University and Employment Prospects

[Conor D]

It feels as if I do nothing but post up threads about University on here, I'll try and make this my last.

I'm at John Moores University in Liverpool doing a BEng in Mechanical Engineering, and I'm toying with the idea of putting in a transfer to the University of Liverpool.

They said they would need a 65% Average to consider me for admission into second year with the University of Liverpool for the same course I'm doing.

This year I went to first year at John Moores instead of doing a foundation year at the University of Liverpool (partly because I didn't get the grades..).

Now I was thinking that even if I didnt get the 65% to get into second year, would they still possibly consider me for first year. Basically I'd be repeating this year, only at a different university (the one I wanted to go to).

This would mean another year, but I'd be graduating from a better university. Although I'm not sure how potential employers would see such a decision? I'd be around 24/25 by the time I graduate.

Do employers want young graduates, or does it matter? Is the path taken to graduate of interest to them, for example taking a year out, repeating a year, changing course, etc?

Any help, input, comments etc are all appreciated..

Edited by Conor D on Tuesday 23 November 14:39

[Conor D]

I want to do Mechanical Engineering, and I'm wondering if there is any benefit in completing the first year at Liverpool John Moores, using that qualification and then transfering to the University of Liverpool to start the same degree again.

Or just stick with it and graduate from John Moores university in 3 years.

[Conor D]

BJG1 said:

Riknos said:

randlemarcus said:

Very few employers will give a toss where it came from, as long as you can do what you purport to be able to.

This.

While Oxford and Cambridge have a higher rep, an employer isn't going to give a crap about which city you did your degree in, more so how well you actually did in it.. Not worth wasting a year of your life to change the city you graduated from? Except for maybe the fact you get to do freshers all over again...

He's not even changing City!

Ha, yea. It's the same city, just a different university.

To be honest though theres times that I'm not too impressed with LJMu, sometimes they dont seem to know what they're doing themselves. I've had a lecturer stand up at the start of the class and leave, he didn't come back.. We're now being taught by another lecturer. Generally questions are never given a straight answer, instead told to speak to someone else who isn't too sure either.

Maybe it's the same everywhere, but even when I had to call up with The University of Liverpool they were able to answer any of my questions or if not they could put me through to the person who could give me the answers. I had to call up LJMu, and the person on the phone didn't know what to say to me..

[Conor D]

el stovey said:

I must be missing something, are most people saying it doesn't matter where you get your degree from?

Seems to be, whats your take on the whole thing?

[Conor D]

el stovey said:

TuxRacer said:

el stovey said:

I'm not an 'employer' but I expect it depends on what you go into. If your degree is very vocational and directly related to your employment, then I think it would be worth your while getting into the 'best' university possible.

If you just want a degree to be a graduate then it's probably not as important.

I would've thought it would be the other way around. If you're looking to do something theoretical... maths maybe, then Oxbridge would be ideal. If you want to hit nails with a hammer (slanderous over simplification for which I apologise in advance) then does it really matter if you're not up on the latest research?

No, I mean if he's doing engineering and wants to become an engineer then it's more important to go to the best university and study engineering he can. If he's doing engineering and thinks he might become a journalist then it doesn't matter as much.

Possibly.

In a perfect world I'd want to graduate and go straight into a job with one of the big engineering firms. Possibly Automotive, Aerospace. I'm not going to get my degree, and go into accounting or something.

If I can help it anyway.

[Conor D]

Anyone else got any views on this?

From the University League Tables (The Guardian - I'm not sure how these are looked at) the University of Liverpool is 39th overall, whereas John Moores Liverpool is 109th. For Mechanical Engineering specifically UOL is 33rd, John Moores University is 47th.

Edited by Conor D on Saturday 27th November 23:46

[Conor D]

Talksteer said:

Conor D said:

It feels as if I do nothing but post up threads about University on here, I'll try and make this my last.

I'm at John Moores University in Liverpool doing a BEng in Mechanical Engineering, and I'm toying with the idea of putting in a transfer to the University of Liverpool.

They said they would need a 65% Average to consider me for admission into second year with the University of Liverpool for the same course I'm doing.
]

Conor I currently work for Rolls-Royce and I am part of the university liaison team for my old university (Warwick).

I don't have a deep understanding of how recruitment will work outside of R-R but I can tell you how it works there. The university you go to is very important to employers with graduate schemes, the Rolls-Royce scheme is vastly over subscribed in terms of applications to places.

One of the filters that brings this down to reasonable number to interview will be the university from which people have got a degree. You need a good institution (I'm not party to whether LJM uni would pass, nor would I tell anyway), a 2:1 and an MEng, I can't over emphasise how many more options you will have if you go for an MEng. While not all schemes will ask for one bare in mind that most people going for jobs on the schemes will have one.

http://www.rolls-royce.com/careers/graduate_progs/...
http://www.baesystems.com/Graduates/GraduateProgra...
http://www.jaguarlandrovercareers.com/Apply/Faqs/G...
http://www.ukgrads.thalesgroup.com/graduate-progra...

As a young engineer all you can normally offer is qualifications, it is possible to get a foot on the ladder with a lower qualification and work your way up building experience as you go but its so much easier to get on the ladder if your qualifications are strong.

Hey,

I really appreciate the help, thanks. It's given me a lot to think about.

Do you have any idea if age plays any part in the recruitment process? For example would a company be more inclined to take on a young 22 year old graduate who went to University directly from A-Levels over a 26 year old graduate for example, who took a year out, repeated a year etc. Both with Identical grades, qualifications and experience.

[Conor D]

Piglet said:

What are your grades now? I'd be concerned that you didn't get good grades at A level and now seem to see 65% as out of reach? Are you struggling generally or just not putting the work in?

I'd be very concerned about a grad who repeated year 1 without a really good reason and your reason re A level grades wouldn't reassure me.

Are you looking to repeat year 1 because you're not on top of it and you think the transfer gives a good reason for this?

Not having a go at you but this is what comes out of your posts

My A-Levels are CCC. I didn't have the grades to get into first year at the University of Liverpool if I wanted to get in directly.

Out of all my friends who are now in their second year, I don't actually know any of them who achieved over 65% in their first year (But I'm not sure how much work they put in). Manchester, Queens University Belfast, Liverpool John Moores, University of Liverpool, whatever University they were at they all seemed to just about pass with maybe one or two up around 50-55%.

When I spoke to a girl at the University of Liverpool regarding admission into second year she told me that for a university like Manchester they would expect a pass rate of around 40-50%, but because I was coming from John Moores I would be expected to achieve 65%.

[Conor D]

Adam B said:

as an employer reading this I would be more concerned that you are considering that you will not get the 65% required

pull your finger. get the 65%, switch to the 2nd year at the better uni

I don't know how I am doing though, we haven't got any marks for coursework back yet, we haven't done very much in the way of exams and my first assessment is in two weeks time. I'm being a bit skeptical based on how other people I know have done.