Do Oxbridge grads get a negative reputation in the workplace?

[hungarianharlot]

I was having a conversation at work the other day which somewhat surprised me. A few colleagues and I were talking about universities and where their kids were going to apply. DS is going to apply for history at Oxford.

I’m new to the workplace but the company sometimes has graduates from Oxford or Cambridge.

Colleagues said that those who went to Oxbridge were much less likely to want to get stuck in with the “boring” jobs and more likely to feel “entitled” to the more interesting work or for other people to assist them. Another said she finds them more likely to ask lots of questions rather than just getting things done. Is this fair?

Honestly, it wasn’t a particularly positive sentiment.

I had a workmate who was a Cambridge graduate and she was great - good at her job, not at all self important and an all round lovely person. She didn't "advertise" where she went to university because she felt that people might judge her negatively.

She had been to a bog standard comprehensive school, but was very bright.

Late 40s Oxford grad here, who manages recent grads among others

Ignore these people: it’s envy talking

I find a lot of today’s generation of early 20s recent grads very entitled, more so those from well-off families, and often international students (who tend to come from those well off families/have had domestic staff). I haven’t found this so much from Oxbridge grads.

I think the being entitled comes from a privileged background and not being expected to ‘pitch in’not going to Oxford/Cambridge (or other prestigious universities incl UCL).

For me: going to Oxford opened many doors I my early career and I have had a better career than some of my peers in my first job (but I also have more drive). If your son has the ability and desire to, I would encourage him to go - especially if he wants to do a degree which doesn’t like to a specific career (History) - having done it at Oxford vs a red brick is more of an achievement

If going to Oxbridge becomes your whole personality it does get very tedious. Some are entitled and some aren’t. Work experience and work ethic is what a good boss should look for.

I imagine it would be a help rather than a hindrance. They are probably just jealous.

They sound either jealous or like they are parroting comments made by others based on zero evidence. I actually work with Oxford students while they are students and they are from all different backgrounds; they are elite because of their intelligence, exam taking abilities, and interview performance (those are the three keys to being admitted to Oxford) but they are otherwise very normal kids. They will be taught to ask questions for the sake of clarity and they will work hard. The students I work with give me great hope for the future with their humanity and curiosity.

No, those graduates would be entitled no matter where they went. It's about wealth and privilege and not about where they went to university.

Jealousy. Your DS is aiming for something above what their DC are capable of.