How to Get a Job with a Third Class Degree
Find out how to get a job with a third class degree with minimal effort! It may feel like your future is at stake right now with a third class degree, but don’t let that get you down. There are career options open to you, so make sure you take advantage of them.
Don’t be too concerned about getting a low score – your academic achievement does not define your future. Remember that you’re only one step away from where you want to be.
When starting the job search process, graduates are pretty nervous, especially when a third class degree is involved. It can be intimidating initially, but once you actually start applying for jobs you will realise how to get a job with a third class degree. There are several resources out there that will help you along the way, including this awesome guide on how to get a job with a third class degree.
How to Get a Job with a Third Class Degree
Create an impeccable CV that an employer cannot reject
Graduates with excellent academic records may think they’re invincible when applying for jobs. However, employers look beyond the numbers and focus on the candidate’s experiences, skills, and personal qualities. This is your chance to prove that good academics aren’t enough.
The first step to getting into this field is getting some hands-on experience. You can do this through volunteering, interning, taking an online course that builds your skill set, or other things. Once you’ve got the experience, focus on highlighting what you did during those experiences rather than just listing your duties. Showcase your achievements, statistics, data and actual examples of your successes, and they’ll show that you’re not just talking about yourself.
Use your resume to demonstrate your industry expertise and understanding of the organization you’re interviewing with. Go beyond what you can learn from a simple Google search or LinkedIn profile because that’s what almost everyone does.
Look into industry publications, LinkedIn groups, and news articles about the organization you’re interviewing for. Does the organization feature in the media lately? Why did they make headlines? What was the story behind the story? Anything you can dig up that no one knows will help you stand out.
Conveying your personal characteristics on a single sheet of paper can be challenging, but try to put yourself in the employer’s shoes. Think about how you would describe yourself, and then think about how you could demonstrate those traits through your work experience is one of the ways to assist you to get a job with a third class degree.
Always focus on real-life examples rather than generic job descriptions, and include any hobbies and interests you might have. Include a section on your skills and abilities so employers know exactly what you can do.
Take an online professional certificate course
Non-traditional students enjoy two significant advantages of online courses related to career advancement. A professional certification can help you secure a job if you cannot get a job with a third class degree. Some employers limit management-level jobs to those with a professional course.
Earnings can increase if you complete a professional course because it allows you to not only get a job but to earn a promotion that may include pay raises. In addition to financial rewards, completing a professional course can provide intangible benefits such as improved self-esteem and confidence. Online learning provides flexibility to individuals who work full-time and cannot attend traditional schools.
You can take the courses at any time, and are convenient to complete. You can learn at night and on the weekends. This will give you a solid change to get a job with a third class degree.
Network with colleagues
If you want to secure a graduate job, networking is a useful tool, regardless of your degree level and especially if you want to get a job with a third class degree. If so, you need to build your network and make yourself known. Use LinkedIn to connect with fellow graduates who work at firms you are interested in and go to networking functions fully prepared with an introduction and an excellent story to tell.
Don’t just sit there and wait for them to contact you. If you haven’t heard anything after applying for jobs, get in touch with the employer. Show your enthusiasm and tell them why you’d be interested in working for them. What’s the worst that could happen? They might turn you down.
Be flexible and realistic
Indeed, most grad scheme applications require at least a 2:2 or 2:1 degree, but not all employers put so much emphasis on your grades. Some smaller firms may consider your application regardless of your grades, provided you show them you’re willing to hit the ground floor and get stuck into things immediately.
If you were hoping to get into a job where you’d need a college degree, you should know that you’ll probably have to start somewhere else. While getting your foot in the industry can be difficult, if you keep working hard and showing off your skills, you’ll eventually find yourself in a better situation.
Don’t worry too much about what school you went to; just focus on proving yourself and doing good work. Your grades won’t matter as much as your workplace performance.
Your grades will not define your future!
The more professional experiences you gain and the further your career path goes, the less your grades will mean. Think about how your GCSEs used to feel important; they probably didn’t seem very significant at the start of high school, but now they hardly feature on your resume. The same applies to your university degree.
But don’t worry too much about getting top marks because it won’t always help you get ahead. Employers care more about whether you can do the job than how good you are. So focus on developing your skills and building your portfolio instead of worrying about your GPA.
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