WE DON’T CARE WHERE YOU STUDIED, CLAIM BOSSES
Graduate employers have revealed crucial secrets about how they compare candidates’ degrees when assessing which applicants to invite for interview. The good news is that the university you studied at is less important than you might think.
According to a new survey by The Times and The Sunday Times Good University Guide, 61% of employers said the most important factor when considering graduates for a job is the degree course they studied. Only 17% focussed on the grade the candidate received, while just 8% said the university the person attended was the most important factor.
This contrasts with what young people think employers look for when assessing their degree. Among A-level and university students, only 40% believe their course is the most important to their job prospects. A third (32%) think their grad will be key, while 16% believe their university is the most important factor.
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It also clashes with the commonly-held view among graduates that employers are too hung up on the prestige of the university where you studied, and that there is a ‘golden’ list that the top employers hire from. This idea was backed up by social mobility experts, including Dr Lee Elliot Major, research director at the Sutton Trust, who said:
“We know that many of the big companies — the big recruiters — have increasingly small lists of universities from whom they pick potential employees. There are some signs that in the current recession, recruiters are actually shortening their university list. So for this particular generation coming out of university now, it’s an even bigger issue.”
And there was more good news for graduates – this time for those wondering whether their degree was worth the investment. Nationally, half of employers (49%) said they are more likely to favour a university graduate over someone without a degree when recruiting. When asked how much they would pay a graduate and a non-graduate working in two identical roles, nearly one in five (18%) said they would pay a graduate more, despite the job being exactly the same. In London, a quarter (25%) said this.
*DO EMPLOYERS REALLY NOT CARE WHERE YOU STUDIED?
What do you make of these findings? Are employers telling the truth about not minding where you studied – or do you suspect they’re more snobbish than they admit? What do you think is the most important factor, when your CV is being assessed?
Hmm … I’d be interested to see the actual survey data. My suspicion is that whilst employers may call out course subject as the most important (because, frankly, nobody wants to hire someone who’s specialised in underwater basket weaving) that doesn’t mean that both grade and alma mater are vitally important too – the greater importance of one doesn’t detract from the fact that other factors can also be important, just slightly less so.
Anecdotally, having been involved in graduate recruitment both at a job board and with a large consulting firm, subject was LEAST important generally. Perhaps it’s a case of there’s a vital threshold of subject legitimacy that applicants need to pass i.e. “most degrees are fine, but it’s critical we don’t hire someone with film studies, simpsonology, or the history of David Beckham.”, but once that threshold is breached then non-vocational employers don’t really care.
Needless to say that should read “aren’t vitally important too”. Damn you, lack of edit function!
When I watched the BBC Documentary “Who gets the best jobs” it really open up my eyes. In addition, I also watched the documentary “Uk Lost Generation” this morning while in bed, enjoying my hot cup of coffee. I almost spilled coffee over my bed this morning when watching that documentary. Hence, how I heard about this website hoping it will give me advice on what my next step should be?
However, I am in still in university and graduating this year with a Bachelor of Commerce (Accounting & Management), and a Bachelor of Sport & Exercise. I am then shooting off to law school to snatch a Bachelor of Law in three years time. I will be 28 when applying for a proper career. My Goal is to be either a Chartered Accountant, Lawyer, or Investment banker. However, when reading these articles about graduates it is making wonder or second guess myself about what I should do with my life.
@Gareth Ross I agree. There are multiple factors employers look for when it comes to a university degree or a job. However, it depends what job you are applying for? If you are looking at trying to get into the film industry it would better if the person had a film degree rather than a accounting, law, medicine, or underwater basket weaving degree 🙂
@ Chris Wells, what exactly is the point in doing three bachelors? If I was an employer I would think you don’t know what you want, or are very wealthy. On a side note, investment banks recruit heavily from the top universities.
@another grad. Thank you for your advice. However, the fact is if you want to be a director or executive manager of a company you need to be ethier a charterted accountant, lawyer, or both. The energy companies I invest in on a fornightly basis have directors and executive managers who have BCOM (Accounting) & Law degrees.Therefore, it is wise for me to pick up this law degree and then do my professional exams.
No offence bro, but if you were an employer you would most likely hire me, as I stand out like a diamond amongst the competition. For example, I would offer the employer that he can have a chartered accountant and lawyer for the same price of any other graduate. When he hears that he will most likely hire me because I am offering him two professional skills for the price of one. In addition, I would tell them that I regularly invest in the stock market and vote for who should run a company based on their qualifications and experience. Furthermore, investment banks are going to hire me over other graduates as I already invest in shares and read financial statements on a daily basis.
The fact is that employers do not care where you got your degree from. They only care if you can make them more money. It is as simple as that.
Can we get our dream job? Yes we can!!!
http://l.yimg.com/ea/img/-/130501/barack_obama_celebrities_as_bodybuilders_on_steroids_meme_funny_photos_18o11qv-18o13t9.jpg?x=400&q=80&n=1&sig=T4QGQRJgGPK2..r3DdFXfQ–
http://birds-eye-view2011.blogspot.co.nz/2013/05/celebrities-with-muscles-funny.html
I see. It seems a large investment when you could simply do one degree (like healthcare) and be in a strong position to be employed, but i guess you know what you want.
I’m speaking from the uk side of things. The investment banks focus heavily on a few main institutions, namely oxbridge, imperial, ucl and warwick (i.e, the top universities).
@another grad. Yes it is an investment that is worth it. You only have one life on this planet and should do what makes you happy. If I could, I would create an economic system that would eradicate taxes, inflation, greed, fear, poverty, and modern day corporate slavery. It would be a system where people can have an awesome life with liberty and the “God given right to the pursuit of Happiness”. It would be an economic system where social classes do not exist. In addition, this economic system would make everybody play by the same rules. The rule where, If you work hard you can achieve your dreams.
“The investment banks focus heavily on a few main institutions, namely oxbridge, imperial, ucl and warwick (i.e, the top universities).”
Don’t forget LSE.
Yours,
An LSE alumnus 😉
I noticed a few people laughing over the Micky Mouse degrees, and a lot of discussion on accounting and law type degrees which are highly competitive. Let me be the first to talk about science and engineering degrees!
It does not matter where you received your degree as there is such a shortage and it usually comes down to how well you perform in the assessment phase of the interview. We don’t need to do 3 different degrees to become directors and business managers as that is all done internally within the company. We all work towards being chartered with a professional body so everyone is on a similar level after a couple of years so moving jobs or company is rather easy.
So long as your degree is in the relevant engineering field, you graduated with a decent grade and show your competent in the interview it does not matter where you went, only that you can do the job that is in such high demand.
I see the article is from 2013. I wonder what does it look like now with unemployment skyrocketing + more people going to university thus the law of supply and demand applying means that degrees are worth close to zero now?
I personally have withdrawn from university end of year one and focused on building my skills, network, and experience. Saved myself 80k and got the job that I wanted.