2:1 Mathematics Graduate can&#x27;t get a grad scheme/entry job

You're already at a disadvantage by having a 2:1 instead of a 1st.

Grad schemes are v. competitive etc etc etc. Those with 1st class degrees, extensive experience AND a desirable personality are getting the jobs instead of you.

There are more things to do besides grad schemes.

Reply 22

RogerOxon

Original post by Lost Paradigm

I can fly. Is that good enough for you?

I'm fairly sure that you can't, without a plane, helicopter, etc. Isn't Mathematics about being pedantic? :wink:

(That's what put me off it at degree level)

A good numerate degree should get you a job, but your first is often a struggle to find. Good luck.

Reply 23

TheFarmerLad

22

What uni you go to man? Have you had any placements/spring weeks? I get the frustration, it's bloody hard to get something legit post-uni

Reply 24

kkboyk

Original post by stabilo20619

You're already at a disadvantage by having a 2:1 instead of a 1st.

Grad schemes are v. competitive etc etc etc. Those with 1st class degrees, extensive experience AND a desirable personality are getting the jobs instead of you.

There are more things to do besides grad schemes.

They are a small minority, so they're definitely not getting all the jobs. Degree classification is only ever used as a filtering during the application process stage, not after interviews to make offers so the OP isn't in a disadvantage.

Reply 25

DuckDodgers

12

Come on, play nice.

Original post by desou

What an horribly self-entitled, defeatist attitude. You can't get a job and you're not willing to change a single thing to make yourself more employable.

You sound ideal for the financial sector. Enjoy the 70-hour working weeks until you have a nervous breakdown in a few years time.

(edited 4 years ago)

Reply 26

stabilo20619

Original post by kkboyk

They are a small minority, so they're definitely not getting all the jobs. Degree classification is only ever used as a filtering during the application process stage, not after interviews to make offers so the OP isn't in a disadvantage.

More and more students are graduating with 1st class degrees, so they are not the minority they once were.

If two students performed well at the interview stage then they would likely be seperated by their entry qualifications.

Reply 27

kkboyk

Original post by stabilo20619

More and more students are graduating with 1st class degrees, so they are not the minority they once were.

If two students performed well at the interview stage then they would likely be seperated by their entry qualifications.

Grade inflation is exactly why they won't base their final decision on, and why most companies nowadays have adopted a strength based approach. It'll simply not make any difference as to competent a candidate is.

There are also other factors to include, such as degree subject and if its relevant to the job.

(edited 4 years ago)

Reply 28

chazwomaq

18

Can you be specific and tell us how roughly many jobs you've applied for and in what time frame? Which university did you go to? And which schemes are you looking at?

You're right that many of the big companies, banks, management consultancy etc. are highly competitive.

The first job is always the hardest.

Reply 29

Ultimatestar

There are 24 universities under the RG and if on average there are 150 to 250 Maths graduates a year alone from these universities there will be between 3600-6000 new maths graduates per year! There will also be other highly qualified maths graduates from prestigious universities around the world who might also apply for the same job. A 2:1 from a RG (bearing in mind that there is also a great variation the standard of the course among these 24 institutions) University might not be enough for anyone to get any of the jobs they applied for.

Also there will be at least 1000 highly qualified maths graduates from the top 4 maths departments in the UK alone.

Reply 30

Future Physics

13

I'm assuming you didn't have a clear plan with regards to what you wanted to do after getting a maths degree? Major Prep has a video talking about potential careers so maybe he should be a good youtube channel to go to. I do believe something along the lines of simulation modelling in python is something that people with a maths degree like to do? I might be wrong on that and getting it confused with another subject.

Original post by Lost Paradigm

It was a joke. In all seriousness, university didn't really prep me with job specific skills. I got those from past working experience in admin, communicational, analytical etc. But like I said it doesn't do much favours when it comes to grad schemes. I can't code unfortunately, I'm not particularly interested in a role that involves coding/programming. I mean If it's a doll house then sure but if you mean a normal room then that's a little too heavy for me. I'd like to think I can quickly process and understand arguments, but I like to take points in a manner of perspective rather than who's right and who's wrong. Well I prefer A4 presentation papers. When the CEO of the organisation I will be working for can "smash out 20,000 grammatically perfect and coherent argued words on any subject in under a week" then I'll be able to do 50,000.

Reply 31

Future Physics

13

Yeah that is true data science is a good path to go from there though I can't say much for data science.

Reply 32

winterscoming

19

Original post by Lost Paradigm

Maybe I should have to be honest. Unless one is planning to become a teacher, Mathematics itself it's a really pointless subject to study at University unless you're going to combine it with programming/coding.

Those are skills which you can learn by yourself if programming jobs are interesting to you. A degree qualification may be useful in terms of helping you connect to employers for job opportunities, but as you seem to be finding now, employers will hire people based on how well they demonstrate their skills in the interview, and generally won't just hire someone based on a qualification or university. The reality for most jobs is that a degree is only as valuable as the skills you learned from it.

If your CV is getting you job interviews but you're not being offered the jobs at the end then it's most likely a skills issue that you need to work on. I'd recommend looking at sites like Coursera and EdX to explore courses which will help you build the kinds of skills that will land you into the types of jobs that you want to be landing in; Job descriptions usually list skills/buzzwords that will indicate the kinds of things that employers are usually after; It's not something you can fix in just a few months, but something that will take a bit more time and effort, however it's certainly achievable.

Reply 33

OP

Maybe if you bothered to read my original post , you'd have noticed that I mentioned that I HAVE made it up to the assessment centre stage in some processes after doing online tests and video interviews and others hardly make it past the original application process. I've had my CV looked at and evaluated professionally, so that isn't the problem. I've also said in previous posts that I've applied for a range of roles from analyst, to business consulting and tech roles. Plonker

(edited 4 years ago)

Reply 34

OP

Original post by chazwomaq

Can you be specific and tell us how roughly many jobs you've applied for and in what time frame? Which university did you go to? And which schemes are you looking at?

You're right that many of the big companies, banks, management consultancy etc. are highly competitive.

The first job is always the hardest.

Sure, I went to University of Manchester. Approximately applied for about 100 jobs within the past year, I've made it quite far in some schemes after various tests and online interviews, and others hardly any progress. The ones where I generally make it quite far are usually tech based organisations. I've been applying for are based on analytical schemes, accounting and finance, and a few consultancy and tech schemes.

Not meaning to sound egotistical but speaking solely from my own experience since graduating and knowing other graduates such as myself on assessment centre days. I honestly think that a main problem is the organisations selectiveness and competitiveness of the roles they offer for graduates. Last assessment centre I went to, I asked for the number of roles available they informed me they had 15 spaces and short listed 63 graduates.

(edited 4 years ago)

Reply 35

OP

Like most people on this website, you don't bother to even read and understand the situation.

You just jump to your own little assumptions and conclusions.

OK.

Reply 36

OP

Thanks for the detailed advice, I'll try and take as much as I can on board.

Reply 37

username738914

Original post by Lost Paradigm

Sure, I went to University of Manchester. Approximately applied for about 100 jobs within the past year, I've made it quite far in some schemes after various tests and online interviews, and others hardly any progress. The ones where I generally make it quite far are usually tech based organisations. I've been applying for are based on analytical schemes, accounting and finance, and a few consultancy and tech schemes.

Not meaning to sound egotistical but speaking solely from my own experience since graduating and knowing other graduates such as myself on assessment centre days. I honestly think that a main problem is the organisations selectiveness and competitiveness of the roles they offer for graduates. Last assessment centre I went to, I asked for the number of roles available they informed me they had 15 spaces and short listed 63 graduates.

that's a pretty normal ratio

general graduate schemes and competitive non-technical "new grad" positions are as much a numbers game as much as they are a networking/popularity contest. gotta be willing to play ball or you lose out.

there simply aren't enough decent generalist/business-y grad (that aren't glorified sales jobs) positions at decent employers around for everyone. that's why soooooo many people want to do consulting, banking or public accounting because they are springboards into business careers.

or just learn CS fundamentals, build some stuff in your spare time and go down the SWE path. ditto, analytics (which is sometimes branded data science).

(edited 4 years ago)

Reply 38

stabilo20619

Original post by Lost Paradigm

I honestly think that a main problem is the organisations selectiveness and competitiveness of the roles they offer for graduates. Last assessment centre I went to, I asked for the number of roles available they informed me they had 15 spaces and short listed 63 graduates.

Those figures don't look unusual to me. 1 in 4 chance of getting the job is a pretty good chance if you're a capable applicant.

Reply 39

OP