This morning I find that the media is brimming with stories on how graduates with degrees below a 2:1 are struggling to find work. While I have a certain amount of sympathy for those who are finding it an increasingly difficult task to get employed, I can’t help but feel that there is a certain amount of ar$e scratching taking place.

“I spent three years (probably one year of not doing very much and two years pulling my socks up) getting a degree, now give me a job.”

Sorry guys and girls, that just doesn’t cut it any more, and hasn’t done for a long while.

As undergraduate barriers to entry have eased considerably over the years, the onus on the student to complement their studies with quality work experience has increased. A quick chat with friends and colleagues reveals that many, including me, went looking for work experience in our second year of uni and found it to be exceptionally valuable when it came to finding full time employment.

In the past few weeks  at Speed we have had a few interns join us, all of which appeared to find the experience worthwhile, and all of which would be given a good reference if they requested one. A couple of these references from credible workplaces will be valuable gems when it comes to applying for work.

Whether you get a 1st a 2:1 or a 2:2, employers of today want to see real passion and drive to learn the job at hand; work experience is not a nice thing to have but an essential ingredient to a shining CV.

I leave you with one of the jobless graduates quoted in the Independent “I probably didn’t put as much effort into my degree as I could have done.” Well to be honest friend, why the hell are you complaining?

I wrote a few tips some time back for graduates or soon to be graduates looking for work, I hope this helps!

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• Employers ‘requiring 2:1 degree’ (news.bbc.co.uk)
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• Nearly 70 UK graduates are fighting for every job going (telegraph.co.uk)
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