Will a good degree guarantee me a job?
The straight answer to this is NO. I know it seems harsh, but a degree, good or otherwise is a small part of what you have to offer, it is the rest of you, which counts.
For some jobs a degree will be the minimum criteria and in some cases it will have to be a degree in a certain subject with a certain grade. But this is not the case for most of the time now, as companies are looking for people that have a certain level of academia, but more importantly have the practical approach with great interpersonal skills to be able to handle challenging and unexpected situations.
I am sure you will all agree with me when you look at your degree, that knowing how you should approach something and being faced with a situation where you have to act, there are so many other variables which come into play that a text book just cannot provide for you. So it is all about practice and experience.
Some companies will want you to have a good degree and they are able to offer you training on top of this, but it will not remove the emphasis on your interpersonal skills, which they will be assessing at interview. So the degree on paper may get you the interview in some cases, but it will not get you the job.
So remember, excellent interpersonal skills being demonstrated by you through all stages of your job hunting are going to be the decider as to whether or not a company takes you on.
Where companies do mention as part of the criteria that they are looking for a degree, it is worth phoning up to challenge them and using this opportunity to show how great you are even if you don’t quite meet the academia criteria. You have differentiated yourself from the rest and this already strikes a positive chord with them even if you haven’t met all of the other criteria. So you can often find a way in just be innovative.
So be proud of your degree but understand the role it plays in your job hunting. Remember you were YOU before you were a “Graduate” therefore the emphasis should be on what do YOU have to offer regardless of the degree.
Good luck, let the degree play it’s part but don’t let it take over.
