Career advice for Chemical Engineering graduate aiming to pivot or retrain

I’ll be graduating next year with a 2:2 in BEng Chemical Engineering. I don’t have any internships or formal work experience, largely because during my degree I didn’t feel strongly drawn to a particular sector and therefore didn’t apply at the time.
While I did enjoy the academic content of the course, it didn’t translate into a clear sense of career direction, and I also didn’t perform to my full potential, as reflected in my classification. From second year onwards, I struggled with periods of anxiety and depression, which affected my motivation and engagement. In hindsight, I recognise that stronger results and earlier action would have opened more doors, but I’m trying not to dwell on what can’t be changed and instead focus on moving forward.
At the moment, I feel quite stuck and uncertain. I don’t currently have a strong sense of career passion, but I do know that I want to work towards a stable, reputable career with good earning potential. Right now, having a clear goal and direction feels more important to me than finding something I’m immediately passionate about.
I’m also starting to reflect on whether chemical engineering was the right degree choice for me. Recently, I’ve found myself drawn to areas such as medicine, finance (which I understand can sometimes be pivoted into from an engineering background), or other engineering sectors, including more technical or space-related fields.
I’ve considered pursuing a master’s degree, but I’m aware that with my current classification, entry to universities such as Imperial, Oxbridge, or even UCL would be very competitive, and in the case of Oxbridge or Imperial STEM courses would likely require an exceptionally strong master’s or alternative route. This uncertainty makes it harder to judge whether a postgraduate pathway is realistic or advisable at this stage.
I’d really appreciate any advice, perspectives, or suggestions on realistic career options, possible pivots, or next steps.
Please be kind, as I’m already finding this period quite challenging from a mental health perspective, and I’m genuinely trying to figure out a constructive way forward.

Thanks for sharing so openly, your situation is challenging, but there are practical steps you can take to move forward without being too hard on yourself.
1. Focus on realistic entry-level roles
With a 2:2 in Chemical Engineering and no internships, the immediate goal is getting relevant experience. Some options:
Engineering/technical roles that accept 2:2 graduates (process, manufacturing, quality, technical support).
STEM-related roles in energy, utilities, or environmental sectors.
Graduate schemes in tech or finance that accept STEM graduates, even if your degree isn’t finance, many schemes value engineers
2. Master’s degrees
Competitive universities like Imperial or UCL are challenging with a 2:2, but there are plenty of reputable master’s programmes that accept 2:2s, especially in applied engineering, data analytics, or project management.
Consider conversion or professional master’s programmes that lead directly to work-ready skills.
Keep in mind there's no need to aim only for the most prestigious universities.
3. Explore pivots cautiously
Medicine is unlikely without a science-specific background and strong grades.
Finance or tech roles are realistic pivots if you focus on skills, certifications, and networking.
4. Actionable next steps
Update your CV highlighting projects, lab work, transferable skills, and problem-solving.
Apply to graduate schemes and entry-level roles accepting 2:2s.
Network via LinkedIn, professional societies, and alumni to uncover opportunities.
Consider career counselling or mentoring to explore pathways without overloading yourself, most uni's provide this service for fresh graduates.
Hope this helped,
Ulaw,
Alfred.