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29 year old with a BA and a MSc who can't get a graduate job without GCSE maths!

Hi there,
(edited 6 years ago)

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It's fair enough that they need applicants to have at least a C in GCSE maths imo regardless of what other qualifications you have.
Any company flooded with lots of applications from job seekers will try various ways of reducing the no. of applicants. Asking for GCSE Maths is a good way of doing this.

If this is a problem for you, and you are good at Maths, then it should be a piece of cake for you to pay to retake GCSE Maths. Or apply for jobs where they don't ask for GCSE Maths.
Reply 3
Original post by .( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°).
It's fair enough that they need applicants to have at least a C in GCSE maths imo regardless of what other qualifications you have.


Even if my undergraduate and graduate degrees were in maths (they're not, but they're closely related).

If it's about reducing the number of applicants, I can understand that.

But surely it would be idiotic to refuse an application because they didn't have GCSE maths at grade C, yet they had a bachelor degree in mathematics for example? That would be utterly ludicrous, no?
wow..just wow lmfao
How did you do a computer science degree without GCSE or A-level maths?

It does seem strange but sometimes I have found that recruiters are not good at applying common sense to job apps and they robotically reject/sift out candidates that don't tick all the boxes.

I think you're either going to need to do GCSE math or try and appeal directly to employers and see if they will overlook it.

Maybe if you contacted them by phone/email before submitting an application to explain the circumstances and see what their take on it is and to ask whether they would consider an application without the qualification (bearing in mind that your degree is quite math focussed)?
Reply 6
Just re take your GCSE maths, simple as that.
Original post by anon_mous
How did you do a computer science degree without GCSE or A-level maths?

It does seem strange but sometimes I have found that recruiters are not good at applying common sense to job apps and they robotically reject/sift out candidates that don't tick all the boxes.

I think you're either going to need to do GCSE math or try and appeal directly to employers and see if they will overlook it.

Maybe if you contacted them by phone/email before submitting an application to explain the circumstances and see what their take on it is and to ask whether they would consider an application without the qualification (bearing in mind that your degree is quite math focussed)?


OP might not be able to do that.

These days, job apps are submitted electronically (via a web portal) and go thru electronic sifting before it gets to a human. If the employers sets their electronic systems to exclude candidates without GCSE Maths, then there's not much the OP can do, other than retake the GCSE. A lot of large companies use electronic sifting to get thru the high volumes of applications they get for every vacancy.

Alternatively, OP could take a few copies of his CV and attend IT careers fairs/events where he'll have a better chance to talk to a human and demonstrate his suitability for the job.
Given your situation, you could either re-take GCSE Maths, which will cost money and also take a lot longer before you can get into those graduate programs. Otherwise you could try to apply to smaller companies for jobs, ones which don't require GCSE Maths maybe? Means you get a job quicker which at your age would be vital as you have some experience.
Reply 9
It seems very stragne that you did both a BSc and an MSc in CS without a Maths GCSE.

Why do you need a graduate job anyway, I'm sure at your level you can be looking for more advanced and senior roles?
Original post by ThePricklyOne
OP might not be able to do that.

These days, job apps are submitted electronically (via a web portal) and go thru electronic sifting before it gets to a human. If the employers sets their electronic systems to exclude candidates without GCSE Maths, then there's not much the OP can do, other than retake the GCSE. A lot of large companies use electronic sifting to get thru the high volumes of applications they get for every vacancy.

Alternatively, OP could take a few copies of his CV and attend IT careers fairs/events where he'll have a better chance to talk to a human and demonstrate his suitability for the job.


Yes lol I am aware of how job apps work, I have applied for my fair share of jobs :wink:

I was just suggesting that perhaps, rather then wasting time filling out electronic applications that are going to be automatically sifted out or rejected (whether that be by a machine or a recruiter), to first try and contact the employer directly (if possible) to see if they would consider him without the GCSE. A lot of the big companies and companies that run graduate schemes do have in-house recruitment/HR teams that he should be able to reach to discuss this with.

I am not saying its guaranteed but it would surely be worth a try?
(edited 6 years ago)
Original post by anon_mous
Yes lol I am aware of how job apps work, I have applied for my fair share of jobs :wink:

I was just suggesting that perhaps, rather then wasting time filling out electronic applications that are going to be automatically sifted out or rejected (whether that be by a machine or a recruiter), to first try and contact the employer directly (if possible) to see if they would consider him without the GCSE. A lot of the big companies and companies that run graduate schemes do have in-house recruitment/HR teams that he should be able to reach to discuss this with.


I'm sure you know this, but not sure if the OP knows this (from his initial post).

Many applicants confronted with machine sifting would do the same - ring up the recruiter, but then the company is still faced with the same problem of volume of applications. HR would just give some verbal bullsh*t and the application will still be rejected anyway. I didn't have Donald Trump as my dad when applying for jobs, so had to do the hard way. :frown:

OP could also try some IT competitions (hackerthons, collab on creating apps/solving problems) that would showcase his skills and add something extra to his CV.
Original post by BillMurray
Hi there,

Is this some sort of a sick joke? I'm looking through potential graduate jobs and other jobs in my field of expertise and so many of them state that applicants must have five GCSE's with C grade at Maths.

Long story short, I did not get very good GCSE's or A-Levels, I didn't "flourish" academically speaking until I got to university, everything clicked after that.

I have a bachelors degree (first class) and a masters degree (merit) in Computer Science!

I'm 29 years old, qualified to do a f***ing PHD if I wanted to, am I really going to have to prove that I have the mathematical skills at GCSE level when I can hold my own with university level mathematics.

Any thoughts on this please, it just seems completely nuts, no?


Not really. Im surprised they let you into uni without it as its mandatory even for most sixth forms or access courses.

Quit complaining just get it and be done with it.
Original post by UWS
It seems very stragne that you did both a BSc and an MSc in CS without a Maths GCSE.

Why do you need a graduate job anyway, I'm sure at your level you can be looking for more advanced and senior roles?


There might be a lack of (recent) work experience to compliment the academic side of things. Employers tend to want both.

I'm impressed he managed to get into a BSc and MSc without Maths GCSE. :thumbsup:
Reply 14
Original post by ThePricklyOne
There might be a lack of (recent) work experience to compliment the academic side of things. Employers tend to want both.

I'm impressed he managed to get into a BSc and MSc without Maths GCSE. :thumbsup:


how could you be impressed by that, he just got lucky :/
Original post by ThePricklyOne
I'm sure you know this, but not sure if the OP knows this (from his initial post).

Many applicants confronted with machine sifting would do the same - ring up the recruiter, but then the company is still faced with the same problem of volume of applications. HR would just give some verbal bullsh*t and the application will still be rejected anyway. I didn't have Donald Trump as my dad when applying for jobs, so had to do the hard way. :frown:

OP could also try some IT competitions (hackerthons, collab on creating apps/solving problems) that would showcase his skills and add something extra to his CV.


Haha I can relate to that.

You're right its true that others may be in the same/similar boat. OP hasn't said much about the rest of his CV so I'm not sure what the position is in terms of the other aspects of his application but for sure competitions, networking and work experience are all going to be beneficial to give him an edge over other applicants.
You got into a CS course without a pass in GCSE Mathematics? 0_0

About 32 marks on each paper on the old GCSE spec in higher tier to get a C
Reply 17
Just because a job lists something as a requirement doesn't mean they won't give you the job without it I would still apply, but if you felt like it you could probably just sit a GCSE math paper.
(edited 6 years ago)
Original post by Dafock
how could you be impressed by that, he just got lucky :/


Haha...I'm impressed because I wouldn't have got in without the GCSE maths!

Even my job interview had a panel of mathematicians/physicists. So unfair!
Original post by J-SP
Just not true. It's cheaper, easier and more reliable to outsource it to the Philippines than it is to get a computer to do it.


Posted from TSR Mobile


Easier for the company to pay me to write an algorithm to do it than outsource to Philipines. That's why many human interactions are gradually being replaced by machines running algorithms - machines are cheap and will never, ever ask you for a pay rise. Or join a union.

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