Year 12s: what will be the first way you research your future options? >>

rate these university courses

which do you think employers consider the most employable? list the most employable to least

history
history and politics
politics
politics and international relations
law
psychology
business

for the record, I'm not sure what the hell I should apply for and I have to get my **** together and apply soon. grades are not a problem I just can't decide on what to apply for and don't want to apply for something pointless that doesn't get me a good job

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Reply 1

Woro

It depends what type of job you're looking for. Politics can lead you to government work, business can lead you to industry, etc. If you're asking about what you'd get most income from, it's probably law (but you should also consider that it's a lot more work than some of the others). It also depends on where you live, for example where I come from a lot of people study business so that lessens the job prospects for business students. Elsewhere, it might not be a problem, especially considering people with a business or economics degree usually get high-paying jobs. I would say law, politics, business, psychology, then history, but again it just depends what you'd do with your degree. For example, as a history teacher the pay wouldn't be very good but it would be much better if you got a PhD and became a professor.

Reply 2

goodvibes

I'm not looking for any job in particular and that's the problem. I'm just wondering what degree would be good for ANY type of job. currently I'm in a toss up between politics and international relations or law or history and politics.

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Reply 3

mogenn

If this were me, I would do either straight History or History & Politics if you wanted something extra to the history. History is one of those degrees which employers regard as an academic one as they are one of the toughest degrees around and require a lot of skills to be good at it :-) Law is only really good if you want to be a lawyer.. what do you want to be?:-)

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Reply 4

nic-nac

Don't just go for the most employable degree. You need to do a degree that is a good mixture of enjoyment and good career prospects. I really love my degree, but this year there's one module which I hate - it's not that difficult so can get away with not doing much work for it. I couldn't imagine sitting through 3 years of lectures/workshops where I hate all of the modules and find the work hard and boring.

Reply 5

goodvibes

I don't know what I want to be. I've always been a pretty passive person. I suppose I wouldn't mind something business related or something in advertising but I wouldn't want to do anything remotely science or maths related. also yeah nicnac, you're right. which of the above do you think has the best career prospects besides law? i have equal interest in the rest. law seems dull to me but I have a passing interest in it I supose

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Law or business.

Don't do law if you find it dull. I find it boring also and now in my third year, I am worn down by forcing myself to study something I don't enjoy. Although someone above saying law is only good if you want to be a lawyer is massively wrong, and history is not exactly that useful either.

Out of the options I would go for business or economics. If it's business then from a top uni, not 'business studies' but more like 'business management' or something. Make sure you choose something you will enjoy though because ultimately a low grade in an employable subject is not going to get you any further than a high grade in a less desirable subject, really.

Reply 8

goodvibes

I can't do economics because I don't do maths and for that reason I don't think I can do business or psychology either

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Reply 9

Woro

AIf you haven't already, research. If you know people who are currently in university or have recently graduated, talk to them. Ask for tips and ask what their course was like. You can go to a library and go through books like college board's 'book of majors', or go through law or business books. If you get to know the material it'll help you find something you enjoy and maybe eliminate a few options. Another thing you can do is start by checking out universities, see which universities are of your standard and which ones you like, then go through their list of courses, check out the course details and modules, and pick your favorite course. Look at as many course listings as you can because you'll find more unique courses that way (some courses aren't offered in every university). A lot of universities have videos explaining the key points about certain courses as well and these can be really helpful (even if you think you aren't interested in that particular course, watch them. They'll help you be certain and sometimes you'll find out it's nothing like what you expected.) A good thing to do is start with a clean slate and an open mind: consider everything. Don't eliminate any courses without doing a bit of research first. This way, you'll be introduced to some new ideas and hopefully you'll come across something you like.

Once you're done researching, make a list of the courses you liked, then find out what the job prospects are for each one. Find out what career paths you can take and what the salary is like. Then you'll be able to eliminate anything that isn't 'highly employable'. If you're lucky enough, you'll form a career goal, then you'll be able to say "I want to get to point Z. I can take the following routes:.." (consider things like whether or not you need/want a postgraudate degree to get that job, and if yes, which undergraduate degrees would allow you to get there. Usually you don't need to study the same subject for both your masters and bachelors, but it helps to have a degree in a related field.)

Try to find out as much as you can about what both studying and working in your chosen field would be like. Usually, liking the subject you're studying makes it a lot easier to succeed in it. Don't forget that work experience is usually more valued than learning experience, so try to consider more than just employment rates: think of what you want your next four years to be like as well as where you'd like them to lead you.