Page 4 | Careers after university. Did life turn out like you thought?

olympicfan · 2023-07-18T06:26:13+00:00

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?

DramaticBananas · 02/08/2023 01:49

I studied Geological Sciences. Loved it. Loved the field trips. Hadn't a clue what to do afterwards. Drifted into teaching. Left exhausted after a few years. Now I worked in science based job in the Civil Service and I have been there for 15 years. Like a PP, I still don't know what I want to do when I grow up.

fortyfifty · 02/08/2023 10:53

I was extremely naive and did a humanities degree with no idea about employment afterwards. First in the family to go to uni, I didn't realise other UGs were using their summer holiday to gain relevant work experience. I thought getting a job would be easy. Uni careers service in the mid 90s was a bit useless. I was interviewed for civil service after taking Thier aptitude tests and being whittled down to 100 from 3000 applicants, so I knew I wasn't stupid, I just didn't have the confidence or understand the world of business or know how to present myself well. I watched fellow (and often lazy) students go off into accountancy and law and I didn't feel like I fit there.

Luckily I did a distance learning post-grad diploma and got into a semi-profession, but it took some time doing it that way and delayed my earning potential. I regret not doing an IT masters in the early 2000s as I'd always had an interest and aptitude in computer systems in each job I had.

GodessOfThunder · 02/08/2023 17:02

fortyfifty · 02/08/2023 10:53

I was extremely naive and did a humanities degree with no idea about employment afterwards. First in the family to go to uni, I didn't realise other UGs were using their summer holiday to gain relevant work experience. I thought getting a job would be easy. Uni careers service in the mid 90s was a bit useless. I was interviewed for civil service after taking Thier aptitude tests and being whittled down to 100 from 3000 applicants, so I knew I wasn't stupid, I just didn't have the confidence or understand the world of business or know how to present myself well. I watched fellow (and often lazy) students go off into accountancy and law and I didn't feel like I fit there.

Luckily I did a distance learning post-grad diploma and got into a semi-profession, but it took some time doing it that way and delayed my earning potential. I regret not doing an IT masters in the early 2000s as I'd always had an interest and aptitude in computer systems in each job I had.

Surprised. In the mid-90s it was commonplace for humanities grads to get places on grad training schemes at big companies , or jobs via less formal intakes in marketing, media, PR, sales etc. The comfort blanket of a more formal “profession” wasn’t really required. Location was a factor though.

Xenia · 02/08/2023 17:51

God - still is. 50% of City lawyers do a different degree first often humanities. My son's friend who has just had his last of 3 years of accountancy exams whilst working over the last 3 years at the leading firm, did not do accountancy at university. Many many jobs for graduates do not relate to their degree subject.