By: Ozel Rowland

According to the Guardian this may actually be true for the graduates of 2012 onwards.

As I, myself, am about to take on my last year at university, I can’t help but die a little inside at the thought of even trying to find a job after university. With the miserable prospect of a declining economic climate and a dim job market, it is a nightmare for any graduate of today, and it doesn’t exactly help seeing all these depressing statements occupying the headlines. It is said that more than 75% of employers now require a minimum of a 2:1 degree, which has soared from the half bad 52% in 2004. Whilst the AGR claim that there will be rise in graduate salaries, it is also expected that job vacancies will fall by 0.6% leaving graduates with a tougher outlook when it comes to finding a job.

It also seems that the average student has to do more than just obtain that all important degree because the harsh reality is that it just isn’t really worth all that much anymore. The want for a 2:1 may well be there but so is the necessity of an above-average and accomplished personal profile. It’s all about the extra-curricular stuff, the volunteering, and the accumulation of skills and experience that employers are said to be looking for in today’s competitive market. A degree is not enough and neither is just having a good grade; it just helps to have one.

In all this, the old words of comfort “you have plenty of time” have expired. What time is there left to even think about aspirations when students are now expected to know exactly what they want to do upon leaving university? I mean, as if the stress of assignments, deadlines, reading lists, having a social life, etc., isn’t enough, students now have to be thinking about their career from the onset. We have approached the age of “the switched on student” who doesn’t really have that much time (or money) to mess around. Forget soul-searching because the demand to have a good CV with all the relevant experiences has become crucial. The pressure is on and it doesn’t seem like there can be much done about it either.

 

Sources: www.guardian.co.uk, www.agr.org.uk

Image sourced from www.google.co.uk