Graduates who miss out on top degree grades can find professional-level employment by targeting the right industries and using personal contacts
Just over three-quarters of graduates who entered a professional-level job had a 2:1 or First, the Graduate Outcomes 2017/18 data revealed.
But while a 2:1 is often the minimum requirement for graduate schemes, it is still possible for those with a 2:2 and below to get a professional-level job, especially if they target specific industries.
Industries most likely to demand a 2:1 and above
The hardest industry to get into with a 2:2 or below in 2017 was management consultancy, where only 7.9% of new entrants had these grades.
Within this industry, most of them became:
- public relations professionals
- management consultants and business analysts.
Publishing, where 9.5% of new entrants had a 2:2 or below, was the second hardest industry to enter.
Graduates employed in this industry without a 2:1 or above managed to find work in key professional occupations:
- journalists, newspaper and periodical editors
- sales accounts and business development managers.
The third hardest industry to get into was advertising and market research, where 9.9% of new entrants had a 2:2 or below.
Common occupations for graduates without a 2:1 or above were:
- marketing associate professionals
- business sales executives
- graphic designers.
Industry,Percentage of graduate hires with a 2.1 or above Activities of head offices . management consultancy activities,92.1 Publishing activities,90.5 Advertising and market research,90.1 Programming and broadcasting activities,89.9 Legal and accounting activities,88.6 Information service activities,88.6 Manufacture of motor vehicles . trailers and semi-trailers,88.2 Video and television programme production . sound recording and music publishing ,88.1
Industries least likely to demand a 2:1 or above
Not all industries had a high intake of 2:1 and above graduates. In the residential care industry, 35.8% of graduates had a 2:2 or below. Common occupations for graduates included:
- nurses
- residential, day and domiciliary care managers and proprietors
- welfare and housing associate professionals.
The food and beverage services industry also had a larger intake of 2:2 and below graduate entrants in 2018 (30.9%) than other industries. They tended to work as restaurant and catering establishment managers and proprietors, where a 2:1 is beneficial but not required.
Meanwhile, the specialised construction industry employed 27% of graduates with a 2:2 or below, where they often worked as civil engineers.
Industry,Percentage of graduate hires with a 2.1 or above Office administrative . office support and other business support activities,79.2 Accommodation,79 Sports activities and amusement and recreation activities,77 Rental and leasing activities,76.8 Mining support service activities,74.6 Specialised construction activities,73 Food and beverage service activities,69.1 Residential care activities,64.2
What this means for graduates with a 2:2 or below
Graduates can still enter a professional-level job with a 2:2 or below - in fact, 68% were in a professional-level job fifteen months after graduation in 2018. However, they need to target specific industries and work with personal contacts and recruitment agencies to maximise their chances of finding employment.
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