A 2:2 is not the end of the world

A lower second is not the disaster it seems, says David Ellis. You still have plenty of options

Desmond Tutu doesn't think your degree classification is so bad (EPA)

Walking to work, I fall in behind two grads discussing their results. One turns to the other: "Wait – what? I thought you were too smart to get a 2:2." Ouch, right in the ego.

While students fret over their achievements (and under-achievements), it’s necessary to dispel some of the lazy, disheartening conclusions which they're are exposed to. For instance, contrary to popular conspiracy, employers don’t take out restraining orders against candidates with a 2:2 and having one won’t get your number blacklisted by recruiters. Nor will a 2:2 break up relationships, end in eviction or kill your dog.

The total fear a lower second causes to is not only unfair and futile, it’s also infuriatingly melodramatic; success depends on far more than figures on a certificate. University accomplishments take candidates a little of the way - but the rest owes something to talent, luck, hard-work, office politics and flirting at the weekly drinks. Put simply, having a 2:2 isn’t the end of the world.

Work with what you've got

In truth, most candidates with 2:2s were likely capable of a 2:1 but remained loyal to their primary school form ('must try harder'). Logically, landing a first job should be easier with a better degree and there will be a number of employers who discard applications without top marks. Life is full of such arbitrary distinctions - think around them.

Lessons from a 2:2 are obvious: always spell your name correctly on an exam paper, never pay more attention to a bartender than a lecturer - unless you’re hosting a party - and work harder now to make up for previous poor form. A degree slicks the move from university to work and a higher grade makes it slightly easier to battle through the opening rounds of the employment process, so consider your 2:2 a wake-up call; it’s finally time to put the effort in.

Employers give no benefit of the doubt to an application with a 2:2, meaning the rest of it must be perfect to countervail your grade. If your cover letter could suit a job at McDonald’s just as well as it could a role with JP Morgan, you’re doing it wrong.

While many of the traditional graduate schemes do not accept those without a 2:1, not every high-flying institution will disregard a lower degree: earlier this year I interviewed with a senior editor of a top British newspaper and was laughingly told my '2:2 just shows you had a good time!'

Make your own luck

For those with a hard will to succeed, opportunities can be made to present themselves. Remember, no degree classification has single-handedly gotten someone a career and conversely, no employer has considered an application and thought 'Damn, they’re just so perfect. No-one else comes close. Still, that degree means I couldn’t possibly hire them'.

The only people are hindered by a 2:2 are the kind who let it hinder them. There isn’t a person in the world, though, who should be hindered after their first year of experience; your day-to-day results matter far more than those earned with an overworked, exhausted brain in a sweaty exam hall.

To someone still stinging from their results, all this might seem glib and patronisingly flippant – but it’s not long since I graduated with a 2:2 myself. While I’m no measure of success, this week I’ve written for the Independent, the Daily Telegraph, the Guardian, the Huffington Post and had a front page feature on Buzzfeed. Meanwhile, the student website I edit has received 48,000 hits. I’m evidently a hive of arrogance too, but the point is, I’m not desolate and my 2:2 has never, so far as I’ve seen, held me back. There is no reason why it would anyone else – so swallow your disappointment down and plan the alternate route to your ideal career.

David Ellis is the editor of student finance website studentmoneysaver.co.uk. He tweets here.