What can I do with my degree?
Submitting the final piece of coursework or passing the last exam of your degree can be an
exciting time, one to be filled with celebrations with friends and family. It’s important to relax
and reflect on your achievements! But graduating can be emotional, and it does come with an
implicit question… what can I do with my degree?
For some, the next steps may feel they have been set in stone well before you even stepped
foot at university. Others might still be uncertain about their next steps, and many may even
feel completely overwhelmed. What is certain however is that your degree, no matter its
specialism, will have opened a wide range of opportunities. We want to offer you some
guidance that can help you make the most of the next step in your life: securing a role that fits
your interests and skills.
In our blog, we’re covering popular degree choices to help you understand what jobs are
available to you as a graduate. Some of the opportunities we’ll discuss will be making use of the
specialist skills you have developed over the past few years, while others might appeal to a
larger pool of graduates, as some of the roles and skills we’ll be discussing will apply to
graduates of multiple degree specialities. Whether you’re seeking to follow a relatively
traditional path for your career or are wanting something different to what you’re used to, we’ll
help you understand what you can do with your degree!
Accountancy and finance degrees
Career paths and potential employers
Degrees in accountancy and finance can enable graduates to quickly establish themselves in
large organisations such as KPMG, HSBC, Barclays, and Deloitte. That being said, graduates are
still able to work in the public sector or even in smaller, in-house finance teams in various
industries.
- Accountants prepare financial records and ensure accuracy and compliance
- Tax advisors help businesses as well as individuals manage tax obligations.
- Financial analysts work to provide insights for investment decisions.
- Investment bankers help raise capital for their clients.
Skills needed
Roles in accounting and finance require strong maths skills and attention to detail. These roles
often involve communicating with non-specialists, so communications skills are a must.
Employers also value honesty and the ability to speak up if something doesn’t look quite right
as the ability to be assertive can be necessary when ensuring compliance oversight. Roles open
to business graduates may also welcome accounting and finance graduates and vice versa, so
read on.
Marketing and media degree
Career paths and potential employers
Graduates with these specialties are prepared to work in roles that blend creativity with
strategy and excellent communication skills. Employers are varied, ranging from multinational
companies to small scale agencies. It’s also possible for graduates to work freelance.
- Content creators work across mediums to create engaging content that can be shared
across multiple platforms. - PR specialists work on behalf of their company or clients to enhance public perception.
- Copywriters write persuasive content that’s used in advertisement and marketing
material. - Marketing managers have varied responsibilities, keeping an eye over both the creative
and strategic execution of campaigns
Skills needed
All of these roles require an affinity for creative thinking. With marketing and media being such
varied industries, it’s easy for graduates to start off broad in their career before honing in on
their areas of expertise. Generally, these roles require individuals to be prepared to keep up
with rapid changes and adapt well in fast-paced environments. It’s important to note that any
graduate could find a marketing role if they wish to do so, as their specialist knowledge can be
vital in ensuring marketing materials are accurate and compliant with the law.
Law degree
Career paths and potential employers
Of course, this degree opens up career pathways that are known to be just as prestigious as
they are rewarding, but it’s also a degree that offers excellent transferable skills. Graduates
don’t need to feel like their career path must follow what might traditionally be expected for
them. It’s therefore possible to work in-house for large organisations or for governmental
bodies.
- Barristers advocate for their clients in court and offer specialist legal advice. Additional
training is necessary. - Legal advisers can support organisations in ensuring compliance with relevant laws.
- Paralegals assist lawyers when preparing for a case as well as administrative tasks.
- Mediators work to resolve disputes between parties outside of court. This role is
particularly helpful in family law and in workplace disputes.
Skills needed
Law graduates will typically have excellent critical thinking skills, being able to interpret
complex legal issues. They can therefore be prepared to work in roles that require strong
research abilities as well as negotiation skills. Like accounting and marketing degrees, industry
roles will usually require a high level of attention to detail.
Geography degree
Career paths and potential employers
Many people choose to study geography as a way to combine their passion for people and
science as must as helping the planet. Graduates can find a wide range of jobs, some utilising
the technical skills learnt, with other roles informing policy and compliance. Either way,
graduates can find roles in the private sector as well as in governmental bodies, and can also
work in research as the green sector grows year on year.
- Town planners design and manage urban spaces to balance human needs and
sustainability. - Policy analysists research and share policies that will have lasting impacts on climate
change or public transport development, for example. - Environmental consultants often work closely with developers to ensure that new builds
do not negatively harm local or national wildlife. - Rangers work in parks, either urban or rural, to promote sustainability and biodiversity.
They also help get local people involved in their work
Skills needed
Geography graduates have plenty of ways to make use of their skills. Teamwork is often a
skill employers will be seeking in geography graduates, as the projects you’ll be working on will
likely involve a large number of stakeholders: from CEOs to local residents (yes, including the
plants and animals!)
Computer science degree
Career paths and potential employers
It is a hugely popular degree that offers are wide range of opportunities. These roles require a
passion for innovative thinking and adaptation to the rapidly changing tech landscape. Common
employers can include tech giants with the like of Amazon or Google well as the gaming
industry. However, with the world being more technical than ever, every industry needs
computer science graduates, from healthcare to education.
- Cybersecurity analysists support large and small organisations in maintaining control
over who has access to their data. - Software developers design and build applications, websites, and systems.
- AI policy makers use their technical knowledge to support the implementation of ethical
use of AI. - Data scientists analyse huge amounts of data that is used to uncover insights and aid
decision making.
Skills needed
Generally, graduates will be required to keep up to speed with changes that affect their chosen
career path, whether that’s learning new programming languages or keeping on top of threats.
As with accounting and finance graduates, a large part of the job involves communicating
information to non-specialists, to ensure the work you’re doing can be understood and applied
by your entire team.
Science and engineering degree
Career paths and potential employers
Science graduates are especially valuable because their understanding of the scientific process
means they can easily transfer and adapt their skills into new areas. Roles using these kinds of
degrees usually involve making contributions to innovation and complex problems. It’s possible
to secure roles with government-affiliated organisations where you might be focusing on
research and development, however, many for-profit companies invest heavily into developing
new technologies so you could easily find yourself working for a multinational from many sides
of the science world such as Pfizer, Shell, or Raytheon.
- Biomedical scientists are based in a laboratory and investigate a wide range of clinical
conditions, providing vital work that supports patient care. - Civil engineers work in teams to construct infrastructure that benefits entire cities and
countries. - Meteorologists make models that can be used to predict the weather and can support
other industries such as fishing and aviation. - Green energy consultants support individuals and businesses make the most of
renewable energy.
Skills needed
It may be a surprise to hear, but creativity is incredibly valued by employers who are seeking to
recruit science and engineering graduates. That’s because on top of being able to apply the
skills you have, these roles require you to think outside of the box and come up with new ways
of approaching problems. You will also need to have excellent project management skills,
because while your focus won’t necessarily be on the budget, you’ll need to be able to justify
the time and resources you need to do your job. Vacancies that seek geography or computer
science graduates will sometimes be open to applications from students with any STEM degree,
so the jobs we’ve listed previously could also interest you.
Business degree
Career paths and potential employers
Business degrees are incredibly popular with students and employers alike. If you’re a graduate,
a large pool of opportunities are now open to you. Employers value the management skills
you’ll have developed. You’ll find roles within large multinational companies just as easily with
small businesses looking for help managing their day-to-day operations and long-term growth.
- HR managers manage recruitment, employee-employer relationships, and compliance
with labour laws. - Sales managers oversee a team and drive sales to meet targets.
- Project managers oversee projects from start to completion while ensuring deadlines
and budgets are met. - Executive roles, CEO and other board members, these top-level decision-makers are
responsible for the overall direction of a company
Skills needed
Business graduates appeal to employers for their leadership and team management potential.
As we said before, there’s a definite crossover with finance graduates, and you’ll have a flair for
keeping projects within budget and growing revenue. You’ll also likely need to demonstrate
some technical skills and be able to adapt to new software and processes as and when needed
by the organisation you’ll be working in.
Still unsure? Let us help you!
Graduation is a huge event in your life, and we hope our blog has offered you some insight into
how you might start the next chapter of your life. Why not submit your CV to
enquiries@graduatetalent.com today? Our recruitment manager will get in touch with any
opportunities that suit your experience!
This article was written by Lucy Hulton