2:2 Degree

Discussion in 'Employment & Jobs' started by Jiser, May 21, 2008.

  1. Jiser

    Jiser Kilobyte Poster

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    Hi guys basically I think its very possible that my degree will be a 2:2 and not a 2:1. Am I stuffed? I am not a happy bunny :( Have just found this final of four years really hard, with working 2 days a week and finishing the dissertation and straight into revision having only 2 weeks for 3 exams :(

    I really wanted to get into a graduate scheme but this is looking less and less likely seems most only accept 2:1/1st. What are your views on degree classes?

    I am hoping I will be able to push foward by real world experiance. Also should have the N+ and an MCP by october.
     
    Certifications: BSc (Hons), PGc, MCTS:Win 7, MCSA W7/MCITP EDST, ITIL Foundation, Prince 2 Foundation, C&G: Web Design, MOS 07: Excel, Word, Powerpoint, Outlook.
  2. zimbo
    Honorary Member

    zimbo Petabyte Poster

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    Hey mate! I too am a student but finishing my second year now. You need to think a little postive and say you will be getting a 2:1! Ok if you end up with a 2:2 its not the end of the world - but like i said think postive! I think you need to concentrate on a few certs now to boost you up and give you some more letters behind your name. You going to need experience so if you in a job now - which i think you are i suggest you stay in that cause you need that experience more than certs in my opinion. Oh and one more try focus on more than an MCP cause one alone isnt worth anything so how about trying to go for a MCDST?
     
    Certifications: B.Sc, MCDST & MCSA
    WIP: M.Sc - Computer Forensics
  3. greenbrucelee
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    greenbrucelee Zettabyte Poster

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    I have a mate who is now high up in the banking sector and he got a 3rd, an employer will employ you if you are the best person for the job.

    I think in this day and age (please don't flame me anyone) a degree doesn't mean a great deal, but some people associate it to mean big things and unfortunatley it doesn't.

    As Zimbo says stay positive, if you have put the work in you will do well.

    Good luck
     
    Certifications: A+, N+, MCDST, Security+, 70-270
    WIP: 70-620 or 70-680?
  4. derkit

    derkit Gigabyte Poster

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    You are exactly how I was when I left uni in 2004. I only got a 3rd in the end, a mixture of illness, too much beer/partying as well as the course being too hard for all of us who took it (1st year they ran it and I know they've amended parts and dumped other parts in future years).

    I thought that a 2:1 was the bees-knees, it was what employers wanted, and what annoyed me more was a 3rd from a top 5 uni could be substantially better than a 1st from a bottom third uni - and that the graduate recruiters would pay homage to this 1st irrelevant of where you went.

    This feeling/attitude I had changed after about 18 months or so - in the end, how do companies get rid of thousands of applications - create a benchmark that you need to cross hence the 2:1. When the companies then give the psychological tests and such like, the actual face-to-face interview, they'll be able to pick (generally) those who have a decent degree from a decent uni and those who don't. As GBL said, the best people for the job generally get it.

    Unfortunately, this barrier of 2:1 is sent all the way down to uni's and students and beyond, when in actual fact you still have a degree at the end of the day!

    I spent less time regretting not putting more time into my studies, not going to a uni further down the league tables, and not getting a 2:1; and more time focusing on what I wanted to do - have a career in IT. I don't doubt my degree has opened doors to me that were closed before in terms of getting interviews, but at the end of the day I learnt more about myself and discovered this powerful tenacity inside that keeps me saying to myself - I would like to be better.

    If someone had said that to me back in 2004/5, I would have not listened/believed them, its something you will have to come to terms with in your own way and own time - but once you are truly happy with what you achieved and what you have, it won't be a problem any more.

    I have full intentions of going back to uni some point in the future, maybe a MSc or MBA, so irrelevant of what you get, be proud that you have achieved something that not everyone has the opportunity to achieve.
     
    Certifications: MBCS, BSc(Hons), Cert(Maths), A+, Net+, MCDST, ITIL-F v3, MCSA
    WIP: 70-293
  5. Mathematix

    Mathematix Megabyte Poster

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    Nowadays, the only real stumbling block when getting a low degree appears to be a BSc(Ord) or BSc(Pass). I wouldn't worry about it, mate. :)
     
    Certifications: BSc(Hons) Comp Sci, BCS Award of Merit
    WIP: Not doing certs. Computer geek.
  6. Sparky
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    Sparky Zettabyte Poster Moderator

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    Don’t worry about it mate. After I graduated I went for a few ‘graduate scheme’ type jobs and hated the interview process. It wasn’t an interview, it was a day of tests and group projects which had absolutely nothing to do with IT, well nothing technical anyway.

    I ended up landing a helpdesk job and then quickly moving up to a level where I was working as the only IT guy looking after a companies IT infrastructure, this took me 9 months. The helpdesk interview was the only interview I liked, I had a chat with the IT manager and then there was a test to complete. The test was IT related and I didn’t have any problems with it.

    The 2:2 is still a good degree so don’t stress about that, you can even list the degree on your CV and not put what your final result is as some employers just look for ‘degree educated’ candidates. Currently I support a company that takes on graduates but wont take on someone with a first class degree, its not a money thing, perhaps they didn’t enjoy the cheap beer at uni like everyone else does! :biggrin
     
    Certifications: MSc MCSE MCSA:M MCSA:S MCITP:EA MCTS(x5) MS-900 AZ-900 Security+ Network+ A+
    WIP: Microsoft Certs
  7. Rob1234

    Rob1234 Megabyte Poster Forum Leader

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    A 2:2 is not too bad but if you really want to get on a gradation scheme you may struggle without out the minimum required 2:1.
     
    Certifications: A few.
  8. Indo77

    Indo77 Nibble Poster

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    Mate don't worry about it. I failed my dissertation, had to repeat and they capped me at 40% which brought my average into the 40s. I ended up graduating with a 3rd. I never even bothered going to the ceremony to pick up the degree and got it posted instead (which cost me £20). I hated my course and always questioned whether the lecturers actually had a clue about the subject matter; they seemed more obsessed with reading endless boring literature on e-commerce than any sort of practical skillset. I had previously did a HNC and came out with Distinctions; at least it was practical.

    Bottom line is that when I was repeating part-time, I got a full-time learning support role within the education sector. At that time I wanted nothing more to do with IT and was pushing 30. Then people started asking me for advice and work out some development issues because of my previous academic experience with .NET scripts. A job came up as a developer and I got the role. So what I am saying is don't lose hope over a piece of paper. Too much is made of it, and most of what I learnt was utterly useless in the real world. The best of what I learnt, I taught myself and was not in the classroom.
     
    Certifications: BSc (Hons) HNC
  9. fatp

    fatp Byte Poster

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    There are plenty of Graduate Scheme's out there who require a 2.2 in an I.T related discipline such as:

    GCHQ
    LogicaCMG
    John Lewis
    Atos Origin
    Centrica
    Eon
    Fujitsu Services
    Siemens
    Civil Service

    So now go do your own research....

    P.S: Its not the end of the world if you get a 2.2, theres more to life than a bit of paper!

    FatP :)
     
  10. Jiser

    Jiser Kilobyte Poster

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    Well yeh plenty of schemes but still they prefer 2:1. Thanks for all your input, you guys are great. Derkit gave a nice comment :)

    I have finished today. WOOP WOOP :) Unfortunately ran out of time when assinging IP addresses to my network design and I lacked knowledge on link state protocols :(, VPN and MPLS but hey. Managed to write 12 pages in 3 hours and design a network. My dissertation was apprently quite good, so hopefully that is good and my 2nd year grade was half a point of 60%. One exam let me down :(

    I agree with sparky about the interview process for graduate schemes.

    Anyway now FREEEEEEEEEEEEEEDOMMM =D

    Now real life begins ; ]

    Well I got work tommrow but hey.
     
    Certifications: BSc (Hons), PGc, MCTS:Win 7, MCSA W7/MCITP EDST, ITIL Foundation, Prince 2 Foundation, C&G: Web Design, MOS 07: Excel, Word, Powerpoint, Outlook.
  11. CheeseOnToast

    CheeseOnToast Nibble Poster

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    Would not go to LogicaCMG if I was you, especially in a grad scheme lol!

    I say that after 5 years there...

    That said, it's a job at the end of the day with some decent benefits etc

    Be careful though, getting a pay rise is like getting blood out of a stone
     
    Certifications: ITIL Foundation
    WIP: CCNA
  12. Jiser

    Jiser Kilobyte Poster

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    Ahh why? What were your experiances?

    Might change career actually - Aldi offers a 40k graduate scheme with a free Audi ;)
     
    Certifications: BSc (Hons), PGc, MCTS:Win 7, MCSA W7/MCITP EDST, ITIL Foundation, Prince 2 Foundation, C&G: Web Design, MOS 07: Excel, Word, Powerpoint, Outlook.
  13. Kitkatninja
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    Kitkatninja aka me, myself & I Moderator

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    I wouldn't even say that, I have my BSc - no honours and I do not believe that it has hindered me. In fact just having a degree in Computing has assisted me in my career, imo.

    -ken
     
    Certifications: MSc, PGDip, PGCert, BSc, HNC, LCGI, MBCS CITP, MCP, MCSA, MCSE, MCE, A+, N+, S+, Server+
    WIP: MSc Cyber Security
  14. Jiser

    Jiser Kilobyte Poster

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    Well I got a 2:1 guys - results through today ;) Wooop !!! Now its time to enjoy the summer. Cheers for the advise though!!
     
    Certifications: BSc (Hons), PGc, MCTS:Win 7, MCSA W7/MCITP EDST, ITIL Foundation, Prince 2 Foundation, C&G: Web Design, MOS 07: Excel, Word, Powerpoint, Outlook.
  15. Ropenfold

    Ropenfold Kilobyte Poster

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    Congratulations Jiser, See? Everyone told you not to worry!!!
     
    Certifications: BSC (Hons), A+, MCDST, N+, 70-270, 98-364, CLF-C01
    WIP: ISC2 CC, Security+
  16. fatp

    fatp Byte Poster

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    well done mate!

    now for the good ol job hunt.

    is this your first job after graduating?, as I was in this position last year!

    Have you got yourself into a grad scheme or are you targeting entry level I.T. jobs. if so, whats the minimum salarly you want / are after?
     
  17. Jiser

    Jiser Kilobyte Poster

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    Thanks ropenfold fatp :)

    No I am in my second I.T. job at the moment. I did a year in industry for my uni placement year and at the moment I look after the networks of two schools plus associated I.T. club/school newsletters/community newsletter/websites etc etc. So in a great position really as I got two years of experiance now.

    I plan to work part time maybe get another part time school job - if i get the job! Get MCSA whilst applying for graduate schemes september 08 - 2009. Going travelling this summer + festivals - benefits of working at a school :)

    I don't particulary want to try find entry level I.T. jobs as Ive allready done that - in my opinion. Also I really want to meet new people etc Not just get into a small I.T. specific company and stuck with just aload of blokes. Hence why graduate schemes as I think they offer so much!
     
    Certifications: BSc (Hons), PGc, MCTS:Win 7, MCSA W7/MCITP EDST, ITIL Foundation, Prince 2 Foundation, C&G: Web Design, MOS 07: Excel, Word, Powerpoint, Outlook.
  18. Sparky
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    Sparky Zettabyte Poster Moderator

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    Actually I work for a small IT company and I am confident I meet more new people in this job in what I would do if I had gone for a graduate IT job many years ago when I graduated.

    I support 50 (approx!) companies and take on new projects every month so there is always new people to meet and places to travel to.

    Not that I’m slating graduate style jobs (there are some good ones out there) but many of them are structured so there is little scope to try new things. Working for a smaller company can mean you can get exposure to more technologies in a short space of time, that’s what has happened to me over the past few years.

    Anyways, congrats on the degree mate and best of luck on the job search :thumbleft
     
    Certifications: MSc MCSE MCSA:M MCSA:S MCITP:EA MCTS(x5) MS-900 AZ-900 Security+ Network+ A+
    WIP: Microsoft Certs
  19. BosonMichael
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    BosonMichael Yottabyte Poster

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    Congrats!
     
    Certifications: CISSP, MCSE+I, MCSE: Security, MCSE: Messaging, MCDST, MCDBA, MCTS, OCP, CCNP, CCDP, CCNA Security, CCNA Voice, CNE, SCSA, Security+, Linux+, Server+, Network+, A+
    WIP: Just about everything!

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