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Higher education

Talk to other parents whose children are preparing for university on our Higher Education forum.

Original poster

Careers after university. Did life turn out like you thought?

79 replies

olympicfan · 18/07/2023 07:26

I'm curious....what did you all study at university and what are you now working at? Was your degree necessary/helpful for your career?

OP posts:
fussychica · 22/07/2023 14:27

Many years ago I did a BEd, never went into teaching as offered a post in the Civil Service where I stayed, though in many different roles in several departments. After DS was born I briefly considered teaching but starting over and the subsequent drop in pay put me off.

DS also wanted to teach so did an MFL degree followed by a PGCE and is now Head of Languages in a large secondary school. Somewhat unusually for a teacher he seems very happy.

Babdoc · 22/07/2023 14:30

Degree in medicine, then worked for 36 years as a hospital doctor. So yes, the degree was an essential qualification.

MWB29 · 22/07/2023 14:33

English Lit degree plus post grad and other professional qualifications. Don’t use my subject knowledge as much as I once did but do so occasionally in my current field. Loved reading books so it was a no brainer choosing my degree subject. I’m in a high earning job now but has taken 20+ years to get here.

TizerorFizz · 22/07/2023 15:31

In the spirit of being the ordinary person here: I didn’t go to uni. This thread is MN elitism at its best. Exactly what another recent thread discussed. Should I maybe start a thread asking what the thickos did instead?

lastdayatschool · 22/07/2023 15:44

@TizerorFizz how is this thread, under the Higher Education topic, in any way elitist ?

Suggest you cease trying to be controversial just to cause an argument - there are plenty of other threads you're involved in that you can go back and carry on your other tiffs

TizerorFizz · 22/07/2023 15:48

Aaah. So it is elitist! Why do you think HE is only uni and degrees? I’ll go back into my “unqualified to comment” box then. I actually believe all routes to employment are valid.

Runaround50 · 22/07/2023 20:55

Humanities degree.
PGCE in RE.

Taught for a bit.
Worked for net mums
Tax office.
Job coach
English language assistant in Hungary.
1:1 in a primary.
Currently a TA earning a pittance but kids in the main are gorgeous.

Runaround50 · 22/07/2023 21:00

@TizerorFizz to be fair, this is the Higher Ed board, so one would expect most posters to be degree educated?

That's not elitism, just the nature of the board.

KingsArmy · 22/07/2023 21:04

@TizerorFizz I'm a very ordinary single mum to 5 and put myself through uni whilst spending too long on benefits. I think I'm an example of why it's not elitist to go to uni. There are plenty of threads that may look down on your life choices.....you don't have to read them.
In answer to the question I have a BSc in Psychology & Sociology and a MSc in child developmental psychology and I work in a bakery in sainsburys.

StopStartStop · 22/07/2023 21:07

Education, then Theology. Worked teaching Religious Education. Degree essential.

Farmageddon · 22/07/2023 21:07

Oh give over TizerorFizz, this is a higher education board, with a topic asking about higher education. Honestly, some people could start a fight in an empty room...

I got a 2.1 in Psychology, but was put off by the loooong and super competitive road to become a Psychologist, and needed an actual paying job afterwards, so I went into HR, and then Learning and Development. I don't think my degree helped in my jobs, apart from getting me in the door.

Anyway I'm am hoping to retrain in an allied health profession, possibly Occupational Therapy or something in a few years (when I save the money for the Masters).

HowDidWeGetHome · 22/07/2023 21:15

A degree in media then in journalism. I worked for about 12 years making television documentaries but stopped when I had kids.

Tibba · 22/07/2023 23:46

TizerorFizz · 22/07/2023 15:31

In the spirit of being the ordinary person here: I didn’t go to uni. This thread is MN elitism at its best. Exactly what another recent thread discussed. Should I maybe start a thread asking what the thickos did instead?

Where did you get the idea that ‘ordinary people’ don’t go to university? It’s exactly that ‘not for the likes of us’ attitude that made my parents (a binman and a cleaner — does that meet your definition of ‘ordinary’?) try to persuade me to not even consider university, because no one in our family had ever stayed in school past 15.

HippyChickMama · 23/07/2023 00:06

Trained as a nurse in the pre degree days, topped up to a BSc later, then did a PG Dip in a related field, then an MSc in public health all while working in nursing. Now work as a lecturer in nursing and doing a PhD so degree was necessary and relevant to my career

EBearhug · 23/07/2023 02:12

History - 2 years in academic libraries. Computer Science - quarter of a century in IT.

Currently unemployed...

Xenia · 23/07/2023 08:09

The thread is not elitist. We all know loads of people don't want to go to university or don't get the chance. It is just asking where those that did ended up. It also illustrates how often people have different stages of life and different careers and stop work and have babies etc. Someone could in a different topic heading than higher education could start a thread- "if you didn't go to university what is your career now and if you were starting out in 2023 could you do it without a degree?"

Parker231 · 23/07/2023 09:36

HippyChickMama · 23/07/2023 00:06

Trained as a nurse in the pre degree days, topped up to a BSc later, then did a PG Dip in a related field, then an MSc in public health all while working in nursing. Now work as a lecturer in nursing and doing a PhD so degree was necessary and relevant to my career

What a brilliant career path! One of DD’s friends completed her nursing degree during Covid so a real baptism of fire. She could have done medicine but wants to nurse and is aiming on getting more experience and qualifications but remain hands on nursing.

Thatswhatitis · 23/07/2023 10:05

I trained as a nurse also pre degree days when I left school and did it for six years. Then went to University PT as a mature student and took sociology whilst working in a library and they paid for me to take City and Guilds library exams, not fully chartered was classed as para professional, considered doing a Masters in library and information studies but didn’t. Ended up running a small academic library and working in a public library for about 14 years. Relocated when I married and got a job as a housing officer in a University with zero experience looking after students with disabilities housing needs after six years I took a sideways move to an academic dept as fitted in with childcare as I could go PT and I took an NVQ level 4 in University administration, which they also paid for. I used to arrange conferences and travel for academic staff plus deal with copyright stuff mainly.

Retired in my early fifties and did voluntary work for a DV charity and a food project. My dream job would have been doing research for the likes of Child Poverty Action group, Joseph Rowntree foundation. Quite a varied career, lots of training on the job which suited me. Have ended up with defined benefits pensions. I do get bored very easily so I think all the retraining suited me. Also relocated cities twice in my life.

ErrolTheDragon · 23/07/2023 11:12

olympicfan · 18/07/2023 07:26

I'm curious....what did you all study at university and what are you now working at? Was your degree necessary/helpful for your career?

First degree chemistry, PhD physical chemistry - crystallography. Since then - over 35 years - I've been developing scientific software. The degrees were essential.

DH likewise a chemist, was in R&D in the chemical industry so again, his degrees vital. (On paper the same as mine, very different career!). He did an MBA as well though.

Dd has done a masters in engineering and is now an electronics design engineer so, so far, her degree also essential.

Mammyloveswine · 23/07/2023 11:52

Degree in Primary Education with QTS specialising in Early Years!

Now I'm a member of SLT, leading early years and completing my deputy head qualifications.

Notellinganyone · 23/07/2023 11:56

English Lit degree and postgrad in Drama. Tried acting briefly and unsuccessfully and then did PGCE. Have now happily been teaching secondary English for 27 years. I use my degree very directly every day. It was luck really as I wouldn’t have initially considered teaching but I love it.

lastdayatschool · 23/07/2023 12:07

Really lovely to see so may on here who went into teaching and are enjoying it/find it gratifying.

Both my parents and my sister were/are teachers and also loved/love it (like all of us they have their gripes).

Often wonder if I would have more fulfilment doing the same as opposed to going down the corporate route.

PhotoDad · 23/07/2023 12:47

lastdayatschool · 23/07/2023 12:07

Really lovely to see so may on here who went into teaching and are enjoying it/find it gratifying.

Both my parents and my sister were/are teachers and also loved/love it (like all of us they have their gripes).

Often wonder if I would have more fulfilment doing the same as opposed to going down the corporate route.

I have found my niche, and have more or less written my own job description. If I were in my 20s again in the 1990s I'd take the same path.

But without wanting to get onto the hardy perennial of Schools Today, I'm not sure I'd advise a 20-something today to enter the profession, for worse conditions than I've mainly enjoyed (I am still mainly in the best of the various pension schemes, for example, and teach small classes).

CurlyhairedAssassin · 23/07/2023 17:18

Thatswhatitis · 23/07/2023 10:05

I trained as a nurse also pre degree days when I left school and did it for six years. Then went to University PT as a mature student and took sociology whilst working in a library and they paid for me to take City and Guilds library exams, not fully chartered was classed as para professional, considered doing a Masters in library and information studies but didn’t. Ended up running a small academic library and working in a public library for about 14 years. Relocated when I married and got a job as a housing officer in a University with zero experience looking after students with disabilities housing needs after six years I took a sideways move to an academic dept as fitted in with childcare as I could go PT and I took an NVQ level 4 in University administration, which they also paid for. I used to arrange conferences and travel for academic staff plus deal with copyright stuff mainly.

Retired in my early fifties and did voluntary work for a DV charity and a food project. My dream job would have been doing research for the likes of Child Poverty Action group, Joseph Rowntree foundation. Quite a varied career, lots of training on the job which suited me. Have ended up with defined benefits pensions. I do get bored very easily so I think all the retraining suited me. Also relocated cities twice in my life.

@Thatswhatitis Can I ask, if you retired in your early 50s, but you get bored easily, apart from volunteering, how did you ensure that boredom didn't hit after the novelty of early retirement had worn off. Currently pondering if this would be a possibility for me but if I would find myself soon stuck in a rut and becoming "old" early.

BMrs · 23/07/2023 17:52

Yep, education and teaching qual and I work in senior leadership at a college