Anyone with experience of recruiting graduates please can you help me

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I am 36 and in my second year of a three year degree, I would like to get on a professional graduate scheme when I graduate but don't have the UCAS points that many ask for. I am currently on track to achieve a first and this is my first degree. Am I just deluding myself that a graduate scheme is a possibility for me and should I focus my job hunt elsewhere? Thank you.

Firstly congratulations on being on track for a first! :-)

Our firm recruit graduates, but not through a large 'scheme' as such, and I'm involved in CV sifting / interviewing / offers. It may be worth investigating why they have this requirement - whether for further qualifications once in the scheme (I recall some finance-related graduate schemes that had minimums due to the ongoing exams) and whether a particular pre-degree qualification is really what is key for them (e.g. our firm strongly filters on Maths A-Level. We have found interviewees without a certain grade struggle & don't pass through the interview stage).

Smaller firms will probably be more flexible - I look at degree location, subject and class (and also filter on maths A level as it happens) and don't really fuss about whether someone screwed up on German, but the downside is that they won't have such a formal training programme. OTOH is a big programme with lots of early 20 somethings really the right place for you anyway?

Civil Service fast stream is definitely open to graduates of any age (as should they all be, in theory, cos it's the law )

Civil Service fast stream is open to anyone of any age with the appropriate qualifications - which is basically a degree - nothing else matters.. Our department is recruiting 200 people a year, for a fairly tough four-year course. We've just done the assessment centres for this September's intake. Next year's intake (starting Sept 2015) will start in October/November with online tests. Keep an eye out on .gov.uk and also look at individual departments.

I know a lot of the accounting firms have UCAS + degree level requirements however they do also sometimes offer alternative routes. PwC have something called inspired talent where you are considered on other merits than just grades. I don't know too many details but I don't think the door has closed on your getting a graduate job at all. You might just need to hunt around for some of the slightly less well known routes.