College graduates and your degrees

Poor Craythur

some_dose wrote: »

So college graduates I ask you this, have you ended up working in the field in any way related to your degree?

Yes, got a job in Britain in my degree subject six months after my finals.

I have now decided I don't want to work in science. I don't consider my degree a waste though.

rainbow kirby

BSc and MSc in CS, work in QA for a financial software company. So yeah, I'm using my qualifications.

Up-n-atom!

Yup, initially I got a job almost a year after I graduated with a BA in a job that was tenuously related to my degree. I left to go travelling, though, and since returning I'm finding it difficult to find anything at all, let alone anything related to my course. The thing is, my degree was so varied that it was mainly geared towards specialising through Masters-level study, so I'm strongly thinking about heading back to college this year.

As for the OP (and a few others on this thread), a friend of mine has a very similar background to you (in Zoology/Marine Biology), and managed to get a paid stagaire/internship with the Marine Institute for a year, and then went on to do a Phd (which she's doing now, although the money's not great). There are some opportunities out there, you just have to perservere! And I'm sure you're aware of the various wild-life related organisations in the country that are worth getting involved with to network and to get experience.

Cat Melodeon

It doesn't work out for everyone but if you studied something you are passionate about you shouldn't just let it slip away for the sake of an easy life. There are ways to break into your chosen career, it might just take a bit longer than you would like (and could require double-jobbing, working for free and being broke). It's worth it though.
After a couple of bad early job choices I went to college, did a BSc through distance learning and got an MA in a normal uni. I love what I studied and I love the bits of work that I get to do. I am determined to make a full time career out of it, even if that means that for now I'm mostly doing voluntary stuff and am completely broke. I've never been happier though.

dr gonzo

Im doing a degree in archaeology at the moment so i guess theres pretty much no hope for me. I went back as a mature student too so i wont be going through the degree process a second time.

yawha

Haven't graduated yet, but have a great job lined up for when I leave.

Thankfully, there are loads of jobs in IT, especially for fresh CS graduates. That said, all having a CS degree does is gets you an interview. You generally do have to be good and really know your stuff to get hired.

TheUsual

These working for free comments are depressing.

First nobody has worked for free since slavery.

Second, 3 or 4 years in college and you are paying for them to let you work. It's wrong, finacially and morally. Even with a promise of a job at the end. No.

carriej

Seems to be quite a few graduate jobs out there for Business/IT/Marketing Grads. Accenture are hiring now for their grad programme (Management Consulting)

www.twentysomethinginireland.blogspot.com/2011/03/accenture-graduate-programme.html

frozenbanana

Spent 5 years getting masters in polish literature. Came to Ireland straight after that, was surprised to find that not many employers are interested in polish poems written in the 18th century.

Did another degree since, working in the field.

I will write this book one day though...

Odysseus

some_dose wrote: »

After spending 4 years doing a BSc and another year doing an MSc I've still yet to get a job in my related field (there is only 2 places in Ireland that will hire me).

So college graduates I ask you this, have you ended up working in the field in any way related to your degree?

BA and MA in Psychoanalysis I have been working in the HSE Addiction Services since 97 and I do some lecturing as well as some private work. So yeah my career has been based upon both my inital degree and masters.

I have been lucky in that I like my work and would still be studying related areas on the way to doing a PhD eventually.

eternal

Daddio wrote: »

My degree was in fine art (stop sniggering :P) but I specialised in digital media, and I am now lucky enough to have found a job working as a producer for digital media exhibitions in the Netherlands while developing my own sporadically busy arts practice. Back to college in September for a masters though, which I'm really looking forward to.

I studied Fine Art too .Dont work in that field though.Plannning on going back to college to do a different degree this year.

Handsome Bob

TheUsual wrote: »

These working for free comments are depressing.

First nobody has worked for free since slavery.

Second, 3 or 4 years in college and you are paying for them to let you work. It's wrong, finacially and morally. Even with a promise of a job at the end. No.

Aye I agree, but it beats sitting at home.

starlit

I did a Business informatics degree, did get a job somewhere what relevant to it and have had other jobs very much relevant to it. Went on to do an Information Technology course then and haven't found a job since. The IT course would have been very much relevant to the job I had previously. Finding it tough now I must say to look for work both relevant to my courses aswell as outside it too...not sure if I should go back to college again or emigrate?:(

Just have to keep trying I suppose and not give up...but feel like giving up hope at this stage. I'm just not prepared to leave Ireland yet maybe to the UK but it be a big thing for me I'd rather go to one of the cities in Ireland if I could...

mikemac

IT and business

Started college in 1999 and I had never used a PC before, didn't even have an email address.

But I wasn't alone!
Lecturer gave out to all us noobs and we have to stay back and learn to use a computer. Such as File > Save as or right clicking to get more options.
And then we learned how use Microsoft Word! That's the standard of our college class for an IT course

A ten year old in Ireland these days would have had more knowledge then us :rolleyes:

Don't work in IT anyway,

abelard

Graduated last year with a good Law degree (I don't intend to practice), currently in London doing an MSc in Crime Science in UCL. It's a niche area and I don't think I'll get work out of it in Ireland (I think it will be a growing area in Ireland in the future, but I have to admit for now I would prefer to stay in London anyway). I am limited enough with job opportunities in my chosen field here until I've lived here for another 2 years, so I'll probably take something unrelated in the private sector until I have 3 years residency. Either way, I am hopeful of getting work in my (Masters) field.

My impression from trawling the graduate schemes over here is Engineers and Scientists (esp. Comp Scientists) are in huge demand. If anyone is qualified in those fields and finding nothing in Ireland I would strongly advise you to consider coming over to London, if not now (as many of the 2011 schemes are closed) then later in the year, or early 2012.

Royale with Cheese

Arts (Music and Geography). Worked for a year on a couple of different jobs and decided my prospects were bleak, went back and did 2 years of Computer Science. Work in IT now, got a job last year before I'd graduated. Jobs going for graduates if you're good enough.

For all the slagging Arts degrees get, there is a lot of truth in the reputation they have. They aren't particularly useful and a lot of the subjects will do little for your future employment prospects. I was doing general admin work when I graduated from Arts and from what I read it's difficult to even get that kind of work these days.

The Saint

Yup.

BSc and MA in International Relations. Travelled to the Middle East to find work which I intended to do anyway as I focused much of my masters on the area. I'm working in an area directly related to what I wrote my masters thesis on which is handy.

There was no hope that I'd find related work in Ireland, even during the boom years.

CalmDown...

In my final year, due to graduate in October or so and have 2 job offers for when I finish. Doing a degree in actuarial maths

PeakOutput

TheUsual wrote: »

First nobody has worked for free since slavery.

people work for free every day

SeaFields

Royale with Cheese wrote: »

For all the slagging Arts degrees get, there is a lot of truth in the reputation they have. They aren't particularly useful and a lot of the subjects will do little for your future employment prospects.

An arts degree is a primary degree. It wont directly lead to job opportunities. It gives you a firm grounding in your chosen subjects and then you specialise in an area through a postgraduate qualification - for example becoming a planner, teacher, psychologist, economist, journalist, etc. amongst many others depending on what your initial subjects were.

Nolanger

Saila wrote: »

education are the new ponzy schemes :pac:

Yep, 'education for all' is a complete failure.

Setun

eternal wrote: »

I studied Fine Art too .Dont work in that field though.Plannning on going back to college to do a different degree this year.

What are you going to study this time as a matter of interest?

Nolanger

Daddio wrote: »

What are you going to study this time as a matter of interest?

Not so Fine Art?

gubernaculum

Did Arts degree. Worked in retail for 5 years. Back in college doing graduate medicine and love it! Glad of my earlier experience; really enjoyed my 20's but working in shops brought me out of my shell & i learnt how to talk to anyone, 1st degree taught me one way of thinking and 2nd is teaching a completely different way. Always been completely broke but am happy and too busy to have any regrets so feel very lucky

UglyBolloxFace

gubernaculum wrote: »

Did Arts degree. Worked in retail for 5 years. Back in college doing graduate medicine and love it! Glad of my earlier experience; really enjoyed my 20's but working in shops brought me out of my shell & i learnt how to talk to anyone, 1st degree taught me one way of thinking and 2nd is teaching a completely different way. Always been completely broke but am happy and too busy to have any regrets so feel very lucky

I love this post - fair play to you, it's great to see someone this appreciative and happy!:)

Setun

Nolanger wrote: »

Not so Fine Art?

You mean graphic design?