Do employers give a damn about your A-Levels?

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Clubber Lang

I'll have to strongly agree with Chassez about being told about the importance of A levels and being told when you are actually choosing/doing them.

Chassez probably talks the most sense on this whole forum.

Reply 41

Busta

I have poor A levels and it has been hard but it can be done.

I've gone from a decent grad job (23.5k starting with travel paid for) to almost 40k when I switched jobs within a year! It can be done, is it hard, yes! Much harder than if you had all the prerequisites but then if you don't realise then you are clearly stupid.

Reply 42

Ezekiel

errr A-levels didn't take them... Bad GCSE's didn't take them...don't include them :s-smilie:

that way they'll read your CV Personal Statement and if there are enough good things you might get a shot? Isn't it better to be at the top of the "maybe" pile with a First or a good 2:1 than chucked in the bin when they see poor GCSE'S or A-levels?

Before you walk into the office does somebody say "ahem ahem, GCSE'S/A-Level Results? I know 2 people at Lehman Brothers with very poor GCSEs im not sure what uni they went to though, I think it was Keele.

Reply 43

Ezekiel

CityMonkey

The level of competition these days invariably means both of these criteria can be satisfied. The case of 'superstar' candidates not achieving good A-levels are few and far between.

And little two bit operations like the one you are involved in are bound to miss them with that attitude.

CityMonkey

In the end, do I think A-levels say much about a person? Not really. However, from the consistency viewpoint, it does say a bit.

Employers do not enquire into what you studied at A-level. They do not check that knowledge, or even the modules you studied. They look at a letter which has virtually no baring on their company. How many times did X take module Y to achieve his A? The employer doesn't have a clue. How many retakes did they take? They are not interested as they will not pay Edexcel £50 per applicant to find out. That is, if they can even find out. Many students who have not made any academic mistakes will walk into a job and be a complete disaster. At least when you get a applicant who did poorly and turned himself around by going to a “ok/good univeristy” many of who take applicants like this it shows development. What looking at A* A*A* A* A*A* A* A*A* A* A*A* A* A*A*
then AAAAA Student tells you is the worst is yet to come!

Reply 44

fblade

jan_123

One thing to note, some companies like PriceWaterhouse Coopers don't accept re-take grades. Must be from one sitting.

They do, I spoke to both HR and an employee. At different events.

Reply 45

Cruzaro

Employers, especially for "top" jobs want candidates that show consistent levels of high academic achievement: i.e not just a degree. They want to be able to recruit people that were focused and had the foresight to be dedicated during their teenage years as the easy option is to fool around.
As a result, A level results is often the tool used by such employers to distinguish between good, and exceptional candidates.

Make sense?