The future after university

[jens]

So the third course has just started and... it's pretty hard to describe my exact thoughts. The problem is that I don't know, what job to choose in the future after Uni and what kind of job interests me and is suitable for me. I started studying history purely due to interest, because I think one should deal with areas one is interested in. But I don't quite imagine myself becoming a professional historian. Also there are quite many of those here and the competition is tight. Also I don't imagine, what other subject field I could have concentated on and I have high suspicions that in most cases I would have been far from interested about that. Also in my doubts I tried to evade from choosing such subject field that would lead me to a concrete job. I'm gradually getting quite worried about the (dark?) future prospects. I'm moving in no concrete direction... What is interesting, many other persons in my course don't have a clear view about the future either, but that's hardly consolatory.

I'm not sure if I can get any help here, but I just wanted to talk about my concerns. :)

But as it looks like most of the forum members here are older than me, then questions to you:
What did you study?
Have your subsequent job(s) been engaged with the speciality you have studied?
How did you find the right and satisfying job for yourself?
Are you happy with your job?

[BDunnell]

OK, I studied German and Politics. My first job was in politics, but I was lucky. I was extremely happy in that job and loved it. Subsequently, I moved into photojournalism (nothing to do with politics), having previously been a freelance in the same field as a hobby — that wasn't a conventional job application. I'm lucky because I'm doing a job that also happens to be to do with one of my interests, namely aviation. I continue to use my German whenever possible.

My opinion is that university shouldn't be seen as vocational, unless you study something like law, medicine, etc, which is a bit different to doing an arts degree. I believe that people should do subjects they enjoy, are interested in and are genuinely good at, so I'm sure you are off to a good start there. As you say, interest is important. I was amazed when I started at university that there were people (well, one person, in this instance) doing German degrees who seriously believed, for instance, that the Berlin Wall went right the way around East Germany. Could they have been interested in their subject?

There are lots of jobs in which a good arts degree can be useful, even if the jobs in question may not be specific to your chosen subject — journalism, politics, other forms of research, and teaching spring to mind. Whatever happens, good luck.

[Brown, Jon Brow]

What about archeology??


I have a friend who is about to start a History degree and he has his sights on writing novels on Ancient Rome.

I'm about to start my degree doing 'Business & Marketing'. I'm hoping that the general nature of the subject could open up some varied options from management to accountancy.

[Camelopard]

[quote="BDunnell"] I was amazed when I started at university that there were people (well, one person, in this instance) doing German degrees who seriously believed, for instance, that the Berlin Wall went right the way around East Germany. Could they have been interested in their subject?
quote]

You mean it didn't :p : !

I know a lot of people who have university degrees and are not using them in the area of work they have chosen.
From an employer's point of view, quite often they will employ some one who has a degree even if it is not relevent to their line of business as it shows that the person can set goals and acheive them. Does that make sense :confused: ?

As BDunnell said there are areas where this does not apply, Medicine etc. For example, I don't think it would be wise studying Veterinary Science if you wanted to work in IT...... even confusing myself here.

[Drew]

I know a lot of people who have university degrees and are not using them in the area of work they have chosen.
From an employer's point of view, quite often they will employ some one who has a degree even if it is not relevent to their line of business as it shows that the person can set goals and acheive them. Does that make sense :confused: ?


My mum told me this. The best thing I could do, unless I wanted to do manual labour was to get a degree.

I'm going to enter my second year and I have no idea what I want to do afterwards :) It's the same for alot of people, infact what pushed me into studying was the fact I had no idea what I wanted to do and that studying was better than staying at home doing nothing.

[Malbec]

jens, perhaps you have careers fairs at your university where employers come to you to discuss what future you might have with them? The last year of university is when your career pathway tends to focus. I wouldn't worry too much if at the start of your final year you don't know where to go, thats only natural. Just keep your eye out for opportunities, keep reading the jobs mags and see what jobs you're qualified for, I think you'll be surprised how open minded the employers out there are and you'll need to be as openminded as they are to take advantage of all the opportunities out there.

[GridGirl]

I studied Accounting & Finance the the University of Birmingham. I then got a training contract at a top ten accounting firm which I hated as the people weren't nice. When I qualified as an accountant I moved to a top five accounting firm and now I'm a manager at a indepenant firm of accountants.

That sounds dead boring but I really enjoy my job. :)

Edit: I forgot to say that my degree was pretty usless as it only got me one exemption from my professional exams. Three years well spent I thought in terms of life experience but my degree didn't help me at all career wise.

[Mark]

I had two choices of a university degree, Computing Science or Geography. At the time I was probably more interested in Geography, but on talking to the people there the job opportunties directly resulting from the degree were minimal, but in Computing Science they were plentiful!

I think these days with so many people going to university you can't just do any old rubbish anymore and expect employers to be impressed. It has to be at least slightly relevant to a carrer to want to do.

But I would have thought there were plenty jobs for which History is useful.

[jens]

Thanks for the answers. :)


What about archeology??



I have thought about that too, but at the moment I'm not specializing on that.

I forgot to mention that one of the reasons I have doubted in choosing one concrete direction is that I suspect I won't be interested in doing the same or similar job for the whole of my life. So therefore I guess changes after some time are needed for avoiding getting bored.

[LotusElise]

History and archaeology are two completely different disciplines with different methods. I studied archaeology for my first degree, did a lot of irrelevant jobs and some relevant voluntary work, and now I'm going back in two weeks' time to do my Masters degree. If you can, further study is always an option and very useful if you want to enter a specialist field.

[BDunnell]

I think these days with so many people going to university you can't just do any old rubbish anymore and expect employers to be impressed. It has to be at least slightly relevant to a carrer to want to do.

Who can predict that, though? You might change your mind, or not find anything in the field in which you studied. I think that interest and ability are more important.

[Erki]

Do what you love and money follows. :)

[Andrewmcm]

What did you study?
Have your subsequent job(s) been engaged with the speciality you have studied?
How did you find the right and satisfying job for yourself?
Are you happy with your job?

Masters degree in Physics and a PhD in Fluid Dynamics.

I went to industry after my PhD and found it the most depressing experience of my life. 9-5, definite lunch breaks and the strictness of the reigeme were intolerable. I left 15 months later and I'm now back in academia doing research.

I am a very happy bunny. I like the freedom!

[Woodeye]

I studied Marketing, Management and Leadership, some entrepreneurship and spanish in Iniversity of Jyväskylä.

Currently I work as a supply chain business partner in one of the 50 biggest companies globally. At first I really enjoyed it but more I know what's happening inside the firm the more I start to dislike it. Recently they told that they will be getting rid of 20.000 people european wide. I hate those kind of news.

But since I've studied something else than I'm currently doing, I have plenty of opportunities to look for. I think that's the great thing about economic degree, you'll get plenty of choices with that.

[Garry Walker]

Business management, although I would have preferred a law degree, but at the time, the opportunity to learn a bit about business whilst doing it on your own, was too great to resist. Financially speaking. the result is that I am my own boss now and can do whatever I want, whenever I want.

Jens 2 questions.
1) are you concentrating more on modern history or some other periods
2) Become a history teacher at school, have you considered that option.

[jens]

Jens 2 questions.
1) are you concentrating more on modern history or some other periods
2) Become a history teacher at school, have you considered that option.

1) More on modern.
2) I have thought about that, but it doesn't seem like an exciting prospect for me either. :mark: Although that possibility is still not totally written off, but this is the last year, when I have time to decide.

:)

[Alexamateo]

I majored in Landscape Architecture, but I have ended up as a nursery(plants and trees) broker and salesman, and I love it.

I don't see sales mentioned very often, but I can think of no better job, especially in a business to business setting. Income is directly related to effort, and you can set your own hours and once you start the ball rolling, sales beget more sales and life is good. It's not for everyone, a girl with our company was going to take a position similar to mine, so she came to see me to see how I do things, but not long after she quit. I called and asked her why, and she said she just wanted a job where you went in in the morning and went home in the afternoon, she needed that structure. For me, that lack of structure is the very thing I like about it, but you do need to be a self-starter. (Otherwise, you might spend half your day on an internet motorsports forum board, and that won't do anybody any good! :p : :eek: :) )

[Erki]

If these Google ads are something to go by, you should go and become a midwife. :idea:

[GridGirl]

Sales does suit a particular type of person Alex. I don't think I could sell a single thing whilst on the other hand I'm quite sure my brother could sell snow and ice to an Eskimo. :p

[edv]

As I mentioned in some other post around here, it is more important to have a degree than what the degree is in.

Having a degree tells me that you have learned how to learn.

In my specialty (geophysics), the universities were woefully behind industry, in terms of technical advances, so the learning continued intensely after graduation.

[schmenke]

...Having a degree tells me that you have learned how to learn...

:up: Well said.
The learning really only begins upon graduation.

[Daniel]

Sales does suit a particular type of person Alex. I don't think I could sell a single thing whilst on the other hand I'm quite sure my brother could sell snow and ice to an Eskimo. :p
I had a brief foray into sales and didn't particularly like it. I was actually not too bad. It's just that I really didn't want to do it :mark: I think sales is something that you really need to be into to really enjoy it and do well at it.

[Erki]

As I mentioned in some other post around here, it is more important to have a degree than what the degree is in.

Having a degree tells me that you have learned how to learn.

Or that you could have bothered to follow mindlessly a curriculum and do some assignments without putting your own thought into it.

Can be done this way too. :)

[schmenke]

Or that you could have bothered to follow mindlessly a curriculum and do some assignments without putting your own thought into it.

Can be done this way too. :)

No. You won't get very far in your curriculum if you don't put thought into it :s

[Erki]

No. You won't get very far in your curriculum if you don't put thought into it :s

Yep, I didn't get very far indeed. :p