Career progression and options

Graduates of Accounting may progress onto completing professional accreditations of ACCA/ACA/CIMA and undertake practical work experience to become a qualified accountant. This would usually take an additional 2-3 years after graduation.

ACCA 

Although it is possible to become a chartered qualified accountant without a degree, the industry is incredibly competitive and graduates are likelier to have an advantage. To complete an ACCA to become a chartered certified accountant, you will need to complete:

• exams - a minimum of five of 14 exams (nine are eligible for exemption*)

• experience - record 36 months' experience in a relevant role

• ethics - the Professional Ethics module.

Graduates may also wish to gain chartered management accountant status after graduation if their university has Chartered Institute of Management Accountants (CIMA) professional exam exemption.

If graduates wish to work in accounting within public services, then membership with the Chartered Institute of Public Finance and Accountancy (CIPFA) may also be an option for them.

Potential employers:

Graduates from Accounting are highly sought by employers. Graduates may be employed by the following firms -

Accountancy: Deloitte, PwC, KPMG, Ernst and Young

Finance and banking: Alliance and Leicester, American Express, Citi, Goldman Sachs, J.P. Morgan Chase, Morgan Stanley, Merrill Lynch

Example careers:

• Chartered Accountant

• Chartered Management Accountant

• Chartered Public Finance Accountant

• Tax Adviser

Fun facts about Accounting

• Accountants aren't all about crunching numbers all day. Do you know that every year, before the Oscars are handed out to award winners, a team of Certified Public Accountants (CPAs) spend 1700 hours counting the Academy Award ballots by hand.

• The FBI employs 2000 accounting special agents to handle white collar crime reviews. In fact, it was the accounting agents in the FBI that brought down the Chicago gangster Al Capone, due to his income tax evasion.

Career progression and options

A postgraduate degree in Money, Banking and Finance prepares the pathway for anyone intends to pursue a career in finance or related areas including banking and financial institutions, financial regulatory bodies, public sector institutions and international organisations.

Potential Employers:

• HSBC

• JPMorgan Chase

• Citigroup

• Merrill Lynch

• Deutsche Bank

• Credit Suisse

• Barclays Capital

• Goldman Sachs

• Google

• UBS

• Morgan Stanley

Master's degree programmes in Money, Banking and Finance offered by certain UK universities recognised as a Centre for Excellence in Financial Services may allow exemptions from certain professional papers of the Chartered Financial Analyst UK (CFA) and the Chartered Institute for Securities and Investment (CISI). Graduates may wish to make use of these exemptions, and work towards their respective professional qualifications to improve their overall employment prospects.

Prospective Professional Careers/Sectors: 

• Finance Consultant

• Economic Analyst

• Corporate Finance

• Asset Management

• Mergers and Acquisitions

• Private Equity

• Investment Associate

Fun facts about Money, Finance and Banking

Thanks to the 2008 global financial crash, the financial industry has faced some major changes. This means that studying a finance degree will make you heavily involved in current and rapidly changing developments, which makes for a very interesting course indeed.

Career progression and options

A masters in Economics will equip students with the ability to identify and model issues, analyse and deduce, communicate results, think critically and draw economic policy inferences.

Students may find career roles in government, small scale organisations, etc.

There are plenty of further study options in Economics available for graduates. Graduates may also wish to apply for membership within professional bodies such as the Royal Economic Society and the Society of Business Economics.

Graduates may wish to find careers in banking, insurance, accountancy, taxation, as financial analysts, policy analysts or actuaries.

Potential employers:

• JP Morgan

• Apple

• Coca-Cola

• Deutsche Bank

• KPMG

Example careers:

• Chartered accountant

• Chartered certified accountant

• Chartered public finance accountant

• Economist

• Financial risk analyst

• Investment analyst

• Statistician

Fun facts about Economics: Notable alumni

• Sir Peter Middleton (BA Economics, 1955, Honorary Doctor of Letter, 1984) Former Permanent Secretary of HM Treasury and Former Chancellor of University of Sheffield

• Ian Luder (BA Economics and Economic History), UK tax expert and former Lord Mayor of the City of London

• John Whittingdale (Economics, 1982), current UK Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport (2015-)

After acquiring a few years of work experience post-graduation, graduates may also wish to pursue an MBA (Masters of Business Administration), which could potentially boost job prospects and earnings.

Career progression and options

As stated above, graduates may wish to study for an MBA after some work experience, to increase their job prospects and overall earnings. Prospects.ac.uk has an excellent guide on the job prospects for business management graduates, which can be located here.

Potential employers:

• Ipsos Mori

• L'oreal

• Accenture

• Microsoft

• HSBC

Graduates may also wish to aspire to become a chartered manager by the Chartered Management Institute (CMI). Some universities offer degrees that meet the CMI Level 5 Diploma in Management and Leadership, required for exemption. Graduates will also need to acquire 3 years’ management experience in addition to this qualification. Click here for more details.

Example careers:

• Account Manager

• Administrative Services Managers

• Event Planner

• Executive Assistant

• General Manager

Fun facts about Business Management

Business Management is the glue that holds a business together. Without proper management, the many functions of a business cannot run properly or connect well. Studying business management will put students at a distinct advantage both in the workplace and also in the jobs market.

Career progression and options

Graduates may wish to study towards a vocational CIM qualification, which is a fully recognised marketing qualification, and will give graduates a competitive edge in the jobs market.

Potential employers:

• Philips

• Virgin Media

• EON 

• L'oreal

• Sky

Example careers: 

• Advertising account executive

• Advertising account planner

• Advertising art director

• Advertising copywriter

• Market researcher

• Marketing executive

A marketing degree will also equip students with a range of communication, presentation, persuasion, and written skills which are easily transferrable to other careers.

Fun facts about Marketing

• 85% of people would rather provide an e-mail for an e-book over a tweet

• Blogs are 63% more likely to influence purchase decisions than magazines.

• Companies that blog more than 15 times per month get 5 times more traffic.

• The average content length for a page that ranks in top 10 position is 2000 words.

• If a post is greater than 1,500 words, it receives 68.1% more tweets and 22.6% more Facebook likes. Marketing is a pretty big deal.

Career progression and options

Hospitality management graduates are highly employable, applying their skills in careers such as events, hotel and conference management, sales and business development and forestry and fishing management.

Potential employers:

• Marriot Hotel Group

• Hilton Hotels

• Wagamama

Students are advised to gain as much experience in the industry as possible, to improve their employment prospects. Hospitality graduates gain analytical, critical and problem-solving skills, as well as essential IT collation, negotiation and teamwork skills, in addition to leadership and delegation skills which are transferrable in most positions of work.

Example careers:

• Tourism Assistant

• Assistant Restaurant Manager

• Events Manager

• Information Centre Supervisor

• Assistant Manager

Fun facts about Hospitality and Tourism Management:

If you love to travel and plan events, then perhaps this is the degree for you. If you enjoy working with people in a very busy environment, then hotel work may offer the opportunities you’re looking for.

Career progression and options

Human resources (HR) officers work in organisations that employ staff. These include: small and large private firms; the public sector, e.g. the Civil Service and local government offices; voluntary organisations, such as charities, which may employ both paid staff and volunteers.

Potential employers:

• Rolls-Royce

• Micheal Page

• BAE Systems

• IBM

• Aon Hewitt

Example careers:

• Generalist

• HR Apprentice

• HR Assistant

• HR Advisor

• HR Manager

• HR Business Partner

• HR Director

Fun facts about Human Resource Management

• Human Resource managers believe that Tuesday is the most productive day of the week.

• 33% of 2000 surveyed bosses indicated they know within the first 90 seconds if they will hire that candidate.

Career progression and options

Once you've got the relevant academic qualifications, you'll normally get your career onto its flight path via a company’s training scheme, working towards the Part-66 engineering licence. This is issued by the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) on behalf of the European Aviation Safety Agency and allows you to work as a qualified engineer. It has three categories, A, B and C. Category B is the standard licence for many engineers ­ it allows you to specialise in mechanics, such as engines and fuselage, or avionics (think flight instruments and communications).

Potential employers:

• Airbus

• Atkins

• BAE Systems

• Rolls Royce

• Boeing

Example careers:

• Aerospace engineer

• Field engineer

• Manufacturing systems engineer

• Materials engineer

• Flight Physics engineer

There are also alternative careers if graduates wish to pursue a different path:

• Automotive engineer

• Control and instrumentation engineer

• Energy engineer

• Production manager

• Quality manager

Fun facts about Aerospace and Aeronautical Engineering

As an aerospace engineer you could be…

• Helping to invent and build a spacecraft for missions to the planet Mars

• Designing satellite phone technology to send data and receive it from remote areas

• Building satellites that help us monitor global climate change

• And it gets more exciting than that!

Career progression and options

As stated above, graduates may wish to become a chartered (CEng) or incorporated engineer (IEng) after several years of experience, which will boost their earnings exponentially.

Potential employers:

• Shell

• Amec Foster Wheeler 

• Fluor

• ExxonMobil

• Ingen

Example careers:

• Chemical engineer

• Energy engineer

• Nuclear engineer

• Petroleum engineer

• Product/process development scientist

There are also a number of exciting postgraduate opportunities for Electrical Engineering graduates in specialised fields.

Fun facts about Chemical Engineering

Designing cleaning products, turning seawater into drinkable, clean water, developing vaccines, developing clean energy and reducing pollution levels, the role of a chemical engineer is very important indeed.

Exciting developments in chemical engineering are also becoming loosely linked to the sci-fi stories we hear of today. For example, ever thought that Harry Potter’s invisibility cloak from the J.K Rowling Harry Potter book series could be a real life creation? Well, chemical engineers in America are currently researching and isolating a squid protein, developing it so that could help to create “invisibility stickers” to hide soldiers on battlefields.

Career progression and options

Employers place a great of importance on work experience, especially in the field of engineering, therefore it is crucial that graduates gain as much practical experience as possible after graduation. Graduates would usually start as a civil engineer on a company graduate training scheme. Graduates would then train under the supervision of a mentor, developing their technical knowledge and business skills. Training schemes can last between one and two years.

Potential employers:

• Atkins

• WSP Developments

• Skanska

• Mott MacDonald

• Costain

Other careers that relate directly to a civil engineering degree include:

• Building control surveyor

• Consulting civil engineer

• Contracting civil engineer

• Nuclear engineer

• Design Engineer

Civil engineering courses at postgraduate level allow students to develop specialist knowledge in a particular area, such as water management, earthquake engineering, maritime civil engineering, environmental engineering and a range of other general and specific options. It is possible to carry out research through an MRes, MPhil or PhD, or to do a taught Masters course in these areas.

Fun facts about Civil Engineering

Civil Engineering involves building things. Lots of things that you depend on, are thanks to the work of Civil Engineers. This includes roads, buildings, airports, tunnels, dams, bridges – and the list goes on, and contrary to the stereotypes, there are also female civil engineers out there.

Notable civil engineers:

• Dr. John Job Crew Bradfield was a prominent Australian engineer who designed and supervised the construction of the Sydney Harbour Bridge.

• Isambard Kingdom Brunel designed the network of tunnels, bridges and viaducts he designed for the Great Western Railway, linking London to Bristol.

• Alexandre Gustave Eiffel designed one of the most iconic buildings in the world – the Eiffel Tower in Paris, France. He also built the Statue of Liberty, a colossal neoclassical sculpture erected on Liberty Island in New York Harbor, New York, USA.

Career progression and options

The electrical and electronics engineers may choose to specialize in various areas like power generation, transmission and distribution; communications; manufacture of electrical equipment etc., or a one particular specialty within these areas; for e.g. industrial robot control systems or aviation electronics. These engineers are involved in designing new products, writing requirements for their performance, as well as developing maintenance schedules and charts. Testing equipment and machinery, solving operation problems, estimating time and cost of electrical and electronic products also come under their job.

Potential employers:

• BBC

• BSkyC

• BT

• Nokia

• British Aerospace

• Mitsubishi

Example career paths for an electronic engineering graduate also include:

• Aerospace industry

• Automotive industry

• Chemical industry

• Construction industry

• Defence industry

• Electronics industry

• Fast moving consumer goods industry

• Marine industry

Opportunities within electronics exist in electronic circuit design, instrumentation and control for safety on industrial plants, eg. manufacturing, oil and gas, pharmaceutical, telecommunications, mobile technology, automotive and aviation electronics and medical systems. Some graduates enter a related field as IT professionals. Popular areas outside of engineering include commercial, industrial and public sector management.

Fun facts about EE, EEE, Power Engineering

Did you know?

Famous electronics and electrical engineers that you may have heard of are Nikola Tesla (pioneer of commercial electricity and electromagnetism), Thomas Edison (developer of the light bulb and inventor of the record player), Jack Kilby (inventor of the pocket calculator and the integrated circuit), Marcian Hoff (inventor of the microprocessor) and Martin Cooper (inventor of the mobile phone).

Career progression and options 

Most industries rely on a form of mechanical systems and mechanical engineering is thought to be one of the most diverse of all engineering disciplines. Due to this, there are employment opportunities in a wide range of sectors. As a mechanical engineer, you could be designing new medical devices or creating the technologies for renewable and conventional energy. Or perhaps developing more efficient transportation systems/more efficient processes for industry. Mechanical engineering is incredibly broad.

Potential employers:

• Rolls-Royce

• Shell

• Nissan

• Mitsubishi

• Balfour Beatty

Example careers include:

• Aerospace engineer

• Automotive engineer

• Contracting civil engineer

• Control and instrumentation engineer

• Maintenance engineer

• Mechanical engineer

• Nuclear engineer

Fun facts about Mechanical Engineering

Just a few famous mechanical engineers:

James Watt – Scottish inventor and mechanical engineer, his improvements to the Newcomen steam engine were vital to Industrial Revolution changes.

Bill Nye – Not all of us can make use of our education in show biz, but Bill Nye certainly did. Also known as the tv star “The Science Guy”, Bill has a Mechanical Engineering degree from Cornell University and worked at Boeing for several years.

Career progression and options

Graduates of mathematics will have gained a range of analytical, critical thinking and decision making skills which are essential for a broad range of careers.

Potential employers:

• Coca-Cola Enterprises

• IBM

• EON UK

• Viagogo

• Accenture Ltd

Example careers include (list is not exhaustive):

• Actuary

• Operational researcher

• Research scientist (maths)

• Secondary school teacher

• Statistician

Fun Facts about Mathematics

Mathematics degrees are actually very flexible. They can lead to careers in many diverse industries, such as in accountancy and finance, banking, actuarial, academia, or statistics. However, there were some great mathematicians in history:

• Archimedes – pioneer of the Archimedes’ principle.

• Euclid – Greek mathematician, the “father” of geometry.

• Albert Einstein – The German theoretical physicist who developed the general theory of relativity.

• Pythagoras – Revered as a great mathematician and scientist, best known for his Pythagorean theorem.

• Isaac Newton - Discovered the laws of gravity, motion, and invented calculus. 

Career progression and options

After a few years of industry experience, computer science graduates may wish to work towards acquiring Chartered IT Professional (CITP) status, a highly respected status that can unlock pathways to higher earnings. More details can be found here.

Potential employers:

• Electronic Arts

• IBM

• Microsoft

• Goldman Sachs

Computer Science degrees can be directly related to a variety of jobs, examples include:

• Database administrator

• Games developer

• Information systems manager

• IT consultant

• Multimedia programmer

• SEO specialist

• Software engineer

• Systems developer

• Web designer

• Web developer

Fun facts about Computer Science

• Fan of Benedict Cumberbatch? In the recent movie “The Imitation Game”, Benedict Cumberbatch stars as Alan Turing, who was the father of computer science, artificial intelligence and who helped break German WW2 cyphers.

• A computer science career could lead in all kinds of creative directions. As a computer scientist you could end up animating movies, testing software, designing video games, evaluating computer systems, working on websites or creating applications for mobile phones. The possibilities are endless in today’s technologically driven society.

Career progression and options

As stated above, the obvious step after graduation would be the Professional Development Phase which is part of the formal process to become a vet. However, there are other job opportunities that directly relate to a Veterinary Science degree. Scientific roles within the industry and elsewhere are also available.

Potential employers:

• Queen’s Park Veterinary Surgery

• Pets at Home Ltd

• Vets at Home

• Self-employed

Example careers:

• Animal Nursing Assistant

• Veterinary Career Care Assistant

• Veterinary Receptionist

• Veterinary Surgeon

• Veterinary Physiotherapist

Fun Facts about Veterinary Science

• As well as liking animals, you also need to be a good communicator, as you will be dealing with the owners too!

• You need to be hard working and able to think on your feet.

Career progression and options

English graduates are not necessarily destined to become English teachers, there are a vast range of employers who would equally value an English degree.

Potential employers:

• British Council

• International House

• Secondary School

• Primary School

• BBC

An English masters can also lead to a range of non-education orientated careers that require excellent communication, written and analytical skills:

• Digital copywriter

• Editorial assistant

• English as a foreign language teacher

• Lexicographer

• Magazine journalist

• Newspaper journalist

• Writer

Fun facts about English

Fancy being part of an alumni of famous English graduates? Quite a few celebrities studied English, and consolidated their careers with the excellent communication skills they gained at university:

• Emma Watson

• Stephen Fry

• James Franco

• Joan Rivers

• Jodie Foster

Career progression and options

Studying a linguistic degree improves communication and analytical skills, and opens up careers ranging from marketing to publishing to speech and language therapy.

Potential employers:

• British Council

• Penguin Books

• Universities and schools

• Oxford University Press

Example careers include:

• English as a foreign language teacher

• Lexicographer

• Publishing copy-editor/proofreader

• Speech and language therapist

• Social Media Language Analyst

Alternative careers

• Digital copywriter

• Editorial assistant

• Information officer

• Marketing executive

Fun facts about Linguistics

Linguistics is everything to do with comprehending the language we use and the language we read. A few fun examples:

•  Garden path sentence: A garden path sentence is a piece of linguistic trickery (not necessarily intentional) in which a grammatical aspect of a sentence shifts partway through, throwing the poor reader, and his comprehension, off. Eg: “fat people eat accumulates,” if you haven’t read it before, then you’re likely to have parsed the beginning as “fat people.” Once you get to the word “eat,” it appears as though a grammatical mistake has been made, until you realize that the people in question are not themselves fat, but rather, “(the) fat (that) people eat accumulates.”

•  Folk etymology: Used to describe the phenomenon of a word/phrase changing into something more familiar, occurring when foreign/obscure words are changed to match what they define. Eg: “Cockroach”, comes from the Spanish “cucaracha”, folk-etymologized as a compound word combining “cock” and “roach”. Kitty-corner, coming from the obsolete “cater-corner”, Bridegroom from the Old English “bridgome,” gome was the world for “man.” 

Career progression and options

Translators are needed in a vast range of sectors such as the Civil Service in their respective countries, teaching, business and journalism.

Potential employers:

• Deloitte

• Emirates Airlines

• Ernst&Young

• United Nations

• BBC

Example careers:

• Broadcast journalist

• Diplomatic Services operational officer

• English as a foreign language teacher

• International aid/development worker

• Logistics and distribution manager

• Marketing executive

• Patent examiner

• Sales executive

• Tour manager

Fun facts about Translation and Interpreting

Appropriate translation is important. We can learn a lot from the translation mistakes of the past:

• During the Cold War, the Soviet premier Nikita Khrushchev gave a speech, with a phrase interpreted from Russian as “we will bury you,” this was taken as a threat to bury the US with a nuclear attack. However the translation was too literal, and the correct translation should have been “we will live to see you buried” or “we will outlast you.”

• Mokusatsu: A translation mistake may have been the deciding factor for the fate of Hiroshima before the end of the Second World War. The word “mokusatsu” in response to the American’s proposal was translated as “treat with silent contempt”, which was seen as an arrogant response. Actually, Prime Minister meant “let me withhold my comment for now”.

Translators have to preserve the original meaning of a text/speech in a range of different contexts to facilitate cultural communication – it’s a big job with responsibilities.

Career progression and options

English graduates are not necessarily destined to become English teachers, there are a vast range of employers who would equally value an English degree.

TESOL (Teaching English to Speakers of other languages) degrees provide students with the skills required to teach English in a classroom setting. TESOL courses/qualifications may also be integrated in certain degrees.

Terms within TESOL

TEFL course: Teaching English as Foreign Language: eg. 100 contact hours, plus 6 hours of assessed teaching practice

TESL course: Teaching English as Second Language

Potential employers:

• British Council

• International House

• Secondary School

• Primary School

• BBC

For students who want to be an English teacher: Universities such as the University of Manchester offer different pathways:

• MA TESOL (Intercultural Education)

• MA TESOL (Teacher Education)

• MA TESOL (Educational Technology)

Students may also take a TESOL course under different exam boards. The two most internationally recognised qualifications are the Cambridge Celta and the Trinity CertTesol. These are the two courses most employers know and prefer. Other four-week "equivalent" courses, with similar course content, duration and hours of teaching practice are also viable options.

Fun facts about English/TESOL

Fancy being part of an alumni of famous English graduates? Quite a few celebrities studied English, and consolidated their careers with the excellent communication skills they gained at university:

• Emma Watson

• Stephen Fry

• James Franco

• Joan Rivers

• Jodie Foster

Career progression and options

If students wish to continue to study a PGCE/postgraduate teaching qualification or consolidate a career in teaching, they must acquire practical experience with children.

Advice: Contact schools directly to ask for work experience or to observe classes or shadow teachers. Volunteering to help out at a local education, sports, community or youth centre is a good way to gain some experience around educational issues.

Note: If students wish to pursue a career in education and teaching, given the diversity of different global education systems, it may be worth considering taking their degree/postgrad training in the country they intend to teach in.

Potential Employers:

• Primary school

• Secondary school

• Community centres

• British Council

A degree in Education will especially improve student’s job prospects in the education administration, management sectors. 

Example careers: 

• Community education officer

• Early years teacher

• Education administrator

• Primary school teacher

• Secondary school teacher

• Special educational needs teacher

• Teaching assistant

An MA in Education may also be useful within careers advice, community development, museum education, and speech therapy.

Fun facts about Education

An Education degree can broaden perspectives and cultural awareness. Here are a few interesting facts that shows the importance of maintaining good education standards:

• As of 2012, 31 million primary-school pupils worldwide dropped out of school. An additional 32 million repeated a grade.

• According to UNESCO, 61 million primary school-age children were not enrolled in school in 2010. Of these children, 47% were never expected to enter school, 26% attended school but left, and the remaining 27% are expected to attend school in the future.

Career progression and options

There are many career alternatives to a solicitor, for an Law graduate, in research, politics, police services and teaching.

Potential employers:

• Dentons

• Linklaters LLP

• PwC

• Farnfields LLP

• Martin & Co

Other roles related to Law may also include:

• Paralegal

• Barrister

• Legal Secretary

• Researcher

• Legal Executive

For more support, click here for the Law Society alternative career guide. 

Fun facts about Law

• Back in the 12th century, Henry II was busy expanding the role of royal justice in England, resulting in a more coherent legal system. At the end of his reign, the modifications were summarised in the treatise of Glanvill, with his changes the basis for the English Common Law.

• It is illegal to carry a plank across a pavement. Odd as it sounds, under section 54 of the Metropolitan Police Act 1839, it is a criminal offence to carry a wooden plank on a pavement. Some other strange offences covered by section 54 include flying kites, playing annoying games and sliding on ice or snow in the street.

Career progression and options

Political Science can lead to a range of jobs in business, government, non-profit, education, etc. Students may also pursue postgraduate studies in a specialised field such as Asian politics, Middle Eastern politics, and a range of other areas.

Potential employers:

• Dow Jones

• Defence Science and Technology Laboratory

• Government and Embassies

Example careers:

• Government social research officer

• Politician's assistant

• Public affairs consultant

• Public relations account executive

• Social researcher

Fun facts about Politics 

Interesting facts about one of the most important political institutions in the world, the European Union:

• The EU has 65 institutions, bodies and agencies.

• Within the EU, there are 19 members of the eurozone currency area.

• There are 751 members of the European Parliament (MEPs).

• It is the world's largest economy with a nominal GDP of €18.5bn (£14.6bn, $20.2bn) for all 28 economies combined, says the International Monetary Fund.

• There are around 507 million citizens living in the EU, about 7% of the world's population.

• Just over three million people in Britain were born in other EU countries, or 5% of the whole population.

• The EU budget in 2016 is €144bn (£114bn). By comparison, public spending by the UK government alone in 2015-16 is expected to be £742bn – or 6.5 times the EU's entire budget.

• There are 55,000 civil servants employed by the EU across its various institutions.

There is an ever increasing demand for graduates who understand the workings of these institutions, and their importance on a global scale.

Career progression and options

Political Science can lead to a range of jobs in business, government, non-profit, education, etc. Students may also pursue postgraduate studies in a specialised field such as Asian politics, Middle Eastern politics, and a range of other areas.

Potential employers:

• Dow Jones

• Defence Science and Technology Laboratory

• Government and Embassies

Example careers:

• Government social research officer

• Politician's assistant

• Public affairs consultant

• Public relations account executive

• Social researcher

Fun facts about Politics 

Interesting facts about one of the most important political institutions in the world, the European Union:

• The EU has 65 institutions, bodies and agencies.

• Within the EU, there are 19 members of the eurozone currency area.

• There are 751 members of the European Parliament (MEPs).

• It is the world's largest economy with a nominal GDP of €18.5bn (£14.6bn, $20.2bn) for all 28 economies combined, says the International Monetary Fund.

• There are around 507 million citizens living in the EU, about 7% of the world's population.

• Just over three million people in Britain were born in other EU countries, or 5% of the whole population.

• The EU budget in 2016 is €144bn (£114bn). By comparison, public spending by the UK government alone in 2015-16 is expected to be £742bn – or 6.5 times the EU's entire budget.

• There are 55,000 civil servants employed by the EU across its various institutions.

There is an ever increasing demand for graduates who understand the workings of these institutions, and their importance on a global scale.

Career progression and options

Sociology graduates enter work in a social or welfare role while others go into a variety of jobs throughout the public and private sector.

Potential employers:

• NHS

• Universities

• Care Homes

• British Heart Foundation

Example careers:

• Advice worker

• Community development worker

• Family support worker

• Further education teacher

• International aid/development worker

• Social researcher

Further study is also a viable option for sociology graduates. They may also wish to pursue teaching, by studying a PGCE or another relevant postgraduate teaching qualification.

Fun facts about Sociology

• Martin Luther King, Jr. earned his first degree in Sociology before pursuing the study of Theology, becoming a civil rights leader and activist, and receiving the Nobel Peace Prize. 

Law: Sociologists have developed fascinating theories to explain social phenomenon.

• Betteridge’s law, or Davis’ law, or the “journalistic principle” from Murphy’s law, outlines how “any headline which ends in a question mark can be answered by the word no.” It notes that this type of headline is lazy – and a fear-mongering way to draw readers in.

• Hotelling’s law of identical products – this law outlines how certain markets make products as similar as possible – it’s part of business practice, competitors naturally tend to gravitate towards a common middle ground. This law explains why burgers in McDonald’s and Burger King look similar.

Career options and next steps after graduation

As stated above, in order to become a qualified psychologist, a student must undergo

• a British Psychological Society (BPS) accredited degree in psychology leading to the Graduate Basis for Chartered Membership (GBC)

• work experience in the specialism they want to work in

• acquire a BPS accredited postgraduate qualification

However, a position as a psychologist is not the only career path available for a Psychology graduate. Other jobs which are directly related to a psychology degree include:

• Clinical psychologist

• Counselling psychologist

• Educational psychologist

• Forensic psychologist

Other jobs where psychology degrees would be useful include

• Advertising account planner

• Advice worker

• Careers adviser

• Counsellor

• Human resources officer

• Market researcher

• Psychotherapist

A degree in psychology will equip students with a variety of useful skills. The scientific aspects of psychology courses, including the application of a reasoned approach, problem solving and manipulation of data, provide useful tools for careers in healthcare, law enforcement, finance, IT and research.

Knowledge of human behaviour and motivation, ability to critically analyse a problem, formulate a considered response, create an argument and generate new ideas lend themselves well to careers in the creative industries, the legal sector, government administration and education.

Fun facts about Psychology

Psychology is not just about the therapy. Though it is admittedly a part of it, many psychologists do not work in mental health at all. Psychology also involves other areas including teaching, research and consulting. They work in a variety of settings, like colleges and universities, private corporations, K-12 Schools, and government offices.

Career progression and options

Almost all medicine graduates find jobs in the health sector. 

Potential employers:

• NHS

• AstraZeneca

• Johnson and Johnson

• GlaxoSmithKline

If the course studied is a shorter pre-clinical course, further medical training to complete an accredited qualification is required. Typical graduate job areas include:

o   Health professionals

o   Teaching and educational professionals

o   Hospital doctor

o   General practice doctor (GP)

o   Medical Specialist - Oncology, psychiatry, pathology, cardiology, endocrinology, orthopaedics, neurology, paediatrics, radiology etc. 

Career progression and options

Particular job areas for a Pharmacy graduate include analytical chemist, clinical researcher, pharmacologist, pharmacist, teacher or lecturer, medical sales representative, science journalist, or toxicologist. Several professional organisations also offer specialised positions for Pharmacology and Pharmacy graduates, such as the NHS.

Example postgraduate courses may include:

• MSc Pharmacy Practice

• MSc Clinical Pharmacy Practice

• MSc Advanced and Specialist Healthcare Practice

• MSc Drug Discovery and Pharma Management

Potential employers:

• NHS

• Boots

• Superdrug

• Alliance Pharma

Fun facts about Pharmacy

Did you know?

• Coca-Cola was invented by the pharmacist John Pemberton. He carried a jug of the new product down the street to Jacob's Pharmacy where it was sampled, pronounced "excellent" and placed on sale for 5 cents a glass as a soda fountain drink.  

• The pharmacist Charles Alderton, invented Dr. Pepper. Pepsi was also invented by a pharmacist, as was Vernor’s Ginger Ale by Detroit pharmacist James Vernor.

Career progression and options

The next step after a Dentistry graduate leaves university, is one to two years of supervised work experience, before they can practice as a qualified Dentist.

For students who do not wish to pursue a career in Dentistry, there are many other opportunities available for them.

Example postgraduate options include: MSc Clinical Studies, Endodontics, Primary Dental Care, and Aesthetic Dentistry.

Potential employers:

• NHS

• Self-employed

Example careers:

• Business roles

• Consulting and Public Policy

• Teaching

• Research

• Forensics

Fun facts about Dentistry

Everyone needs Dentists. They will always be in demand. And dental health is also very important, as many diseases are actually linked to your oral health, including heart disease, osteoporosis, and diabetes. Furthermore, as humans only have two sets of teeth during their entire lifetime – baby teeth and permanent teeth, it’s essential that we receive great care for our permanent teeth from passionate dentists.

Career progression and options

Architecture students develop creative, visual, technical and design-based skills which are highly desirable.

Potential employers:

• Michaelis Boyd Associates

• Farrells

• Stephen Taylor Architects

• Ian Simpson Architects

A career as an architect, is of course open to the graduate, however a range of other careers are also available, such as:

• Building surveyor

• Commercial/residential surveyor

• Higher education lecturer

• Historic buildings inspector/conservation officer

• Landscape architect

• Planning and development surveyor

• Production designer, theatre/television/film

• Structural engineer

• Town planner

Relevant work experience or industrial placements can also help develop further understanding of architectural practices and the industry, and generate good contacts for future jobs.

Fun facts about Architecture

Architects design the places where we need to work, live, play, study – and the list goes on. They work on either public or private projects, which is exciting, and can be commissioned to design anything, ranging from a single room to an entire complex of buildings. Architecture is an exciting and creative profession that has a wide scope for development. 

Architects use computer-aided design and drafting (CADD) and building information modelling (BIM), however they also use their hand-drawing skills, especially during the conceptual stages of a project and when an architect is at a construction site.

Career options and next steps after graduation

Degrees in Fashion Design can lead to a formal career in the fashion industry.

Potential employers:

•  Dolce and Gabbana

•  Dorothy Perkins

•  Topshop

•  Abercrombie and Fitch

•  River Island

Example careers:

•  Fashion designer

•  Junior designer

•  Retail manager

•  Retail merchandiser

•  Textile designer

•  Visual merchandiser

There are also a variety of options for further study and specialisation, eg. in childrenswear, embroidery, theatrical costume, textiles, shoe design, etc. Further study may benefit the graduates who wish to specialise in a specific area of fashion design.

For graduates who wish to become a fashion designer, they may need to gain greater knowledge about the subject and understand it in detail. With in-depth knowledge about your work, you will definitely be able to come up with better designs which will help you in performing well. The fashion industry is incredibly competitive, therefore to be successful, graduates must aspire to stand out from the crowd.

Fun facts about Fashion Design

Famous fashion graduates turned designers:

•  Alexander McQueen

•  Stella McCartney

•  John Galliano

•  Bruce Oldfield

The vast majority of these graduates are British educated, which means that the UK is the prime location for studying Fashion Design and for opportunities in the fashion industry.

Students may also take advantage of the yearly exhibitions held in eg. V&A, Tate Museum in London, and increase their exposure to the industry, as well as establishing connections and networks.

Career progression and options

The media industry is notorious for being competitive, however there are a wealth of opportunities for talented students. The advertising and marketing industries both value media studies graduates, recruiting them into media planning and advertising account management, copywriting and market research. Alternatively, other suitable careers can be found within broadcasting itself, producing or presenting.

If students wish to pursue a career in journalism, they may be able to study towards a qualification/diploma accredited by the National Council for the Training of Journalists which can be found here. Experience is critical in this field, as it is very popular. Persistence and motivation are vital qualities for all candidates.

Potential employers:

• BBC

• Micheal Page

• IKEA

• Expedia

• Virgin Media

Example careers:

• Media planner

• Multimedia specialist

• Programme researcher, broadcasting/film/video

• Public relations officer

• Runner, broadcasting/film/video

• Television/film/video producer

Fun facts about Media Studies

Social media can have a massive impact on our advertising and marketing strategies, and understanding the impact through media studies would give graduates an undoubtedly advantage.

These are a few statistics that truly outline this impact:

As of July 2015, total worldwide population is 7.3 billion

• The internet has 3.17 billion users

• 2.3 billion active social media users

• 91% of retail brands use 2 or more social media channels

• Internet users have an average of 5.54 social media accounts

• Social media users have risen by 176 million in the last year

• 1 million new active mobile social users are added every day. That’s 12 per second

• Facebook Messenger and WhatsApp handle 60 billion messages a day