Your Degree Is Not Your Job Title!
One of the most common worries graduates have during their graduate job search is that you aren’t sure how to talk about your degree when it doesn’t directly match the job title. You might be looking at graduate sales jobs or graduate recruitment jobs and thinking, Why would they want someone with my degree?
The reality is simple: employers don’t expect your degree to equal your job title.
What they care about is what your degree taught you, not the subject name printed on your certificate. Most graduate careers especially in sales, recruitment, and executive search, are built on skills, not academic specialisation.
Your degree proves you can:
Research information and form conclusions
Manage deadlines and competing priorities
Communicate ideas clearly, both written and verbal
These skills are highly valuable in commercial graduate roles, regardless of what you studied.
Translate Your Degree Into Transferable Skills
When applying for graduate jobs, especially in sales or recruitment, the key is learning how to talk about your degree in terms employers understand.
Every degree develops transferable skills, including:
Critical thinking
Time management
Problem-solving
Written and verbal communication
These are the exact skills required in:
Graduate sales jobs
Graduate recruitment jobs
Graduate research roles within executive search
For example, research-heavy degrees translate well into candidate sourcing and market mapping. Essay-based degrees develop persuasion and structured communication. Group projects demonstrate teamwork and leadership. None of this is wasted, it just needs reframing.
Avoid Apologising for Uncertainty
Many graduates undermine themselves by apologising for not having a clear career path.
You don’t need to say:
“I’m not sure what I want to do yet”
“My degree isn’t really relevant”
Instead, focus on:
What you’ve learned so far
What interests you about commercial roles
Why you’re drawn to sales, recruitment, or people-focused careers
Curiosity is not a weakness in a graduate job search. Employers hiring into graduate recruitment and sales roles expect exploration. What they want to see is intent, not certainty.
Link Your Degree Directly to the Role
One of the most powerful things you can do in interviews is clearly link your degree to the role you’re applying for.
Instead of saying:
“My degree isn’t relevant to this role.”
Say something like:
“My degree developed my research, communication, and time-management skills, which are valuable in fast-paced, people-focused roles like sales and recruitment.”
This shows self-awareness, confidence, and an understanding of what the job actually involves.
Learning how to explain your degree in an interview is often the difference between sounding unsure and sounding employable.
Jobs You Can Do With Any Degree
A huge number of graduate careers do not require a specific academic background. Roles in sales, recruitment, and executive search are designed to train graduates from scratch.
If you’re worried your degree limits your options, it’s often the opposite. Graduates with diverse academic backgrounds bring fresh thinking, adaptability, and strong communication — all traits employers actively look for.
Final Thoughts
Not knowing your exact career path after university is not a disadvantage. What matters is being able to talk confidently about your skills, your interests, and your potential.
When you learn how to talk about your degree properly, your graduate job search becomes far more focused and far less stressful.
You can explore current graduate opportunities in sales, recruitment, and research roles here:
👉 https://timberseed.com/jobs/
And don’t forget to follow us on LinkedIn for graduate advice, insights, and live opportunities!