Graduating with a General degree
A General degree from university is not a failed Honours degree, as you have three years of full-time study that you can use to demonstrate transferable skills when applying for jobs or to postgraduate courses.
At the University of St Andrews, a General degree is available in the Faculties of Arts, Divinity and Science, as MA (General), MTheol (General) and BSc (General) respectively. It can be completed in three years, and involves the study of modules at 1000, 2000 and 3000 level.
In this blog post, careers adviser Ryan Patterson provides some top tips on how to communicate your skills and progress in your career after university:
Skills and strengths
These are what will help you secure a graduate job. Use our career journey resources to better understand where you are at in your career development and what you can do to further it. On our website, you can also find advice on how to build relevant work experience and enhance your employability through graduate internships, part-time or short-term contract roles, and volunteering.
Be flexible in your job search
Although most large companies require an Honours degree as a prerequisite in applications for their graduate programmes, many graduates ultimately work for small or medium sized companies, also known as SMEs. These companies typically offer flexibility for their application requirements and may encourage speculative applications for graduate roles. Also, while you may not immediately qualify for a large corporation’s graduate programme, you can develop your professional qualifications elsewhere, such as a small firm, and in the future, there may be promoted posts to which you can confidently apply.
Postgraduate study
Eligibility requirements differ across postgraduate study. Some universities are very flexible in their definitions of prior qualifications and experience. They will determine your potential to succeed in postgraduate study based on how you sell your skills, knowledge, education, training, and previous employment. Careers Advisers can offer advice on how to do this through 15-minute advice appointments and practice interview appointments. You can search for postgraduate study programmes and their application requirements on sites like FindAMasters and FindAPhD. Additionally, The Open University offers flexible supported learning and more than 180 postgraduate programmes. If you want to study at a university outside of the UK, enquire directly with the university to understand their application or entry requirements, and if needed, if adjustments or accommodations can be made to certain criteria.
EmployAbility
EmployAbility is a non-profit organisation that supports neurodiverse and disabled students and graduates into employment, as well as providing ongoing support once in employment. Through the organisation, you can obtain information about your rights, and access free and individualised advice and support with your applications, interviews, and adjustments for recruitment. The EmployAbility team can also advocate on your behalf with an employer to ensure you receive the adjustment(s) you need.
For example, if your disability or health condition contributed to you earning a degree classification that does not meet the application criteria for a job, EmployAbility can offer advice on how to request an adjustment to the recruitment criteria from an employer, or should you need it, advocate for this adjustment on your behalf.
To access EmployAbility support:
- Register with them for general data protection regulation (GDPR) purposes
- Contact [email protected] and a member of the EmployAbility team will respond to help you.
As a St Andrews graduate, you have access to all of the Careers Centre’s services for up to three years, so stay in contact with us by attending a careers advice appointment, and making use of platforms like CareerConnect, Careers360, and the Careers Centre’s website to access careers education, information, events, and opportunities.