Career help, especially with an emphasis on geography

[GeographyOptions]

Career help is non existent in my dc challenging secondary school. Despite obstacles they have been predicted 8 (that's all the school allows) GCSEs grade 8 and 9. There is no sixth form.

Dc is financially motivated (we get by as a family, but that is all, they and us wish them to have a better life that we have)

They especially love geography, especially the human aspect.

Can anyone suggest careers we should look at, A levels that compliment, degree especially with support. Both DP and me left school at 16 and have stayed in just above minimum wage jobs so this is all new to us and I don't really know where to begin.

Mu DS has similar interests and is in Y12. He is doing Geog, Politics, Maths and Biology for AS level. (Will drop one for next September and only take 3 to A level) He is looking at degrees in Geography at a variety of unis and for future careers is looking at the civil service fast track scheme, maybe diplomacy? He is also considering planning and international relations. I don’t know how well remunerated planning is or quite what a job in international relations would look like (I don’t think he does either!) but that’s as far as he has got.

I’d be interested in any further answers too!

Hi, talk to him about a career in economics. It's not all maths you know! It is a great way to make a lucrative career out of an interest in people, trends, politics and places.

I don’t know how well remunerated planning is or quite what a job in international relations would look like (I don’t think he does either!) but that’s as far as he has got.

International relations = diplomatic core. Usually requires a politics and law double major, and a plummy accent. Highly competitive to get into.

Planning = helping design cities and towns. Mid-level career, not particularly well remunerated (similar level to a teacher would be) unless he goes into planning consultancy and achieves a directorship or starts his own planning firm.

Perhaps look into the Environment agency. They have various apprenticeship opportunities for school leavers and degree courses. Your DC could get involved on the pollution side, flood and coastal erosion, nuclear or biodiversity.

Landscape Architect
Environmental Consultant (carbon net zero assessment/ quantification and sustainability particularly in need)
Land Management
Town and Infrastructure Planning
GIS and Economics

All of these are skills very sought after in built environment, environment and multi-disciplinary consultancies at present. There is a serious skills shortage at present in the UK. Starting Graduate salaries circa £26k (plus benefits) rising to £100k plus as a Director (or so I’m told!)

I have a geography degree, I went into ecommerce (earning a pittance) then retrained as a software engineer.

Other friends with the same degree work in planning, insurance, civil service, education. Getting an anywhere decent job was a long hard slog for all of us.

If they are financially motivated then it's the wrong degree, especially now when fees are 9k a year.

I would strongly recommend going into IT or finance and then trying to move into a related industry or something with similar skills.

For example, digital marketing, user research, product management all involve similar analytical and research skills that your DC might enjoy using, but it would be much easier to get one of those jobs from studying IT or business. There are lots of degree apprenticeships in those areas now as well.

Geographer here. My peers and I have ended up in a diverse range of careers - meteorologist, teacher, vicar, planner, civil servant, health professional, university lecturer.

Geography goes well with Science or humanities A levels. Geography gives you lots of transferable skills and opens up various career paths.

Echo this. I work in a related field and sustainability consultants are absolutely sought after and will be for some time to come. Companies now have to demonstrate their sustainability credentials and they need people to help them do it. In house, niche consultancy or working for big companies - there is a lot of work there and lots of different specialisms.

My most successful geographers have gone into a wide range of careers and have high salaries. There are a few solicitors (geog degree followed by one year law conversion), senior civil servants, senior RAF officers, retail management, GIS, some gave even become teachers! Geography degrees and A-levels develop a broad range of highly transferable skills outside of just tge obvious.

If your DC is motivated by money and has the aptitude, do Maths A-level. It is by far the most general subject that opens the door to lots of high paying careers including finance, IT, computer programming and various types of science.

It would go well with geography because most modern study of people / places / environment / weather etc needs lots of data and lots of maths to sort out that data.

Prospects is good website for this type of question. www.prospects.ac.uk/careers-advice/what-can-i-do-with-my-degree/geography

Also v good article : www.rgs.org/geography/choose-geography/geography-at-university/

What are your options locally for A levels / level 3? He needs to pick a levels (if that’s what he wants to do ) he’ll enjoy. Ditto pp that maths is 👍. Check that 6th form / college provides independent careers advice appointment.

I came on to say exactly the same.
I'm a geographer, but it was maths a-level grade A which was crucial in climbing the ladder in my finance career.

Watching with interest as have a similar situation

Surveying would be a good one. Lots of branches of surveying which are quite different from each other (quantity surveying, land surveying, valuing, building surveying etc) .