The Student Room Group

Do a lot of employers care about what university you get your degree from?

I am currently studying A levels and want to study civil engineering at uni an am expected BBB in my exams so I am not predicted good enough grades to get into any Russell group universities that I was originally looking at but I might be able to get into a lower ranked uni like Portsmouth but I have heard that Portsmouth isn't respected but if I graduate with a 2:1 will a lot of employers turn me away because I graduated form a uni that isn't respected or should I be ok? The degree is an Meng and is accredited.

I was looking at graduate schemes for after uni and most say you need a 2:1 degree that is accredited with no mention of if university matters. Does this mean as long as I have the degree then I have a chance to get onto the scheme?
Reply 1
Original post by lukey96
I am currently studying A levels and want to study civil engineering at uni an am expected BBB in my exams so I am not predicted good enough grades to get into any Russell group universities that I was originally looking at but I might be able to get into a lower ranked uni like Portsmouth but I have heard that Portsmouth isn't respected but if I graduate with a 2:1 will a lot of employers turn me away because I graduated form a uni that isn't respected or should I be ok? The degree is an Meng and is accredited.

I was looking at graduate schemes for after uni and most say you need a 2:1 degree that is accredited with no mention of if university matters. Does this mean as long as I have the degree then I have a chance to get onto the scheme?


What course are you doing? BBB is good enough for Russell groups
Original post by xxm
What course are you doing? BBB is good enough for Russell groups


No it isn't. Actually getting BBB may have your place confirmed at a RG, but predictions of BBB probably won't get you an offer, unless you are applying to Southampton with an A in EPQ (Arts courses) or are applying to Sociology- OP is doing neither.
Original post by lukey96
I was looking at graduate schemes for after uni and most say you need a 2:1 degree that is accredited with no mention of if university matters. Does this mean as long as I have the degree then I have a chance to get onto the scheme?


Essentially, yes. Russell Group means nothing to anyone apart from students (or journalists it seems).

Although it's not just a case of "as long as you have the degree". You need an awful lot more than merely a 2:1 degree to stand out.
Reply 4
Original post by Alex347_
No it isn't. Actually getting BBB may have your place confirmed at a RG, but predictions of BBB probably won't get you an offer, unless you are applying to Southampton with an A in EPQ (Arts courses) or are applying to Sociology- OP is doing neither.


You can be lucky and get in with BBB lots of people i know have
Reply 5
2.1 is bare minimum now. You need to show you are active throughout your degree (societies, sports, travelling) etc and you need work experience so make sure you apply for summer placements every year.
Reply 6
Make your CV look good and you will get a job, simple.
dunno sometimes the uni may matter,

I study History at Wolverhampton, I'm on track for a first, I have completed 2 overseas study periods, Radboud Uni Netherlands and Aarhus Uni Denmark, I am member of a university society, member of a university sports club, work with the SU, got 11 years of pretty much unbroken employment, employed whilst at university. Completed level N5 in Japanese and A2 in German, moving on to B. Was a cultural specialist and Pashto interpreter in Afghanistan... etc etc

Now imagine I'm going for a job, maybe in a management consultancy or as an archivist, maybe some sort of administrative role in a company.

And I'm up against someone with none of these 'extra curriculars' or experience, but the have the same subject and grade from ...St Andrews, Durham or Bath.

How many employers will look past the institution?

I'm aware I'm studying a humanity, but I think this sort of prejudice by employers is possibly more prevalent in the sciences.
(edited 9 years ago)
Reply 8
Original post by bubadeeboop
dunno sometimes the uni may matter,

I study History at Wolverhampton, I'm on track for a first, I have completed 2 overseas study periods, Radboud Uni Netherlands and Aarhus Uni Denmark, I am member of a university society, member of a university sports club, work with the SU, got 11 years of pretty much unbroken employment, employed whilst at university. Completed level N5 in Japanese and A2 in German, moving on to B. Was a cultural specialist and Pashto interpreter in Afghanistan... etc etc

Now imagine I'm going for a job, maybe in a management consultancy or as an archivist, maybe some sort of administrative role in a company.

And I'm up against someone with none of these 'extra curriculars' or experience, but the have the same subject and grade from ...St Andrews, Durham or Bath.

How many employers will look past the institution?

I'm aware I'm studying a humanity, but I think this sort of prejudice by employers is possibly more prevalent in the sciences.


How did you manage that?
Reply 9
Original post by bubadeeboop
dunno sometimes the uni may matter,

I study History at Wolverhampton, I'm on track for a first, I have completed 2 overseas study periods, Radboud Uni Netherlands and Aarhus Uni Denmark, I am member of a university society, member of a university sports club, work with the SU, got 11 years of pretty much unbroken employment, employed whilst at university. Completed level N5 in Japanese and A2 in German, moving on to B. Was a cultural specialist and Pashto interpreter in Afghanistan... etc etc

Now imagine I'm going for a job, maybe in a management consultancy or as an archivist, maybe some sort of administrative role in a company.

And I'm up against someone with none of these 'extra curriculars' or experience, but the have the same subject and grade from ...St Andrews, Durham or Bath.

How many employers will look past the institution?

I'm aware I'm studying a humanity, but I think this sort of prejudice by employers is possibly more prevalent in the sciences.


I think it really depends on the career in question. For example, you might struggle to get into law which is notoriously snobbish about university. A lot of it is probably that they're so oversubscribed that they can't read all applications and university is an easy filter.

BUT I really think that when it comes to a lot of careers it's a relatively minor part of a CV or application. And as for your example, I think the Wolverhampton grad would definitely win out. [EDIT: just realised it's you!]
Original post by kka25
How did you manage that?


Started work at 16, never quit a job unless I had another one to walk into.
Reply 11
Original post by bubadeeboop
Started work at 16, never quit a job unless I had another one to walk into.


What was the job? That's quite long.
Original post by kka25
What was the job? That's quite long.



wasn't the same job, my first ever job was flipping burgers, it was part time whilst I finished school.
Reply 13
Original post by bubadeeboop
wasn't the same job, my first ever job was flipping burgers, it was part time whilst I finished school.


And the 11 years worth of work? What was it?
after burger flipping, military, security, bit of cleaning work, doors and a very very short period in a call centre (that was horrid) Currently do some casual door work whilst I study.
Original post by bubadeeboop
dunno sometimes the uni may matter,

I study History at Wolverhampton, I'm on track for a first, I have completed 2 overseas study periods, Radboud Uni Netherlands and Aarhus Uni Denmark, I am member of a university society, member of a university sports club, work with the SU, got 11 years of pretty much unbroken employment, employed whilst at university. Completed level N5 in Japanese and A2 in German, moving on to B. Was a cultural specialist and Pashto interpreter in Afghanistan... etc etc

Now imagine I'm going for a job, maybe in a management consultancy or as an archivist, maybe some sort of administrative role in a company.

And I'm up against someone with none of these 'extra curriculars' or experience, but the have the same subject and grade from ...St Andrews, Durham or Bath.

How many employers will look past the institution?

I'm aware I'm studying a humanity, but I think this sort of prejudice by employers is possibly more prevalent in the sciences.
Come to the US. You still need find the job and prove yourself worth a shot, but most Americans won't have heard of any of those places, with the possible exception of St Andrews, which is getting attention from a lot of private-school grads.
Original post by bubadeeboop
dunno sometimes the uni may matter,

I study History at Wolverhampton, I'm on track for a first, I have completed 2 overseas study periods, Radboud Uni Netherlands and Aarhus Uni Denmark, I am member of a university society, member of a university sports club, work with the SU, got 11 years of pretty much unbroken employment, employed whilst at university. Completed level N5 in Japanese and A2 in German, moving on to B. Was a cultural specialist and Pashto interpreter in Afghanistan... etc etc

Now imagine I'm going for a job, maybe in a management consultancy or as an archivist, maybe some sort of administrative role in a company.

And I'm up against someone with none of these 'extra curriculars' or experience, but the have the same subject and grade from ...St Andrews, Durham or Bath.

How many employers will look past the institution?

I'm aware I'm studying a humanity, but I think this sort of prejudice by employers is possibly more prevalent in the sciences.


A job? In Wolverhampton? Bravo Sir, bravo.
Some employers do differentiate between Oxbridge and non-Oxbridge universities e.g. top law firms. Employers should be recognising that the standard of student at Cambridge, for instance, is miles ahead of their counterparts from other inferior institutions.
Original post by Academic Elitist
Some employers do differentiate between Oxbridge and non-Oxbridge universities e.g. top law firms. Employers should be recognising that the standard of student at Cambridge, for instance, is miles ahead of their counterparts from other inferior institutions.


But that's not what they're after. They're looking for the best potential employees for their firm, and to help select them, firms usually use these things called interviews, as well as various other selection methods.
They care more about experience and how you come across in the interview. That being said, good luck getting a job at Google with your BSc Computer Networking from the University of Phoenix.

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