/ 5 July 2013

Changing your career midstream

Changing Your Career Midstream

Employability is the buzzword in higher education, but a surprising number of students are rethinking their careers as they don their graduation gowns.

Perhaps they have studied science and want to go into advertising, or they have trained as a doctor but want the excitement of a business or financial career. Choosing the "wrong" degree subject leaves graduates with a dilemma, and not one necessarily of their own making.

It is very common for students to change their minds about what they want to do, says Vanessa Freeman, a consultant for the Careers Group at Goldsmiths, University of London. 

"The university experience introduces students to a diverse peer group, influential lecturers and the chance to hear about career paths not previously considered," she says.

One way to change direction is through a postgraduate qualification, usually a master's course geared towards a particular industry. 

Bob Gilworth, the director of the University of Leeds career service, distinguishes between niche master's programmes that are "virtual shoe-ins" for a job —such as geophysics, petroleum engineering and financial mathematics —and others where the student will have to do a bit more work to convinceemployers it was worth it.

Industry contacts
Courses with close industry contacts are particularly important in the media and the creative industries, where students need to build up a cuttings book or portfolio. 

It was the opportunity to work on real projects and the close links with the industry that persuaded Jon Hatton (24) to enrol last year on a two-year games design MA at the National Film and Television School in the United Kingdom. 

His first-class honours degree in physics and philosophy from the University of Bristol would have opened the door to a career in academic research or in business. Instead, he chose the creative industries and a practical course with close industry contacts.

Advertising is another popular graduate career choice —and would-be Mad Mendo not need to have done a first degree in an allied subject. George Boyter, the leader of the MA in advertising at Buckinghamshire New University, says what matters is their curiosity and enthusiasm.

The music industry also offers opportunities that are wider than you might think. You don't have to have a degree in music to get a foot in the door, either. 

Students on the new MA in music industry management and promotion at the University of Central Lancashire include graduates from disciplines such as business, communication and fashion.

Humanities students often use management masters degrees to move into consultancy. For example, philosophy, politics and economics graduate Sophie King enrolled on the MSc management course at Warwick Business School. She graduated last year and is now a consultant in performance improvement for Ernst & Young, the global professional services firm.

Opening yourself to opportunity
"The course is designed for people who haven't studied business or management before," she said. "It secured me interviews I would not otherwise have got."

Travelling and volunteering can inspire students to want to make a difference. Ross Edgeworth (33) recalls how he became interested in development work while travelling after graduating with a sports science degree. On his return, he enrolled in the disaster management and sustainable development MSc at Northumbria University and now works across the world as the programme-funding manager for Traidcraft, the UK's leading fair trade organisation.

Jamie Burrows (24) graduated from the University of Liverpool in architecture. While searching for a firm to offer her a place for the compulsory year in practice, she changed her mind and is now doing a two-year master's degree in production design at the National Film and Television School.

"At first I thought a career in production design was unrealistic, but I did some research and found I could use the skill base I had from architecture. We are designing and building sets for television, taught by working art directors and production designers. 

A better chance
"I'm building up a good portfolio and I think I will have a much better chance of getting a job than if I had stayed in architecture." 

Vern Nelson (42) is also using a master's degree to change track. He was a maths and computer science teacher until he decided on a change of career. He is now studying for an MSc in financial mathematics taught jointly by the business school and the school of mathematics at the University of Leeds. Around 85% of people on the course come in straight after their first degree and most have studied subjects containing a substantial amount of mathematics.

"I started on a postgraduate course in actuarial science and then changed to financial mathematics because it was more suited to my first degree in maths and computer science," he says. 

"I wanted a complete change from teaching, though it's hard going back to studying, especially on such a challenging course. 

Branislav Dikov (27) spent five years at Varna Free University in Bulgaria qualifying as a forensic engineer. He decided that, rather than be involved in the construction of buildings, he wanted a career as an investigator for insurance companies or as an expert adviser for companies buying and developing properties.

He is now studying for an MA in international business and management at the University of Westminster in London.

"I wanted to combine forensic engineering with business to develop a career in property investment. Many banks and companies are investing millions of pounds in properties and need to have someone who can assess the land, environment and construction of the buildings. I hope the MA will help me find my niche," he says.

Graduates of all disciplines have transferable skills they can bring to postgraduate study, say career advisers. The important question they must ask before handing over the course fees is whether further study will make them more attractive to employers. —© Guardian News and Media 2013