The Student Room Group

Is my degree worth anything?

Please give it to me straight, in these troubled times, will I be unemployable in areas other than teaching?

I study Education studies and History at Durham University.

I need brutal honesty.

Thanks.

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Original post by Foxfight04

Original post by Foxfight04
Please give it to me straight, in these troubled times, will I be unemployable in areas other than teaching?

I study Education studies and History at Durham University.

I need brutal honesty.

Thanks.


Publishing? (E.g. in producing educational historical texts) :dontknow:
Reply 2
If you enjoyed it, then it is worth something! :smile:
Reply 3
I'll give you...50p for it?
Reply 4
yeah, of course. History is a well sought after degree by many employers

teaching, museums, various jobs in the business section, journalism, publishing as stated, loads more but can't remember.

just google it

edit: yeah sure neg me for helping you out...my pleasure
(edited 13 years ago)
Reply 5
Original post by bestofyou
yeah, of course. History is a well sought after degree by many employers

Do you think the fact that my degree is only 50% of history puts me at a disadvantage?
Reply 6
Should be. Seeing that it's from Durham. What kind of jobs interest you? Just send some speculative emails to companies and you'd be surprised.
Reply 7
Original post by GGekko
Should be. Seeing that it's from Durham. What kind of jobs interest you? Just send some speculative emails to companies and you'd be surprised.


My dream job would be writing, reviewing the arts ideally. But I'm not entirely sure, it's why I'm wondering how open my options are.
Reply 8
Original post by Foxfight04
Do you think the fact that my degree is only 50% of history puts me at a disadvantage?


Can't really answer that. I mean if it was a teaching job you went from your degree is more advantageous due to the education part.

The rest I wouldn't say would matter too much, it depends how you sell it in interviews and on your CV.
Reply 9
Yeah what I tend to hear is what matters is how well you tailor is to careers. I plan on doing a masters in history though, that will probably assert my passion for history.
Reply 10
Original post by Foxfight04
My dream job would be writing, reviewing the arts ideally. But I'm not entirely sure, it's why I'm wondering how open my options are.


Well your degree isn't really irrelevant then. You've got to remember that for most jobs that type of degree is one of the last things they look at (for non-science jobs on a whole). Experience is just as important. What year are you in? Try and join the student magazine, get involved in writing/arts societies. If you try and ask for some sort of experience in maybe the local paper, or whatever, you'd find that you are in a position that is just as good as someone with a directly related degree, and a better one than someone who has made no effort with experience. I kind of thought with my degree, Geography, jobs would be unattainable. On the whole, they couldn't care less. They were more bothered with the uni (and you go to a good one) and skills. So good luck hah!
Original post by Foxfight04
Please give it to me straight, in these troubled times, will I be unemployable in areas other than teaching?

I study Education studies and History at Durham University.

I need brutal honesty.

Thanks.


I'd say it's worth £2 and a bag of skittles.
Reply 12
Original post by GGekko
Well your degree isn't really irrelevant then. You've got to remember that for most jobs that type of degree is one of the last things they look at (for non-science jobs on a whole). Experience is just as important. What year are you in? Try and join the student magazine, get involved in writing/arts societies. If you try and ask for some sort of experience in maybe the local paper, or whatever, you'd find that you are in a position that is just as good as someone with a directly related degree, and a better one than someone who has made no effort with experience. I kind of thought with my degree, Geography, jobs would be unattainable. On the whole, they couldn't care less. They were more bothered with the uni (and you go to a good one) and skills. So good luck hah!


Cheers mate. That actually clears things up a bit. I hope that's how it will roll out.
Reply 13
Original post by Foxfight04
Please give it to me straight, in these troubled times, will I be unemployable in areas other than teaching?

I study Education studies and History at Durham University.

I need brutal honesty.

Thanks.


1. Your degree is what you make of it, it can only open doors.

2. No, it's not worthless.
Reply 14
Original post by Foxfight04
My dream job would be writing, reviewing the arts ideally. But I'm not entirely sure, it's why I'm wondering how open my options are.


How involved are you with student journalism at university?
Original post by crazycake93
I'd say it's worth £2 and a bag of skittles.


funniest person on the internet :biggrin:
Reply 16
Surely if you did education studies, you wanted to do something teaching-related anyway? It's probably a decent degree if you're into teaching.
Original post by Foxfight04
Please give it to me straight, in these troubled times, will I be unemployable in areas other than teaching?

I study Education studies and History at Durham University.

I need brutal honesty.

Thanks.


I do History at Durham, its one of the best universities in the country for the subject. Just put it as History and Education on your Cv and you'll be fine. Which college are you at, out of interest?
Reply 18
Original post by Foxfight04
Do you think the fact that my degree is only 50% of history puts me at a disadvantage?


What year are you in? I suggest going to the Careers Advisory Service as soon as possible (oh, crap, they changed their name didn't they....). They're fairly good and will be able to offer better advice than most members of TSR, certainly outside the Careers forum (with the greatest respect to them :p: )

The majority of graduate jobs don't specify a degree subject (although this isn't to say that for some jobs certain subjects are preferred over others). But your options are still very wide. Civil Serivce, Diplomatic Service, MI5, MI6, Media buyer, retail management...

You can do a NCTJ accredited journalism masters.

Your degree still includes a significant amount of history so you will be able to study subjects related to the heritage sector. Your degree being only 50% history shouldn't disadvantage you. In fact, having the other 50% as Education may be an advantage if you fancy a going for something like a museum education officer. Even if you don't want to this there are still other roles in the sector, take archives for example, although only a relative handful of universities offer accredited masters so you will usually need at least a year's worth of experience in archives as it is fairly competitive. Or a librarian (again, accredited masters and experience is required).

Law (by doing the GDL) - although I wouldn't recommend going doing the LPC and trying to get into law without work experience.

Your degree subject is fine. But, as chidona said, although a degree can help in opening doors it's really down to YOU to get the job and not your degree. This is why personal qualities and work experience are as important, often more important, than degree subject.

Check out Prospects and go to the Careers Service!
(edited 13 years ago)
Reply 19
Original post by Foxfight04
Please give it to me straight, in these troubled times, will I be unemployable in areas other than teaching?

I study Education studies and History at Durham University.

I need brutal honesty.

Thanks.


Short term, no.

When the job market becomes good for graduates (not for a few years), yes.

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