how do you still not get this? try reading this s l o w l y: i'm objecting to employers saying '2:1 in ANY discipline'. this would mean for a finance scheme, a graduate with a 2:2 in finance would have their application discarded, whilst a 2:1 graduate with an unrelated weak degree would be considered. this is ludicrous. if they say '2:1 in a RELEVANT degree', that changes things, but saying 'any discipline' not only completely ignores the fact that there is variation in difficulty between courses, but also variation in content. say you found a perfect economics graduate scheme, and the entry requirement was '1st in any discipline', would you not be even a little miffed that someone with a 1st in an unrelated discipline could get the job, while you wouldn't be considered, even though you'd make a better candidate because you've already covered a lot of it in your course?

Haha, no need for the comment there at the end Michael! You clearly cannot put forward reasoned arguement without resorting to pathetic backhanded comments all the time. As I have stressed, my point is that in this time of economic uncertainty, Graduate employers are fully justified in only considering applicants with a 2:1 or higher, in a listed, relevant degree subject. For your information Michael, I achieved a 2:1 in Economics at Durham university - saves to say what sort of university and level of degree I did doesnt it?

yup liam, you've missed the point again. you said that people with poor degrees won't realistically get the jobs, so why let them enter? yes employers have to draw the line somewhere, but why make the line exclude strong candidates, and include weaker candidates who have no hope of getting the job? they obviously have to limit the number of applicants, but this is a particularly arbitrary and ineffective way of doing it. i'm not even going to comment on your statement of how easy it is to get a 2:1, save to say it shows what sort of uni you went to, and what sort of degree you did.

Hussain Ali - It's only normal that the minimum degree requirement is being upraded to a 2:1. Although I agree that it is really frustrating that employers often disregard the standard of the degree attained, it is not always the case that people with the different degrees will qualify for the same course. Im currently doing a law degree, and it is competitive enough as it is, most top employers accept only first class degrees! my only form of advice to people doing other courses as well as people doing courses in which employment is fiercly competitive, sandwich courses boost your chances hugely. Too often I hear that a degree is just a "piece of paper", which is proving to be true in our current climate. But it is clear that with the right blend of perhaps a 2:1 degree and plenty of work experience (1 years worth)your chances of employment should be high because it shows that you are diverse.

Michael, I see what you are getting at, but realistically how likely are the graduate schemes to accept people who have done poor degrees at poor universities; I would say not many. I was merely trying to point out that people who have spent £20,000+ on going to University should have committed themselves more to their studies and achieved a 2:1 because lets be honest, at most Universities it isn't too hard. Maybe it is your girlfriends fault for choosing a course like Maths. Many of my friends did Maths, and most of them either achieved Firsts or thirds because in Maths there is no middle ground! Graduate employers have to draw the line somewhere don't they Michael?

Liam, you clearly don't know what you're talking about, and anyway, you're missing the point. getting a 2:1 in david beckham studies from staffordshire uni is obviously going to be easier than getting a 2:2 physics degree from a top uni. nevertheless, who are these employers going to reject without looking at their cv? so even if the physics student should have got a 2:1 in your eyes, they are still a higher calibre of graduate but are being rejected in favour of a graduate with a weaker degree. i got a 2:1 in linguistics and psychology, my girlfriend a 2:2 in maths, only one of us could apply for many finance graduate schemes, and it's not her, which is ridiculous.

Rachel - if you haven't got a 2:1, sometimes contacting the employer directly before sending your application helps, otherwise they sometimes discard it without reading it!

To be honest if you are getting accepted onto an economics course with 300 UCAS points, you aren't going to a top university. The argument that there is supposedly useless degrees is invalid - I believe they are all just as worthwhile as eachother (within reason). If I had chosen a degree whch always had correct answers I would have come out with a first but instead I went for a degree I was more passionate about.

Absolutely gutted. I have a 2:2 Hon degree for maths from a very good uni but its been over a year since iv graduated and I still havent found a full time job. I decided to change direction and go into HR. Its very difficult to apply for general jobs as they ALWAYS ask for experience so I had my heart set on graduate schemes but practically all of these ask for a 2:1 so Im completely stuck. Its very depressing as I know others who have achieved a 2:1 in a 'fluffy' degree and from not very good unis who will be able to apply! I don't begrudge them but it seems unfair that just because I missed out on a 2:1 I can't apply to perfectly good jobs or kickstart my career. As if it isnt hard enough already in the current climate! Guess I have to stick wiv my part time job longer than expected :(

I've had an opposite experience. I have a 2:1 masters but I found a lot of employers are looking at A level results and wanting a minimum grade, usually an A or B. As my A level results are lower than this I am excluded from applying which i think is a complete joke as I have spent 5 years working hard getting a degree from a good university and get penelised due to exam results 6 years ago.

if i had known this before going to university - that i get a 2:1 or cant even apply for jobs - i never would've gone in the 1st place...