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Hey, guys. I have a issue. I have recently finished my degree of mechanical engineering after 3 years but I graduated with a low 2.2. I am really disappointed. I asked for feedback because I'm pretty sure there have been mistakes with some of the markings. Nevertheless, even if they do change, it will still remain as a 2.2. So, I'm thinking about my next steps. I have been applying for internships and graduate roles on GradCracker, specifically the ones that says 'All Grades'. Some have already rejected me, I have heard back from others, including Zotefoams. My Mum has been suggesting postgraduate at university, but a lot of them require experience. I never stepped to engineering roles outside university - the only job I have ever had was as a summer activity leader last year. So, what do you guys suggest for my next steps? What do you think I should? I look forward to hearing your opinions.

Reply 1

username6282297

It's a tough situation after university but a lot of graduates such as yourself will be in a similar position due to lack of experience. Getting a 2:2 adds to that difficulty because 2:1 is more desired in the graduate job market. However, I am working with some people who got a 2:2 in their degree and they're doing well so clearly it's not the end of the world. When I graduated, I also had zero experience. I didn't do any internships and got a borderline 2:1. Should've been a 2:2 but due to university grading policy I was very fortunate to end up with a 2:1. Anyways, I had no experience. I only had one summer job in a warehouse which means nothing but still got a graduate job in the end even though I admit it was difficult. As your username suggests, never give up and keep searching. Even with little experience you can still write a competitive enough CV and you can do a lot to prepare for interviews. Practice answering different types of questions using STAR technique and show how much you want the job.

It's also possible to do a masters degree and you definitely don't need experience for it. I received an offer for a masters degree at a university with zero experience. Only with a bachelors. So the fact that all masters courses require experience is not true. I didn't take the offer because I already had a grad job. Also, I don't advise anyone to do a masters because it won't really increase your employability that much and it's very expensive, therefore it's not worth it. I think that the best thing to do is to keep applying, polish your CV and perfect your interview technique. Whilst you're applying, you can get a temporary job somewhere, so you're also getting a bit of experience.