Graduate Stories: 1:1 or 2:1, Does It Matter?

A question that every undergraduate spends three or four years talking about and a graduate spends all of three or four months talking about. For those that are more than a few years out of university, did it matter, 1st or 2nd class?

I have been out of University for three years now, I travelled, I started a job, I hated a job, I swapped jobs, turned down grad schemes, swapped roles and industries and never stopped learning. In just three years. Did I know what the hell I was doing out of Uni? Absolutely Not. 

I have brought together a number of friends, friends of friends, colleagues and peers to touch base on a range of topics about post University life and the young business mind.

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Everyone has an opinion about going to Uni, what your focus should be, whether it’s the experience or numbers on the paper at the end of the day. In 2020, does the difference between a two and a one really matter? Has it affected recent graduates? All now moving into successful careers, what is their opinion on their own classification of degree? 

I want to quickly put a disclaimer in at this point. There are a number of students that don’t receive a 2:1 and I want to quickly address that I am not implying that in any way they don’t qualify for this topic, the numbers suggest that the majority of UK graduates do receive a 2:1 or higher.

Last academic year, 28 per cent of students graduated with a first and a further 48 per cent were awarded a 2.1, according to new figures from the Higher Education Statistical Agency (HESA). 

So…Do you need to be in the 28% to find initial success post-university life?

“I don't think it makes any difference at all. I don't think anyone has ever asked or mentioned what I got in my degree, just if I have one and from which university. I think after the first job you have out of uni, your degree becomes less interesting to people employing you. It's all about what experience you have.” - Nicholas Vasic

Phoebe Lofts leaving University with a 1st Class degree in 2017 has since accomplished promotions at OMD UK and not once did her degree classification come into the conversation in her hiring process. 

Tom Canning reiterates, “Absolutely not!” Despite his initial assured response he does go onto express that it does “depend on what profession you go into.” 

As a Field Sales Manager at Jubel and previously working for Heineken and Budweiser UK, Tom considers that a more corporate environment may lead to it being a leading factor, however, “there are other more important factors to consider, such as your personality and what other things you did at university”

Aiming for the corporate world? Are you at a disadvantage with a 2:1?

“I think getting that 2:1 minimum is the most important thing. I think often it gets your foot through the door and then the rest is up to you! If you perform well in the tests and interviews I really don't think it matters too much and I certainly didn't feel like it held me back in the roles I was applying for” (William Hands, KPMG, Audit Graduate)

Róisín Ní Chúlacháin a Consultant for Deloitte Digital is into her 3rd year and writes “In a professional sense - no, I feel as though work ethic will still be proven by the individual and can make up the difference. Having a 2:1 and above shows a student was more than capable and understood tasks and work throughout university”

Getting a first class degree (1:1), who does it matter to?

Róisín reflecting on her own first class degree continues “In a personal sense - yes it matters, the calibre of first class students embodies the work of students who applied themselves thoroughly and constantly strived to be at their best”

An Associate Brand Manager at a large consumer goods company simply states “I don’t think it matters in the slightest to employers but it mattered to me.”

They continue, looking back at the best four years of their life at University, expresses that the wider exposure of their degree was vital in landing their first job. “I work for a US centric multi national and spend the vast majority of my time working with the US team so my final interviewer / director liked that I had studied and gained an internship in the US. It gave me an edge and meant they knew I’d assimilate to the business well.” 

1:1 or 2:1, Does It Matter?

If you ask this question to the percentage of university students that are driven to work well and not party 24/7 then the answer is ‘hell yes’, in reality for those that have been there and done it the answer is “it matters until it doesn’t”

Luke Hernandez the Senior Operations Leader at Hello Fresh graduated in 2017 previously working at AB InBev and Amazon states “98% of employers ask for 2:1 only and the interview/experiences are what set you apart … I got a 2:1, got a grad job when a lot of classmates got firsts and struggled”

Nicholas Vasic continues, “the moment that you secure your first real job they become meaningless. Grades, like a degree are part of a 'virtual' checklist of things that employers want to see - they help you get your 'foot in the door', but once in the workplace they are meaningless”

It should matter to the person, to the student who has paid tens of thousands of pounds/dollars to go to university via loan or parental backing. The skills that are most important at University are interpersonal and more tangible than the overall degree. 

“What counts is intellect, hard work, ingenuity and sociability” (Nicholas Vasic)

Getting a 1st class degree is an amazing achievement and should be rewarded for the hard work that they have put in for years of dedication. In reality, being the right cultural and personality fit for a business is more likely to land you a job straight out of University. 

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Part 1: Graduate Stories: How to find your first job out of University?

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It would be great to hear your thoughts and comments below about your stories and/or experiences from your time out of University.