Career Doctor Articles

With the kind permission of the Career Doctor, jfo is able to bring you a series of articles to help you in your work situation and longer term career management

What Degree Should You Study?

In the “good old days” one could study any subject at degree level, and as long as the degree was awarded, it was a ticket to a good job. Well, that was the theory, anyway. With “A” level exams on the immediate horizon, the minds of young students and their parents will never be very far from considering what degree should be studied in September, assuming some good “A” level results are received in August.

In this article I will discuss how one should go about the decision process that will provide a clearer picture as to the most appropriate degree course to apply for.

ANY DEGREE WILL DO

In 1978 I attended a training course with 20 fellow personnel specialists and we were put into groups to discuss what degree subject students should be selected in the forthcoming “milk round” recruitment trawls of the local universities. All 19 believed that the subject of the degree was irrelevant, as a 2.1 or above degree showed the graduate had sufficient intellect to be a trainable asset to the company.

I was the odd one out, as I believed that we should recruit graduates with a degree relevant to the job we were recruiting for. Select a maths or economics graduate to join the finance department, that sort of thing. My companions on the course ridiculed my “narrow” attitude, but were swiftly silenced when the lecturer told them they were all wrong, and I was the only one to be in tune with the head office’s new graduate recruitment policy.

Before head office caught up with my thoughts, the company was recruiting graduates with non-commercial degrees such as Native American Studies, Theology, and History. Since then most companies now follow “my” line of thought, as a glance at current recruitment adverts will confirm.

WHERE TO BEGIN?

The college student, just concerned about passing the current “A” level exams, can be forgiven if he / she thinks that the subject of a degree seems so far away - but September will be upon us fairly soon. From what I understand from my many teacher clients is that able students are encouraged to apply for degree places in the academic subject they are most successful at. So if the student’s favourite subject is History then “logic” suggests that he / she should apply to study History at university. A safe bet. But is it?

Alternatively some students want a complete change, and apply for university place in a subject they have not previously studied at all. From my recruiter perspective, such students already have one Brownie Point in the bag, for their pioneering and risk-taking attitude. Such a decision also shows their self-confidence and a willingness to think beyond the obvious.

The starting point in all this is, of course, what career would the student like to do after graduating? Easier said than done, as most teenagers have no real idea of what career they would like to do. Many do not even know what career opportunities are available.

But what if the student decides he / she would like to be, say, a journalist, then completes a degree in journalism, only to find - horror of horrors - that he / she is totally unsuited to journalism, hated the degree, and finds the ethics of journalism simply unacceptable.

Bit late after investing several years in studying a journalism degree, never mind the many thousands of pounds owed in student loans, etc. Equally studying a degree in marketing when you would be better suited to a career in finance would be a similar disaster.

HOW TO FIND THE RIGHT CAREER

Most teenagers often have no real idea of what career path to follow, and why should they, for most of us are still developing our personalities and career thoughts well into our 30s. So if your young son or daughter simply has no idea what career to follow, then that is normal. This being the case it seems difficult to square the circle, and find the best degree to study, before the student has any real notions about a future career.

With the proviso that your teenager has got lots of developing to do, it is possible to use psychometric tests (see my previous article) to see if there are any likely careers that may possibly be suitable, so identifying the most appropriate degree to study.

I cannot stress too strongly the danger of picking the wrong career path or the wrong degree to study. I have met countless clients with degrees in, say, Archaeology, Geology, History or Sociology who are stuck with an education which does not impress the recruiters. It is a cruel world out there, where a tick in the right box is all the recruiters are interested in.

When there are 200 applicants for any decent local job, one cannot blame the recruiter who says that only applicants with a 2.1 honours degree in XXX subject will be considered. That’s one sure way of reducing the pile of CVs to manageable proportions! Got a degree in History? So what!

So if you are an “A” level student, then get some professional help to at least minimise the risk of picking the wrong degree.

POPULAR DEGREES

There are some degree subjects that will always be popular and over-subscribed. Law and medicine spring to mind. Conventional wisdom suggests that a degree in IT, or Business Studies or Media Studies is also a good bet. For many students this will prove to be the case, but again check out your suitability for such a career before starting at university.

As a career consultant I have met quite a number of lawyers who have devoted many years to getting a law degree and all the other studies necessary to gain full qualification - only to find that they loved studying law, but hated practising it! What a huge waste of time and money. If only they had investigated alternatives better suited to their temperament.

Strangely enough I have only met one doctor who regretted studying medicine. She confessed that she “had no bedside manner” and although she was a beautiful 28-year-old, the description “ice maiden” was most appropriate. I helped her change career and she became a Laboratory Technician, not so much money, but no need for great interpersonal communications skills.

An IT degree will not be much use now, in today’s depressed IT market, and Media Studies is fast becoming a joke amongst employers. If you intend to study Business Studies then be careful about which university you study this subject at; there is a definite “pecking order” insofar as the quality of such degrees is concerned.

UNPOPULAR DEGREES

So what subjects should you be best advised to avoid studying? A degree in Politics, Philosophy, Theology, Sociology or Music will be the kiss of death for most commercial careers and unless you are totally adamant that you want a career in one of these subjects, then you would be better off finding another subject to study.

I recognise that some people study these type of subjects for their own self-development, but if you want to get a degree to enhance your employment prospects, then my advice is to study a relevant vocational subject first - then go for the self-development degree later in life.

If you really want to be a teacher after graduating, then a B.Ed would seem an appropriate degree to take. All I would recommend is that you talk to a number of teachers before committing yourself, as I hear so many sorry tales about the pressures and bureaucracy of teaching. A B.Ed is not very appealing to employers outside the education sector.

ANOTHER OPTION

If all this is unappealing, then there is no rule that says you must go to university. Instead get some independent counselling about the optimum career path for your personality, and then consider investing your time in vocational training, such as plumbing, engineering, electrical, etc. All good careers and money-earners for those with the right approach and temperament.

Good luck!

The Career Doctor is Eric Hearn, Chartered MCIPD and Managing Director of Milverton Career Solutions Ltd, Ascot, Berkshire, UK.

Contact details:
Tel: 01344 624383
Email: milvertoncareers@btconnect.com
Website: www.careerdevelopment.co.uk