Life after University: finding a graduate job with bad a-levels and gcses

Hi people,

I am extremely let down with myself. I got a C in GCSE English Language. I did extremely bad at A-levels- I got a B,C,D in Maths, Further Maths and Psychology respectively in that order. I wanted to retake my Maths and Further Maths A-levels but I was told by my school year coordinator to go straight into university as I had been accepted to study a Maths course.
I worked so hard and got a first-class in Maths
every job I apply for, I get rejected.
I believed if I got a first-class degree that would mask all my bad grades in the past.
I really want a career path as an analyst/auditor/researcher/ finance something maths related.
Every Job posted online states they want GCSE B grade in English or ABB in A-levels.
I feel so let down.
Please does anyone have any good advice?
I hate tearing up because I have graduated in 2019 and I am still jobless.

Could you please give us the links to those jobs? I wanna have a look at them myself as to why their academic requirements are so high

I want to study the ACA qualification, but I am scared to study it and then not be able get a job. This is because, all the accounting jobs that require ACA/CIMA etc qualifications ask for exemplary school grades.
I believe I studying an accounting qualification will not have a postive outcome.

Maybe I am wrong? Do you know what steps to take as I am unsure? Please?

I want to study the ACA qualification, but I am scared to study it and then not be able get a job. This is because, all the accounting jobs that require ACA/CIMA etc qualifications ask for exemplary school grades.
I believe I studying an accounting qualification will not have a postive outcome.

Maybe I am wrong? Do you know what steps to take as I am unsure? Please?

Graduate schemes - especially those in finance - are extremely competitive. And often there's a fair amount of luck involved. I understand your feelings but please remember there are many people in the same position. Unfortunately even a first class degree in mathematics is not enough to get into such a programme, the ideal candidate would also have things like work experience, extra-curricular activities during university that demonstrate competencies, and soft skills in general such as interpersonal skills. Especially in these difficult times, it might be a better idea to start small with something easier to get into (but ideally still relevant to finance) and then keep applying to graduate schemes in the meantime. At the very least you'll have a job and also a higher chance of getting onto a scheme with the extra experience.

you cant study ACA on your own you need a job for that as it must be sponsored by an employer. you can however self study ACCA.
in terms of public accounting, if you get first time passes in ACA and/or distinctions they wont care about your a levels, im unsure of industry though.

you could have a chance at getting into a training contract with a small regional firm as they can be a bit more lenient on grades, so id recommend having a look for local firms to see if they would take you on for ACCA or ACA or cima, if that fails for reasons other than your a level/gcse grades, self study AAT and that might help you. i probably wouldnt recomend self studying acca as it would limit opportunities for an entry accountant

If you fail to get in because of a level/gcse grades then the other advice i have would be to retake them. this is just for accounting, i dont know about others, good luck you still have loads of time

Hi people,

I am extremely let down with myself. I got a C in GCSE English Language. I did extremely bad at A-levels- I got a B,C,D in Maths, Further Maths and Psychology respectively in that order. I wanted to retake my Maths and Further Maths A-levels but I was told by my school year coordinator to go straight into university as I had been accepted to study a Maths course.
I worked so hard and got a first-class in Maths
every job I apply for, I get rejected.
I believed if I got a first-class degree that would mask all my bad grades in the past.
I really want a career path as an analyst/auditor/researcher/ finance something maths related.
Every Job posted online states they want GCSE B grade in English or ABB in A-levels.
I feel so let down.
Please does anyone have any good advice?
I hate tearing up because I have graduated in 2019 and I am still jobless.

That's weird. I've always been told that after uni they wouldn't care about your alevel/gcse grades but if that is not the case I would strongly recommend retaking. It's probably easier now since you are older you could get the hang of it quicker. I would definetely retake psychology and further maths and get it up to be b's or A's at least. Idek why it even matters because you already have a first class.....

Hi people,

I am extremely let down with myself. I got a C in GCSE English Language. I did extremely bad at A-levels- I got a B,C,D in Maths, Further Maths and Psychology respectively in that order. I wanted to retake my Maths and Further Maths A-levels but I was told by my school year coordinator to go straight into university as I had been accepted to study a Maths course.
I worked so hard and got a first-class in Maths
every job I apply for, I get rejected.
I believed if I got a first-class degree that would mask all my bad grades in the past.
I really want a career path as an analyst/auditor/researcher/ finance something maths related.
Every Job posted online states they want GCSE B grade in English or ABB in A-levels.
I feel so let down.
Please does anyone have any good advice?
I hate tearing up because I have graduated in 2019 and I am still jobless.

I have a similar A-Level profile to yours and followed this up with a decidedly average degree classification. If I am honest, I never felt it has held me back, but I had to be prepared to work my way up from the bottom.

Caveat: I never sought out a professional qualification as you are doing, and as others have noted the competition for these is fierce. Likewise, if you are looking at graduate positions, you are immediately on the backfoot against stronger academic profiles.

Ultimately, if your GCSE Eng is hampering you from even being considered, then you need to consider retaking it. I appreciate that may be difficult if you are currently unemployed. It might be something to put on the back burner until you have the means.

I started by getting a temp job as a data entry monkey at HSBC, (this was via an agency, they only cared that I could type at a decent rate, I've no idea whether HSBC directly would have given me the time of day). I worked hard and went from temp to permanent, then to junior clerk before becoming a senior one. By the time I left I was a credit underwriter with a decent amount of responsibility despite the fact I had no relevant qualifications, crummy A-Levels and a degree that most people on the TSR boards would think would end my career.

Once you have gotten your foot in the door at a bigger place, you can gain experience as to what their risks and challenges are, get training or mentoring and familiarise yourself with the interview format much better. Even if you are unsuccessful in further applications, they are much more inclined to give decent feedback if you are already there and they like you. You'll also be able to see positions that are only advertised internally, so typically have less competition.

To summarise, I would say don't discount temp/agency/lower graded roles because to be frank, the job market is going to be pretty dreadful for the foreseeable future.