Are Oxbridge Grads more desirable employees?

mr_goo

I have never employed anyone, and I know that this is a rather vague question in terms of employment, as employment should all be about the person. However would an Oxford or Cambridge degree have some influence in your decision making?

nicklouse

well it would show that they are good at being a student.

is that what you want?

I know a few Oxbrige Grads who are thick as pigshit. same can be said for may people though.

Having a degree can mean something. but again do you want someone with a degree as a Labourer? (you dont give a clue to the job type).

mr_goo

nicklouse wrote:

well it would show that they are good at being a student.

is that what you want?

I know a few Oxbrige Grads who are thick as pigshit. same can be said for may people though.

Having a degree can mean something. but again do you want someone with a degree as a Labourer? (you dont give a clue to the job type).

I'm not looking to employ. Merely interested in peoples' perception of Oxbridge Grads. One hears that a degree from these two seats of learning opens many doors. Spoke to someone recently who does employ and he claimed that the Oxbridge grad would be chosen over the other universities. He was quite serious when I challenged him.

simonhead

I work in recruitment and see engineers coming from all sorts of universities in the UK and further afield. The general consensus is that our clients for the most part would love Oxbridge candidates it doesnt really matter. The interview and selection process is there to find the candidate that isnt just the technical fit but also can be moulded to the cultural fit of the company, just because they have been to Cambridge may get them an interview but they also need to demonstrate the soft skills that are important.

Companies love seeing Oxford or Cambridge on CV's as it adds credibility to their work force, the companies clients (particularly US or Arabian) love seeing team members that have been to top universities and many of the top consulting firms will only take grads from the top 3 or 4 universities.

davidwilcock

I agree with the above. Very much desirable. I think the difference between Oxbridge and the rest is, if they dont have an Oxbridge degree they go into an interview and have to impress. If they have an Oxbridge degree they go into an interview and have to not screw up

mrushton

davidwilcock wrote:

I agree with the above. Very much desirable. I think the difference between Oxbridge and the rest is, if they dont have an Oxbridge degree they go into an interview and have to impress. If they have an Oxbridge degree they go into an interview and have to not screw up

I'll go with that. The ability to get into Oxbridge shows you have a certain aptitude. Doesn't mean you have any common sense and it also depends on what you study. Is subject X better at Lancaster than Cambridge? Some would say that a degree from Harvard or MIT is better than Oxbridge.

mr_goo

If I got a first in maths, I would be a more sought after employee if I got the degree at Cambridge than Southampton (for instance). And this merely on the basis that it looks good for the employer?

diamonddog

Mr Goo wrote:

If I got a first in maths, I would be a more sought after employee if I got the degree at Cambridge than Southampton (for instance). And this merely on the basis that it looks good for the employer?

Yes (snob value)

mr_goo

diamonddog wrote:

Mr Goo wrote:

If I got a first in maths, I would be a more sought after employee if I got the degree at Cambridge than Southampton (for instance). And this merely on the basis that it looks good for the employer?

Yes (snob value)

Jeeez! And I thought we had moved into the 21st century.

kajjal

Depends on the job requirements , terms / conditions and the person really. I have seen some excellent graduates and also some who's life experience / interpersonal skills make you wonder why they were employed in the first place.

One advantage Oxford / Cambridge have over other universities is the quality of delivery of their courses and the resources they have. Other universities are more like battery hen style education just churning out graduate after graduate like a sausage machine. This gives the Oxbridge graduate an advantage but only if it is used in the right circumstances.

mr_goo

Interesting replies.
Reason for my OP. My son is applying for Maths degree courses. And is taking STEP courses, as he is considered at a level to apply for Cambridge. The school are obviously pushing this as it looks good for them.
We have been to the open day and seminars at the maths campus at Cambridge. The surroundings, accommodation and facilities are no doubt wonderful. Yet I felt the head of department talk, and the presentation was very uninspiring.

Richard_D

The snob factor can also be counter productive. Going to Oxbridge from only a comprehensive or Grammer school you can be looked down on by the public school crowd and this can be detrimental as to how the student performs.
Yes Oxbridge are the most well known abroad but the Russel group are not very far beheind and for some subjects are better than Oxbridge. For Pharmacy and Chemical engineering you would do better going to Nottingham, Economics to LSE.
My son is just about to go back for his second year doing Physics at Manchester and he is very proud of the fact that the minimum entry requirement for his course at Manchester this year was higher than the equivalent course at Oxbridge.

simonhead

I think the way universities are viewed has changed a little over the last few years, the gap between Oxbridge and the likes of Imperial College, Durham etc (for maths) has closed a little. Top candidates depending on what they are targeting will find themselves snapped up pretty quickly and many companies will market themselves to the graduates from the top universities. The further down the pecking order you go the more the graduate has to do the hard work to secure an interview.

When we recruit graduates probably only 35-50% of the questioning we do is about technical skills now, the rest is about soft skills and work ethic. I recently had a girl interviewed by a company, she had an OK degree but in comparison to other candidates had been to a lower ranked Uni and had fewer awrds. What was really impressive was that she had come from a very poor family and had no financial help from her parents. During breaks and at weekends she worked in a quarry up to 16 hours a day to be able to have enough money to pay for her course, accomodation and save some for her family. It is that dedication that my client loved and she was offered a job there and then.

edhornby

I would say Maths at Cambridge is a very good choice! don't be put off by a present by one guy, talk to students and the postgrad seminar takers for an honest appraisal

remember that most of the serious IT Tech is based round there and Maths is a great intro to IT and many other fields of work not just the research within the university

having a good oxbridge degree does open doors, no doubt, even if you think that is a daft state of affairs (which I do generally think shouldn't be the case but it is)

diamonddog

Mr Goo wrote:

diamonddog wrote:

Mr Goo wrote:

If I got a first in maths, I would be a more sought after employee if I got the degree at Cambridge than Southampton (for instance). And this merely on the basis that it looks good for the employer?

Yes (snob value)

Jeeez! And I thought we had moved into the 21st century.

Unfortunately it is still inherent in all walks of life IMO.

t4tomo

Mr Goo wrote:

Interesting replies.
Reason for my OP. My son is applying for Maths degree courses. And is taking STEP courses, as he is considered at a level to apply for Cambridge. The school are obviously pushing this as it looks good for them.
We have been to the open day and seminars at the maths campus at Cambridge. The surroundings, accommodation and facilities are no doubt wonderful. Yet I felt the head of department talk, and the presentation was very uninspiring.

Go and have a look at Oxford then, it's much better

jawooga

I studied Physics at Manchester. I am not saying I would've got in to Oxbridge, but when I was 18 I was an inverted snob and couldn't think of anything worse than going somewhere posh like that. Now, 10 years after graduating, while my degree has been enormously beneficial, I know that Oxbridge carries more clout.

I would say to the OP that university is about learning life skills as well as the very important bit of studying. In that respect, a socially sheltered but academically pressured environment isn't for everyone.

VTech

I think it depends to what employment you want after uni.
I speak with a lot of colleges and universities as well as employers in my sector and the best factor of getting the better jobs is referral from course lecturers. I would take that over a long list of high grade Ox/Cam uni results anyday.

Monty Dog

I work for one of the biggest engineering employers in the UK - all your degree does it get you on the 'yes' pile - the rest is down to character and attitude which we do through online testing, assessment centres and interviews.

VTech

Monty Dog wrote:

I work for one of the biggest engineering employers in the UK - all your degree does it get you on the 'yes' pile - the rest is down to character and attitude which we do through online testing, assessment centres and interviews.

Out of interest, would you take a top grade oxford lad over a lad with decent grades but who the lecturer said was outstanding in the field ?

chrisaonabike

VTech wrote:

Out of interest, would you take a top grade oxford lad over a lad with decent grades but who the lecturer said was outstanding in the field ?

There's not enough information to answer this question. Plenty of lecturers are dreadful, and grades aren't anywhere near the whole story.

VTech

The reason I asked is that Bentley hire based on feedback of student rather than qualifications as a whole. I realise this may be a one off hence the question.

negativelycra

OP,
IMO the reason that oxbridge (and other top unis) are better valued is NOT snob factor. I read Chemistry at Oxford, and we covered more in 3 years than my mates that went elsewhere did in 4. We were also worked harder, e.g my mates doing PPE did the same each week as another mate reading Economics did per term at Northumbria.
Yes, you get the elitist / toff reputation. However, I went there as a state school pupil, and a Geordie, and the only one with a chip on their shoulder in term 1 was me. If you go to anywhere with a pre conception, you're apt to find the stereotype you're looking for. However, you really shouldn't restrict yourself because you've found the 5% of wankers you were looking to find.

95% of the people at Oxford were pretty spot on, I met loads of great people - who I'm still really good friends with and all of whom are very sucessful now. If you want your son to get a great start in life, work hard, and have a great time all at once, I'd definately reccomend giving either uni some serious thought.

symo

As said before a first in engineering at Oxford doesn't mean a thing. Worked with several and most were better at theory than application, which is unfortunate for engineering. Having said that those that were good were as good as anyone from a (perceived) uni.

Thats why problem solving is valued more in my firm than the analytical skills.

dilemna

In Cambridge the students I have seen many look very desirable, the women I mean. I just wish my boss would employ some ............. The blokes look ok but often come across as dicks .

Daz555

Monty Dog wrote:

I work for one of the biggest engineering employers in the UK - all your degree does it get you on the 'yes' pile - the rest is down to character and attitude which we do through online testing, assessment centres and interviews.

....and a degree from Oxford will get you in more yes piles than one from Plymouth.

angry_bird

I purposefully avoided Cambridge to the displeasure of my school as it's got by far the lowest graduate employment rates for my course, and the course itself didn't impress me compared to the others on offer. Yet a lot people are still keen to go there, and it seems it's purely down to the name and perceived prestige.

chrisaonabike

Angry Bird wrote:

I purposefully avoided Cambridge to the displeasure of my school as it's got by far the lowest graduate employment rates for my course, and the course itself didn't impress me compared to the others on offer.

Which course?

VTech

ChrisAOnABike wrote:

Angry Bird wrote:

I purposefully avoided Cambridge to the displeasure of my school as it's got by far the lowest graduate employment rates for my course, and the course itself didn't impress me compared to the others on offer.

Which course?

Vet ?

angry_bird

Yep

Pross

My own ill informed opinion is that it is dependent on subject. I associate certain unis with certain subjects so:

Cambridge - sciences / law
Oxford - humanities / law / economics
Imperial - engineering
Bath - vets
Kings College London - medicine
etc