If your degree is in economics...

[DieDreiHexen]

....What do you do now?
And what A-levels did you do?
Asking for DD16.

DD is making her A-level choices at the moment, with an eye on studying economics at university. She knows quite a bit about the subject (from her own reading) but I think she'd like to know a bit more about the range of career possibilities, maybe beyond the standard ones in the course leaflets or a vague 'something in finance.'

Her A-level choices are economics, maths, further maths and classics. Do they sound okay? Her current school has no sixth form so she's getting quite limited guidance on that.

Thanks to anyone who can help

I’m a data scientist. I started the career before it had a name. It’s a great job and it pays well.

In my day, I learned the programming aspect on the job. These days there will be opportunities in school or through self-study and a person should definitely take advantage of those.

Hi Yes, did Chemistry Economics, Maths and Art at A level, BSc Economics and MSc Economic. I work in a Bank , in risk management.

Her A-levels sound good. I did FM too which made the maths in year 1 easier.

eons ago but I did economics, history and maths. Maths made life easier. I ended up in accountancy with a big 4 firm.

A levels in Economics, English and French.
Went into IT working for government then financial institutions. Working mostly with Database design and architecture. Did a lot of data science over the years too.

A level Economics English and RS-degree in economics. Now a teacher.

Chartered accountant with economics and politics degree

We are in a similar position, we have been guided towards 3 A-level not 4. Maths is really difficult and further maths will be moreso. We are being advised it's better to concentrate and get 3 great A-level grades rather than overloading with 4 and getting good/mediocre grades. We are therefore dropping further maths and selecting maths, economics and history.

I did A levels in economics, maths, geography and physics (although I chose those when I had another degree subject in mind). I now live in a developing country and work as an economic consultant/international development advisor. My husband is also an economist and works for a big international organisation. He grew up outside the UK so didn’t do A levels.

@Landlubber2019 thanks for your reply. Your son's A-Levels sound similar to DD's.

I had exactly the same thought about 3 A-Levels but the teacher at the open day we went to last week said DD needed further maths for the universities she is looking at. Apparently, while universities don't state it as a requirement, it is a 'facilitating subject' which means the majority of applicants accepted have it. She can drop it at the end of Year 12 and just do the AS, which might be a blessing at that point!

Thanks for sharing your jobs everyone. I don't work in this area at all so I'm always amazed by the range of jobs out there I've never even heard of.

Seems that lots of people end up working with data, risk etc. which I guess you are well equipped for after an economics degree. Shed by good in something like that. She's had a chat with a friend who is at Deloitte he has signed up for their various offerings. I'll also encourage her to look at civil service fast track.

I am an actuary. I did a maths degree but economics is also a common degree amongst my colleagues.

@Mumofteenandtween She's mentioned being an actuary. Good to know economics can facilitate that.

It would be much better to drop the economics rather than the further maths if she wanted to drop down to 3. Further maths both looks better on the application and will be more useful long term.

I'm in tech marketing, which I really enjoy. I studied Maths, Further Maths, Economics & Physics. Agree with other posters that Further Maths is the most helpful, so wouldn't rush to drop that. It is a great job for so many roles, I also tried out actuarial work & finance en route.

Following with interest.

Ds wants to do A level- maths, economics and chemistry and I wonder where that might lead him if he doesn't go to uni.

I might be wrong but my understanding is that the top unis for economics want maths and further maths. She might want to list the courses on UCAS by ranking and then look at entry requirements. Economics is very competitive and it'll be important to get into a top uni to get the sort of jobs she is looking at.

Economist roles - daughter currently at Oxford Uni reading Economics and Management, no FM A level, very competitive though at 18 to 1. Bristol and Bath offered for straight economics with no FM on 3 A star predictions, state school.

DD17 looking at similar. A levels are maths, economics and biology. FM rules out a few but by no means all.

Friends with economics degree work in fund management, accountancy and one is an economics / business teacher at secondary.

One of my DC did economics at A level and uni and is in finance consulting and is a high earner.

Interesting thread, dd is doing economics, maths and psychology at Alevel, and enjoying economics the most so considering that for degree. Maths is her weakest subject and she thinks ABC is realistic for grades so we aren’t looking at ‘top’ universities, what do people with ‘fairly good’ economics degrees do?

@Penguinsa wow, your daughter is a proper high flyer! Sounds like she's got an amazing future ahead of her. Our friend did E and M at Oxford and has an amazing job now.

DD is looking at Cambridge and the London courses (for various, personal, but not boyfriend reasons she wants to be quite close to home, which means East Anglia/ London/ South East.

watxhing with interest.

dd is in a similar position with
maths, further maths, history OR economics a level options and then the EOQ.

thought?

Tax advisor (in accountancy). Although if I had my time again I wouldn’t have bothered with uni at all.

Don't do this - some Unis don't consider FM as a 3rd A level, more an extension of the Maths.