What positions would a 2:2 degree bring you in 2024?

Greetings and congrats on earning your degree from university! What are you saying? You received a mere 2:2? Even though you may have expected a first or a 2:1, this is still a remarkable accomplishment. With this certificate and three years of invaluable life experience under your belt, you will be well-positioned for a career in any subject you choose.Continue reading to learn about your possibilities for post-secondary education and what careers you can pursue with your second-class honours degree. We’ve done the legwork, compiled a list of 15 fantastic career alternatives, and thoroughly discussed the meaning and significance of your results.

What is a 2:2 degree?

The third tier of grades for undergraduate degrees is a 2:2. You could consider it to be a “C” in that regard. The degree grading system in the UK ranges from a first (first-class honours, or a “A”) to a third (pass, which is just above a fail). Upper and lower categories make up second-class honors. A 2:1 denotes an upper-second (the “B” equivalent), whereas a 2:2 denotes a lower-second.

The information below provides the equivalent percentage (score out of 100) for each honors degree mark.

• First-class honors (first place) = 70–100%
• 60–70% for 2:1 (upper second-class honors)
• 50–60% of lower second-class honors (2:2)
• Third (honors class III) = 40–50%
• Typical degree is between 38 and 39%.* Failing 0–40%

*Students who score extremely close to 40% may be awarded an ordinary degree, or a degree without honors, although this is at the university’s discretion. Anything less than 40% is usually considered a failure.

You can seek up each countries’ equivalent grades for degrees abroad on the Graduate Recruitment Bureau’s international degree equivalents page.

Read Degree:Which degree programs pay the most?

Is a 2:2 degree good?

Don’t let anyone tell you otherwise—it really is! A university degree is a challenging endeavor, therefore everyone who graduates with a certificate of completion should feel pleased of themselves.

While the number of students receiving firsts has increased, the number of students receiving 2:2s has decreased in recent years. Regarding the rigor and criteria used to mark exam papers, essays, and other assignments, there are conflicting theories as to why this is the case, and it has generated some dispute.

During the most recent academic year (2021/22) for which data has been collated and validated, 32% of UK students obtained a first, 46% a 2:1, 17% a 2:2, and 4% a pass.

In 2010–11, ten years prior, only 17% of candidates received a first, 49% received a 2:1, 28% received a 2:2, and 7% received a pass. This generally indicates that either the standards needed to meet the grades are lowering or the pupils are improving.

This is all insignificant in the grand scheme of things. The way you use your degree to land a job or pursue a career path that enhances your life is what matters.

Can you get a job with a 2:2 degree?

Of course! Tens of thousands of university graduates earn a 2:2 degree each year. The government’s graduation labor market figures for 2022 show that over 87% of graduates were working. More than 66% worked in highly skilled positions.

There is still nothing stopping you from applying to any job, even though it is true that some graduate programs or jobs (such as global investment banking firms, high-end management consulting firms, or the civil service fast stream) may be more difficult to get into with a 2:2 than with a 1st.

It’s possible that your application will be filtered out if the job description expressly states that a 2:1 or above, but this is by no means guaranteed. You can achieve anything by marketing your abilities and knowledge. According to the statistics, graduates make approximately £11,000 more annually on average than non-graduates, or those who did not attend university. Consequently, by finishing your degree, you have given yourself an advantage regardless of your final grade.

In the workplace, it’s critical to have a clear understanding of your goals and how to get there. No one studying law is really going to become a neurosurgeon, no matter how good their grades were at one of the most elite universities. The key is to make the most of your education, experience, and talents in order to increase your employment prospects.

Here are fifteen examples of successful occupations that you can obtain with a 2:2 degree.

What jobs can you get with a 2:2 degree?

An extensive list of occupations that you should apply for with your second-class honours degree is provided below.

1. Accountant

An accountant makes over £35,000 on average, so this is a terrific role. You can work for any organization in the world after completing the program and earning your qualifications because it equips you with transferable abilities. Since accounting frequently necessitates on-the-job training, the outcome of your degree is less significant. You would be preparing, forecasting, analyzing, and calculating accounts, budgets, tax returns, and balance sheets in this capacity. You can work in the public or private sector and assist businesses and organizations in understanding their earnings, losses, and spending.

2. Police officer

In the UK, the average salary for a police officer is £28,000 a year, and no degree—much less a 2:2—is required. It’s an intense job with irregular hours, and rather than large pay or recognition, the satisfaction of knowing that you’ve safeguarded and assisted the public often serves as the reward. You’ll organize and carry out investigations, conduct interviews, and make criminal arrests. There will unavoidably be paperwork, thrilling beat work, and highs and lows. In this position, exceptional work might lead to more serious positions as those in the serious crime unit or as a murder detective. the police officers we admire on television.

3. Teaching assistant

There aren’t many occupations that can compare to teaching. You will be appreciated for your efforts to educate the next generation and assist them in acquiring academic and social skills. This is an essential contribution to society. A teaching assistant assists instructors with lesson planning, supports students’ learning from elementary school through secondary school, and does administrative tasks.

4. Recruitment consultant

Have you ever considered what it would be like to assist people in finding employment while you’re job searching? Effectively assessing candidates’ personality and the needs of selecting companies is essential while working in recruitment. You will meet with job seekers, evaluate their resumes and interpersonal skills, create job advertisements, track down elite applicants, and get them ready for interviews. It’s possible to make good money, particularly if you receive bonuses!

5. Marketing assistant

Everyday advertisements and marketing campaigns that you encounter on your phone, internet, TV, radio, train, posters, newspapers, and magazines are not created overnight. Based on testing, feedback, and audience research, creative minds assembled them. As a marketing assistant, you can assist with managing client relationships, writing content, gathering the required statistics, and presenting findings to your team. As a successful marketer advances through the corporate ranks, they may eventually become quite wealthy.

6. PR professional

Press relations is what PR stands for, and being a PR assistant entails handling a lot of the administrative and logistical labor that this demanding field requires. Keeping your team and management informed about press conference and event schedules, scheduling calendars, monitoring media coverage, and editing tasks can all be a part of this exciting and active profession.

7. Technical engineer

In the tech industry, senior engineers require assistance. Teams that need assistance with project planning and design chores can turn to a technical engineer. You might be conducting research, talking with clients, generating reports, and keeping an eye on procedures in real time. Engineering positions are available in a variety of large and small businesses, as well as in federal and local government positions.

8. Retail manager

In the role of a store manager, you will oversee, hire, and develop teams of employees, arrange special promotions to draw in customers, handle stock orders, organize rotas, and deliver exceptional customer service. This can be the right profession for you if you enjoy interacting with people and are driven by consumer markets, trends, and an average pay of about £27,000.

9. Graduate schemes

Numerous organizations provide graduate programs that are open to graduates with a 2:2 degree or no minimum degree required. These include, among others, the RAF, Sky, PwC, John Lewis, Google, HMRC, Jaguar Land Rover, MI5, Network Rail, and the NHS. An amazing list to help you consider what kind of career might be best for you. Graduate programs enable you to specialize and get expertise in a variety of teams.

10. Copywriter

Copywriting lets you use your creative skills and writing ability to produce long and short form content for clients that can appear everywhere from social media to marketing emails to blogs like this one! You will learn about brand values, audiences, tone of voice and which words, phrases, formats and structures work best to get your message across.

11. Quality Assurance inspector

Depending on experience, QA inspectors might make up to £40,000 annually. In order to create and uphold quality standards within particular sectors, the job requires careful attention to detail and entails planning, testing, inspecting, reporting, and policy development.

12. Business consultant

You and your clients can benefit from business consulting. As a consultant, you will identify company problems, investigate market trends and prospects, produce and deliver presentations, and assess investment risks and opportunities using analytical and critical thinking.

13. Risk manager

Speaking of risk, there’s a whole industry for those who can assess it, do research, come up with concepts, and develop plans and procedures that, when called for, eliminate or significantly reduce risk. Risk encompasses security, insurance, business, and many other domains. Risk managers work in vital roles for organizations, as evidenced by their average annual compensation of nearly £48,000 in the UK.

14. Underwriter

An underwriter’s job is another one where risk is paramount. You’ll be employed in the insurance industry, figuring up premiums (the amount a client must pay for, say, house, auto, or trip insurance). It will entail risk assessment, discussions, and data collecting and analysis. A hazardous venture? Not when your average annual salary is more than £42,000.

15. IT operative

If you have a strong interest in programs, hardware, software, devices, network security, and technology in general, a career in IT may be lengthy and very fulfilling. Enterprises of all sizes need IT, and they all need somebody to maintain it. Working on an IT helpdesk at a major organization might help you generalize or find your niche in the industry as a coder or developer at a start-up.

How to get a job with a 2:2 degree

Take your pick, fill your boots! But remember, be realistic, be passionate about it. Employers want to see zeal as much as ability and qualifications. Research the organisation you are applying to, thoroughly prep on what the job entails, do practice interviews and be prepared to impress and charm in equal measure.

It’s a tough job market out there at the moment, but your interpersonal skills can persuade an employer that a 2:2 graduate can deliver on the job.

Here are some additional pointers for impressing possible employers:

• Examine graduate programs
• Consult a vocational counselor.
• Be proud, not ashamed, of your degree!
• Consider hiring a seasoned CV writer.

Can I do a masters with a 2:2?

Anyone having a bachelor’s degree is eligible to pursue a master’s degree. Naturally, within reason. There are highly specific pre-selection requirements for certain master’s courses. You may not have a fair chance of getting into a masters program if the application requires a minimum 2:1 degree. At that point, it might be wise to get in touch with the organization to find out whether they make exceptions and in what situations, or whether this is a strict policy.

Universities today must enroll a minimum number of students in order to meet their financial projections or expectations due to the way they function. Higher education is now more accessible as a result.