Can anyone help me work out if I can do anything with my pointless degree?

[Alb1]

I graduated in 2011 answers havnt used my degree for work since, at the time I needed money to pay rent so I took the first job going (in hospitality) and got stuck, been in the same industry every since and have never enjoyed it. I now have 2 kids and would still love the opportunity to retrain and do something, anything related to my degree.

I have an undergraduate Biology masters, I volunteered in university but all that is out of date now and I can’t afford to volunteer at the min due to childcare costs. I think the problem is that I never specialised so it’s just a pointless degree really. I do not want to teach. Anyone got a similar degree that’s managed to use it? Or even just managed to go back after so long and retrain with an old degree?

I’d love to go into veterinary nursing in an ideal world but I wouldn’t no were I start, going back to uni isn’t an option due to the cost.

I'm slow. What is a u-grad masters. Is it a BSc or MSc? Why do you think it means teaching?

Hi there, there is some current information about careers in veterinary nursing on this Web page : www.manchesterhealthacademy.org.uk/parents-carers-students/important-information/careers/aspire-to-be/

MSC, sorry it was just the format, rather than doing a bsc and then doing a postgraduate masters, my undergraduate course went straight on to masters.

Because everyone thinks I should go into teaching, friends think I’d be good at it and it’d be viable to get onto a teacher training course that also pays a wage (teach direct?) and it would work with having children due to being term time. But it’s just not for me, I’d be a rubbish teacher.

Jobs require lifelong learning nowadays, but plan for babysteps how to get to jobs you'd like; babysteps that fit with your bigger commitments. I was wondering about a secondary school science TA job (do they still exist)? Probably needs NVQs. I think they are cheap & evenings.

ps: and that isn't really a teaching role, or doesn't have to be, anyway. There are other types of lab-tech jobs. Not forever jobs necessarily, but ways to use your degree & refresh skills.

Nearly 80% of graduate jobs don't specify a particular subject so not only is your degree not useless but it means you have lots of options.

You need to stop thinking about what biology related jobs can you get and start thinking about what skills and attributes your biology degree helped you develop. This will apply to lots of jobs.

Lots of universities offer careers advice for life now so maybe you could make use of your universities careers service?

Do you fancy accounting? Loads of science graduates seem to go into accountancy. Someone once told me it was because you are numerate but not too numerate!

If I could find a way in then probably. Same with the graduate jobs that don’t care about subject, I’ve just never figured out how to get a foot in the door. My uni only offers advice for a couple of years after graduation so I’ve missed that boat.

www.topuniversities.com/student-info/careers-advice/what-can-you-do-biology-degree

You might find it useful to go and visit some workplaces to see what they do. I know it sounds a bit odd, but some places will give you a bit of time if you ring and ask nicely.

Another useful thing you could do is make a list of your transferable and soft skills that you've gained from working so far.

It still might be worth going to see a careers adviser as they can help you think about the skills you've developed as part of you degree and show you how to apply them to job applications and interviews.

If you want to use your degree but don't want to teach them it'd be worth looking at all the different medical-allied jobs within the NHS as a starting point.

I know exactly what you mean about doing a biology degree though OP it did feel during mine as though we either went into education at some level or did lab work (or medical conversion for a few), we never really considered the generic graduate jobs although there was no reason why we couldn't.

Publishing? Lots of editorial etc roles out there require science degrees.

Veterinary nursing doesn’t require a degree and you can train in practice if you find one willing to take you. Competition is high though and you’d need hands on experience with animals. It’s also very poorly paid though for the skill level and work required, I think under 20k a year is standard and although it’s possible to progress to management, specialise etc these posts are few and far between.
If you’re really passionate about it then it’s a very rewarding career but have a good think whether that wage is really sustainable I work with a lot of vet nurses in my job and most are young with no real responsibilities a lot are forced out when they want children etc due to unsociable hours and low wages

Can you write? A lot of medical comms agencies hire trainee medical writers and editorial assistants with similar qualifications. Medical writing is a great career as it is flexible, a lot of our writers work from home and if you are good at it it is very well paid. Trainees start at about £25k, Good senior writers can earn around £40k pa.

I’d love to go into veterinary nursing in an ideal world but I wouldn’t no were I start, going back to uni isn’t an option due to the cost.

If that's what you really want to do, do that. There's a vocational qualification route.

Start here :-

https://animalowners.rcvs.org.uk/veterinary-careers/i-want-to-be-a-veterinary-nurse/training-routes/

Some info on routes into vet nursing. www.rcvs.org.uk/lifelong-learning/students/veterinary-nursing-students/

It is traditionally a very underpaid profession but it's getting better. There are also many many options to specialise and undertake further study these days. Personally I think working as student nurse in a training practice alongside college is the best way into the profession as you'll get far more experience than degree nurses and your employer generally covers the costs. It is an immensely varied and satisfying job if you find the right place/people. Plus there is almost always a shortage of qualified vet nurses so jobs are generally easy to come by, particularly once you have a decent amount of experience.

A band 3 post in an NHS discipline that appeals to you - something that could lead you into a degree level apprenticeship to qualify as a HCP? I know you're already educated beyond that but you're not qualified. Radiography? Physiotherapy?