Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. Child-safe in minutes.

Meet the Other Phone.
Child-safe in minutes.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
Higher education

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

Original poster

Aerospace graduates going into finance - annoyed!

130 replies

RatherBeOnVacation · 25/09/2025 11:31

My DD wants to study aerospace / aeronautical engineering at university with a view to either building things to send into space or working for an F1 team. It’s all she wants to do and has huge amounts of work experience to support this (arranged herself in her spare time).

She went to the Imperial open day recently and was horrified to learn that 25% of their recent graduates went straight into finance. A lot of them never had any intention of carrying on in engineering when they started their degree. A bit of digging online and The Student Room is full of people talking about the same thing.

Is this really a thing?

I can understand being tempted by the money, particularly with debt levels. I also get deciding it’s not for you. But it’s a specialist degree and why are you studying it for four years if you have no intention of using it when you first start out? And 25%?????

I guess I’m just annoyed as offers are three / four A stars, or two A stars one A at most top ranking universities. It feels like genuine applicants are having places taken away from them.

Sorry, rant over.

OP posts:
socialdilemmawhattodo · 25/09/2025 11:34

Years ago I worked for an entrepreneurial investment bank in London. They deliberately recruited graduates from across the subject range. The investment bank invested principal finance into mines, engineering projects, Innovative green climate projects, etc. They needed graduates from all disciplines to be able to support that investment. It was a very sensible decision by the bank and I am aware that other banks do similar.

moresoup · 25/09/2025 11:37

But maybe when they started they genuinely did want to study that subject and work in that industry?

I guess this is where degree apprenticeships/sponsored degrees may work better

But ultimately although it may increase the competition for degree places on the other hand qualified grads who do want to work in the field are going to be helped if others choose not to

Insane tuition fees and house prices mean many people will feel they have to chase the money rather than their passion

didntlikeanyofthesuggestions · 25/09/2025 11:38

This is a non issue.

moresoup · 25/09/2025 11:39

I did a degree in a subject I loved then went into law. I still use the knowledge gained from that first degree regularly as I have specialised in a related area of law.

TyroleanKnockabout · 25/09/2025 11:40

That means more jobs for your DD!

Maxorias · 25/09/2025 11:40

Surely that's great news for your DD ? Means fewer people with compete for the jobs she wants and will apply for.

OnlyMabelInTheBuilding · 25/09/2025 11:40

I work in finance and assist with the graduate recruitment team. We love graduates from those fields.

It’s not taking anything away from anyone, you still have to have the initial grades, and complete the degree to a very high grade. You’re not doing this without drive, interests and hard work.

They bring a different way of thinking to people who study financial subjects.

It also goes without saying that hardly anyone is going into space, or working in F1. It’s more than wise to have other options in mind.

Treeleaf11 · 25/09/2025 11:41

Geniune question- are there enough graduate roles for aerospace engineering graduates? F1 teams only take on so many.

Darragon · 25/09/2025 11:43

This takes people out of the potentially competitive job market that your DD will find herself in so I can’t see the issue. I studied archaeology, should I not be a (damn good) teacher because of my unfortunate (but interesting) first degree? Should I have spent my life repeatedly only applying for both jobs in archaeology year on year and signing on in the meantime?!

AlastheDaffodils · 25/09/2025 11:47

Treeleaf11 · 25/09/2025 11:41

Geniune question- are there enough graduate roles for aerospace engineering graduates? F1 teams only take on so many.

Nowhere near. None of the aerospace engineering grads I know work in the field. I know one person who builds satellites and he studied general engineering. The vast majority of science grads will go into non-science fields.

OP, I genuinely don’t understand why you or your DD care. I studied a humanities subject and now work in finance. Lots of my colleagues studied engineering or science subjects. When I did graduate recruiting I happily recruited lots of engineering grads. They have good quantitative skills, can normally code and solve problems in a structured manner.

Surely it’s good for your DD that when she graduates she will have options?

ETA: Imperial College publishes stats and says that only a quarter of their aerospace engineering grads go on to be aerospace engineers. Most go into some kind of engineering job though. Next most popular is finance.

bigwhitedog · 25/09/2025 11:51

I did International Relations and then a law conversion course and spent my first 5 NQ years working in human rights and immigration. Is that allowed? I do family law now, or do I need to go back to my previous role to use my first degree?

XelaM · 25/09/2025 11:53

I know an engineering graduate who went into F1 (one of the big teams). Very very very smart. It's a great job!

I'm sure he had a First in his degree as well, but one thing that stood out about him at school was that he got 100% of all the possible marks one can get in his IB 😳 Quite impressive 😂

MeridaBrave · 25/09/2025 11:54

My son is studying this at a RG uni. He’s planning to work in finance. His offer was ABB and he got AAA. I think there are enough places. Even with dubious gcses etc he was offered places at 4/5 RG unis he applied to. The only one he didn’t get was Edinburgh.

MeridaBrave · 25/09/2025 11:56

And BTW the bigger issue at Imperial is that circa 80% of the places go to overseas students. DS didn’t even bother to apply.

Complet · 25/09/2025 11:56

Why does this annoy you? You’re not the one doing the degree and changing. Why do we have to pigeonhole ourselves from such a young age? Diversity is great for companies, if we all think the same way nothing ever changes. I work in engineering and we often recruit outside of engineering. Why should everyone have to ‘stay in their lane’?!

Hoolahoophop · 25/09/2025 11:56

Treeleaf11 · 25/09/2025 11:41

Geniune question- are there enough graduate roles for aerospace engineering graduates? F1 teams only take on so many.

Aerospace is enormous, also quite a few aerospace engineers will work in companies specializing in defense, high tech engineering such as F1, developing commercial aircraft, communications technology, satellites. Budgets are increasing in these areas. I would imagine there are huge numbers of jobs out there and very few candidates. Engineering skills have been in decline in the UK for years. I would say its an excellent sector to get into and could be very lucrative.

Buxusmortus · 25/09/2025 12:03

It's always been the case that graduates with many different degrees go into finance.
My son did a degree in History because he really loved the subject, but was also interested in business and wanted to make money so went into finance, there were graduates from all sorts of disciplines. He found his degree background of analysis, making cogent arguments, being able to express ideas well, research etc was very appropriate for the work.

warmapplepies · 25/09/2025 12:04

What on earth is there to be annoyed and horrified about? 🙄

SilkiePenguin · 25/09/2025 12:07

I think its useful to have science / engineering graduates in finance - finance companies / banks will generally provide finance for businesses across all industry sectors as well as invest in them and its useful to have people who really understand those businesses. Plus normally they are good at maths and a lot of finance jobs contain maths. I don't know how many plan it at the start. I think most young people adapt their ideas re work as they learn. DH works in engineering and a lot of them leave for finance for more pay.

Bjorkdidit · 25/09/2025 12:08

AlastheDaffodils · 25/09/2025 11:47

Nowhere near. None of the aerospace engineering grads I know work in the field. I know one person who builds satellites and he studied general engineering. The vast majority of science grads will go into non-science fields.

OP, I genuinely don’t understand why you or your DD care. I studied a humanities subject and now work in finance. Lots of my colleagues studied engineering or science subjects. When I did graduate recruiting I happily recruited lots of engineering grads. They have good quantitative skills, can normally code and solve problems in a structured manner.

Surely it’s good for your DD that when she graduates she will have options?

ETA: Imperial College publishes stats and says that only a quarter of their aerospace engineering grads go on to be aerospace engineers. Most go into some kind of engineering job though. Next most popular is finance.

Edited
Show quote history

It's not good for the engineering and science sectors though.

There's a lot of industries that could recruit more science and engineering graduates but struggle because a lot are attracted by better pay in the finance sector.

BananaPeels · 25/09/2025 12:09

I did a degree subject and instantly went into something else. Never used my degree at all.

you simply have to do a degree these days regardless if it is of any use. So I did one that interested me but didn’t want to do it for a living

DiscoBob · 25/09/2025 12:11

I used to work in qualitative skills research.

A lot of employers in financial services recognise the calibre of students doing aerospace etc at a top uni. They would never focus on getting only people studying finance. Maybe if you want a chartered accountant but otherwise they take the money hungry and capable from all the top degrees in STEM. A lot of other sectors, especially construction/built environment tend to suffer. As FS had more sway financially with what they offer as starting salaries.

This was about ten years ago but it must still be happening.

Canyousewcushions · 25/09/2025 12:11

One of the benefits of an engineering degree that i always flag when I do STEM outreach at school is the flexibility- it can take you into engineering, project management, finance and even maths teaching, so signing up for the degree gives you options even you're not sure that you want to be an engineer.

I was told similar at open days for uni 25 years ago, its always been this way, and its a massive positive about engineering as a degree choice.

HighLadyofTheNightCourt · 25/09/2025 12:12

A significant number of graduate jobs don’t ask for a specific degree subject. It’s perfectly fine to study a subject you enjoy and are good at and then go into a career which requires the general skills developed by studying at HE rather than the subject knowledge.

RoverReturn · 25/09/2025 12:13

My brother did engineering back in the 90s and also went into a financial job. I'm pretty sure its always been a thing. I guess he felt engineering was a good fit for him when he applied to the degree course but didn't see himself doing the job.

Also, other unis are available, its not Imperial or bust - if I were her I'd look up some aerospace eng companies and check out where their grads are from. Quite often this info is on the website.