BUSINESS owners and leaders have shared their stories about why not getting the A-level grades you want is not the end of the world and have revealed why “sometimes adversity is a gift”.
Students in England, Wales and Northern Ireland are receiving their A-level results this morning.
While results day can feel like a defining moment for teenagers, business leaders say careers rarely follow a straight line and disappointing grades do not have to prevent young people from becoming successful.
Some have told how they missed their own targets, dropped out of university or chose completely different routes before going on to build businesses and successful careers.
They are urging students who do not get the results they hoped for to consider the growing number of alternatives to the traditional university route, including apprenticeships, professional qualifications, going directly into employment or starting a business.
They also argue that qualities such as resilience, curiosity, reliability and a willingness to keep learning can ultimately prove more important in the workplace than the letters received on results day.
Lukas Kaminskis, CEO of Turing College, said not getting the grades you want doesn’t need to be an issue.
He added: “I remember the pressure of reaching the end of school and feeling that the decisions you make at that age will determine the rest of your life. The reality is that they rarely do.
“At 16, I was interested in coding but couldn’t find the kind of learning experience I wanted in school, so I helped organise a coding bootcamp myself. That experience taught me that education doesn’t just happen in a classroom and that taking the initiative to build something can sometimes teach you as much as achieving the perfect grade.
“My advice to students is to treat tomorrow’s results as a starting point, not a verdict on their potential. If you receive the grades you hoped for, celebrate them. If you don’t, take a breath and properly explore the other routes available before deciding what comes next.
“University can be both educational and character-forming, but it is not the be all and end all.”
Pressure
Zac Santer, Director at South Digital, said formal education is not for everyone.
He added: “I left college after two months. Formal education bored me, but learning never has. I wanted to earn, build things and get my hands dirty. I now run a multi-six-figure website agency, yet I still invest heavily every year in mentors and education. My advice is not to treat your results as a verdict on your intelligence or future.
“They may change your route, but they do not define your potential. University is absolutely right for some people and careers; apprenticeships, employment or entrepreneurship suit others. Whatever you do, to succeed you need discipline, curiosity and a willingness to put yourself out there, make mistakes and learn from them.”
Samuel Mather-Holgate, Managing Director & IFA at Swindon-based Mather and Murray Financial, said attending university may not be the right path.
He added: “I bombed my A-levels, scraped into a university I did not really want to attend, and eventually dropped out. At the time it felt like failure in capital letters. It wasn’t. I went on to start my own business and now run a nationwide IFA firm, so my advice to students is simple: your results matter, but they are not your life sentence.
“University can be brilliant for the right person on the right course, but it is badly oversold as the only respectable route. Apprenticeships, work, starting a business, changing direction and learning on the job can all be just as powerful. The danger is thinking one envelope defines your value. It doesn’t. What matters next is graft, judgement, resilience and being willing to take a less glamorous first step.”
Graham Nicoll, Financial Planner, Chartered FCSI at NCL Wealth Partners, said failing to get the A-level results he wanted didn’t stop him having a successful career.
He added: “I didn’t get the A-level results I wanted and didn’t initially go to university. I went straight into work and have since enjoyed a varied and successful career, with plenty of highs, lows and learning along the way. I later completed vocational and academic qualifications while working full-time.
“My message to students is simple: university is an option, not the goal. Results matter, but they don’t define your career or future success. Apprenticeships, college, professional qualifications or going straight into work can be equally valuable, and sometimes far more focused.
“University is fantastic when a degree is genuinely relevant to where you want to go. But spending three years studying simply because it feels like the expected next step isn’t necessarily the best investment. There are many routes to success, and tomorrow’s results are just one staging post, not the destination.”
Options
Harvey Dhillon, Founder & CEO at Zmartly, said university is overrated.
He added: “Leaving my own grades out of it, I can tell you what results day looks like from the hiring side. A disappointing envelope closes one door on one morning, and it doesn’t decide what you’ll be trusted with 10 years from now. I hire and train finance staff, and what I’m judging is whether someone can be relied on with a client’s numbers and will keep learning.
“Grades at 18 tell me very little about that. Yes, university is overrated. In my experience, plenty of school leavers are pointed towards a degree before anyone asks what the job they want actually requires. An apprenticeship is a real route in, and so is a professional qualification, and in my own field you can start with the CIMA Certificate in Business Accounting.
“CIMA presents it as the entry-level qualification for people with no finance experience. A degree isn’t a requirement. That door is open tomorrow morning, whatever the envelope says.”
Paul Denley, CEO at London-based Oakham Wealth Management, said “sometimes adversity is a gift”.
He added: “Results day feels enormous at 18, but it’s rarely the fork in the road it seems – almost no one asks about your A-levels a few years into working life. I did reasonably well and studied Applied Economics, though decades on I doubt those grades shaped where I ended up. If tomorrow doesn’t go to plan, it isn’t the defining moment of your life.
“A knock back often forces a rethink and opens unexpected opportunities. Sometimes adversity is a gift: those who sail through early can find the first real roadblock difficult, while setbacks build resilience and tenacity. Much depends on framing – seeing opportunities rather than obstacles. University should no longer be automatic.
“A degree can mean repaying an extra 9% above the threshold for decades, while a good apprenticeship offers earnings, experience and no student debt. University is essential for some careers, but should be a considered choice, not the default. Whatever happens, keep it in proportion.”
Photo by Irina Chishkova on Unsplash.
