Oxford University’s careers service also makes the point that, six months after graduation, there is no significant difference between undergraduates who get a 2:1 and those who get a 2:2 in terms of starting salary or the percentage who say they are still unemployed and looking for work.
It emphasises that employers are often interested in more than degree grade or classification. It therefore advises graduates to look hard at the skills or experience they have gained beyond the degree that might be valued by employers, whether from work experience, extracurricular activities or hobbies.
“If a job advertisement clearly says candidates need to have a 2:1 and you have not got it, then you do have to think hard about whether it is worth applying,” says Rob Gill, graduate, undergraduate and apprentice recruitment manager at Jaguar Land Rover. “But it is worth reading the wording closely to see whether there is any flexibility. Does it say ‘ideally’ a 2:1, for example? In that scenario it may well still be worth applying.