it's utterly irrelevant

What doors? 

It matters now.  It didn't matter so much (in teaching) in the old days.  When I did my degree in the 1989 very few people did a degree (about 20% l think). 

Now employers would probably have to take account of the massive grade inflation that has taken place.  GCSE C grade is now considered to be the 'basic' level qualification expected of all.  In the old days a C grade O' Level was a good achievement.  In those days a CSE grade 3 was the basic level of achievement.  The effect of this filters up with a GCSE A grade more like a C grade in the old days.  At A' Level it is the same picture.  So by the time you get to degree level I would say a 2:1 today is probably like at third class from the old days.  Third class degrees didn't go down too well even then.

I  

SageDerby:

apmcarthur:

Really? You dont think having a 2:2 would close doors to me as opposed to having a 2:1?

I got a third and it's made no difference to me, I've never been that ambitious - however a colleague, also with a third, is now a deputy head.

Mind you I did my degree 30 years ago so it's probably the equivalent of a PhD these days.

The three guys who got Firsts in my CS year (out of about 90) were all Chinese (from China, not British born of Chinese descent) and worked virtually every hour of every day.

Nowadays you get a first with three tokens off packets of Rice Krispies.