Do your uni grades matter?
Every university student strives to get good grades, but how much do they really matter when it comes to getting a job? We spoke to a recruiter to find out.
Striving for good grades at university is always going to be a positive thing to do. But when it comes down to it, you might be wondering how much your grades actually matter.
We spoke to a recruitment specialist to find out what impact good grades can have on your job prospects when you’re graduating.
Geoff Dudley is a senior consultant at Capital Recruit, and he regularly speaks to university students about the job market, and how they can stand out when looking for career opportunities.
So when do grades matter?
According to Geoff, it really comes down to the industry. In some fields, like law, ICT, finance and management consulting, big firms will pay attention to your grades when hiring you for a junior role. That’s partly because there are so many graduates to contend with.
“Obviously completing your degree and showing aptitude with strong grades can help you stand out,” Geoff says. “And if you’re looking to go into any sort of graduate program—whether that’s in law, ICT, engineering, government, et cetera—good grades will give you a competitive edge.”
That makes sense—particularly because graduate programs are competitive processes where hundreds of candidates are compared to each other. Grades can act as an initial benchmark that will define whether you progress to the next round or not.
- Related reading: Job interview tips a recruiter wants you to know
However, it’s important to remember that all industries are different, and for many, your grades won’t factor into an assessment of your suitability for a job at all.
If you’re looking to enter roles in, for example, policy, the community sector, administration, tourism, communications and other industries where broad skill sets are required, your individual university grades are unlikely to play a role in your selection. Instead, recruiters will focus on your interpersonal skills, your critical and analytical abilities and your experience outside of your academic studies.
And even if your grades aren’t always reflective of your ability, you can boost your attractiveness as an employee in other ways as well.
Grades are one thing, but your networks can be just as valuable
Ultimately, in Geoff’s experience, there’s another factor that can have a bigger impact on your job prospects, and it’s one that might make you groan a little.
“As frustrating as it is, networking will always be your best friend. Grades can do so much, degrees can do so much. But if you know the right person, you're more likely to get a crack at that new opportunity,” Geoff says.
- Related reading: What do recruiters look for?
So where should you start if you’re a graduating university student and you want to build those networks in your field?
“What I heavily encourage, especially when speaking to students, I just say, attend every free industry event within a one-hour radius that you can get your hands on and just talk to people,” Geoff says.
“The fact is, if you've got mediocre grades, but you passed, you got your degree, you're an electrical engineer, you might not stand out. But if you’ve met Bob or Sue or Bill who runs the company, and they like your personality—hey, welcome to your first opportunity.”
Your degree doesn’t always define your career
Importantly, Geoff also points out that the degree you do may not always end up defining the career you end up with.
“I speak with a lot of clients who have studied one thing, but their skills and knowledge have made them suitable for a totally different career. I think for Gen Z especially, a lot of the careers they will have aren’t even around yet, and they’re going to create the jobs they end up in. So think about your broader skillset and work on developing yourself outside of just your education.”
Where does that leave us?
The upshot is, getting good grades at university will always be in your favour, especially if you’re seeking to get into a competitive graduate program, or professionalised industries like consulting, law or finance where the big firms can see good grades as a competitive advantage when hiring.
Many careers will require postgraduate qualifications, or look favourably on honours or further studies as well—and you will need good grades to qualify for those programs. So it’s a good idea to think about your long-term goals, and if they include further study, your grades should be a priority.
But for many industries, especially when you’re targeting smaller or mid-sized companies, building networks can be even more important.
If you want to really stand out, try complementing your university grades by:
- Joining an industry association
- Attending all the events you can that are relevant to your field, and talking to as many people as possible
- Leveraging the connections you make by following up after events, connecting on LinkedIn, and staying in touch
- Working with a recruiter—but Geoff advises making sure you get the right fit, and have a good relationship with your recruiter, to get the most out of it.
