A Level results: Agency highlighted as viable career for school leavers

Estate agency brands have begun reaching out to school leavers as students received their A and T-Level grades yesterday.

Top grades for A-level results for England, Wales and Northern Ireland fell since last year – when most of the grades were teacher rather than exam assessed due to the pandemic - with 36.4% of all grades marked at A* or A.

Connells was quick off the mark with a LinkedIn post aimed at youngsters considering a career in property.

The agent highlighted a range of entry-level roles across its national network in a LinkedIn post, which said: “It’s results day for all those who took their A-Levels and T-Levels and we hope that everyone received the results they wanted.”

Matthew Creswell, Connells Group recruitment director, said: “At Connells Group, we are very open to taking on school leavers as they bring new ideas, enthusiasm and potential to the business.

"When taking on new hires at school leaver age, we find that they are very keen to learn and progress, and we can mould and train them which means they are much more likely to be successful. Also, estate agency as a career choice doesn’t require a university degree.

"It is much more about having the right personality to engage with and provide top quality customer service to our customers. With the right attitude and training, schools leavers can forge a great career in the property industry and earn good money at a relatively young age compared to their peers who go to university.”

Agency executives also took the chance to reminisce on their own exam performance, with many urging those who didn’t do as well as they hoped to not be disheartened.

Sarah Edmundson, chief executive of industry charity and mentoring scheme provider Agents Together, said: “I’m sure many of you in my contacts have children getting results today and next week. I’m sure you want them to do really well with loads of high grades; but sometimes life gets in the way.

“How do I know this?  It happened to me. 

“I lost my way big time in 6th form. I did AS levels and didn’t even finish A levels. I was a promising student but just got totally and completely lost.”

Fast forward six years later, Edmundson said, I graduated with a first-class honours after having some time out, then going through clearing and giving uni my all. 

She added: “Now I love my career, the people I have the privilege to work with and don’t think about A Levels, apart from on a results day. 

“I have built a good life for myself through hard work, determination and a commitment to life long self development (the learning never stops) - but also, many, many bumps in the road - so please tell your children they can too! 

“The world doesn’t start and end on A Level grades. I believe this to be even more true now with so many young and brilliant entrepreneurs emerging who have never stepped foot in a university.”

- Read Sarah’s full post and response from other industry executives.