Best Degrees and Careers present and future ?

[alx]

I am actually switching from Engineering to Accountancy and looking forward to getting job/placement with a small company. I already have engineering degree but it hasn't been much of use since graduating although it has given me the badge of being highly numerate lol. So with that I wish to learn about business transactions etc and this is very beneficial in the long run hopefully.

But as has been said before nothing seems to be in demand at the moment especially regarding entry level graduates .

Don't mean to have a go at you, but in these threads you always say engineering graduates are not in demand - in my experience this is not true, whilst it's not always easy to get a job it's hardly as doom and gloom as you make out....

I graduated in July, and lots of my engineering friends have been able to get jobs, including me.

It may be that your circumstances are different, but I still don't think one persons views are a fair representation of thr whole of the engineering sector....

 

["andy"]

thought about the forces at all ?

a trade in the RAF/Navy would set you up with decent pay and decent qualifications etc

 

[Ahleckz]

I've got 4 GCSEs in Math, English, Science & Design & Tech at C grade - I was supposed to do 11 exams at A grade but at the time I thought I was a smart ass and get into a decent college with 4 Cs (Looking back, I shot myself in the foot, a lot of good Unis want 5 GCSEs these days)

I then Applied for a course in IT, Btec National for IT Practitioners - It was a joke, the course antique and basic, all the best Universities didn't think it was a credited course so I dropped out after finishing one year to get the 1 A level.

Now I'm 19yo and starting to think, ****, times ticking, I need to get myself a degree and job before I end up in a dead end career, living in some cheap council house !

Engineering sounds interesting (I was considering it before IT) but there are so many categories and fields I panicked that I'd choose the wrong area that doesn't interest me and doesn't have great demand.

What are the most interesting areas of engineering, that are/will be in demand in the UK and what are the best steps to get into it (College courses > Degree etc)

You have 4 GCSEs at C, and one A level? Yeah, you're not going to be getting into university with that especially in today's climate.

Your best bet would be to go to college and do a HNC/HND in an engineering field that you find interesting. Personally, I find Product Design Eng, Triple E and Aeroneutical Eng the most interesting but it's up to you.
I'm not an engineer, I did a law degree.
Just read up on the different areas of engineering and look at University prospectus and then try and get into a college to do a HNC/D as no university will look at you at the moment.#
Speaking to experts in the oil & gas industry, and they tell me if you get into that sector as an engineer then you'll have a job for life. Chem Eng are in particular demand atm. Know a few grads last year that went to the UAE on big money a few weeks after graduating.

 

[Jonny69]

Do some A levels if you're thinking about engineering. Maths, physics and something like chemistry or design as a third. Without A level maths and physics you won't stand a chance in an engineering degree.

 

[UncleBensSauce]

I would look into becoming a nuclear engineer or something in that field in prepertion for the UK nuclear expansion/refresh.

 

[DAnDan]

Science degree and a Phd Preferably chemistry if you enjoy it!

 

[aaron]

Research seems the best route atm in my opinion. My girlfriends going into biochemistry and its one of the few areas where the goverment hasnt actually cut. plus companys like GlaxoSmithKline are increasing theyre funding massively.

 

[Clipsey]

Always ALWAYS medical Will be guaranteed a job!
In the States it is always the number 1 field to be in regarding the OP's question.

 

[Ahleckz]

There doesn't appear to be much money in research, money in the products that the research comes up with but very little in the actual research side of things. Plus, research is harder to get into surely as most 'decent' labs would be taking on people who hold PhDs/decent research based Masters. Similar to academia really, sod all money in that.

 

[Nitefly]

I want a job thats in great demand and pays really well?

It's baffling to me that people are suggesting a science degree, most related jobs pay penuts and are hugely competitive. Law is well payed but brutally competitive at the moment, so niether really fit the criteria.

 

[jack.mitchell]

If you are interested in Engineering and by the quick skim I had you have minimal A Levels then looks for Engineering Foundation degree, many universities have them and it will give you a chance to try out the different engineering fields before making a firm choice. I'm a final year Embedded Systems Engineer which is a mix of Computer Science and Engineering and I love it, but you'd be kidding yourself if you thought it wasn't going to be hard work and all to your exact taste.

 

[Ahleckz]

It's baffling to me that people are suggesting a science degree, most related jobs pay penuts and are hugely competitive. Law is well payed but brutally competitive at the moment, so niether really fit the criteria.

Well, science grads are in great demand there's no denying that. There isn't one area which generally pays very well though. I reckon chem eng would be his best bet, but I question his skillset/dedication and I don't actually think the degree route would be most apt considering what he's said.
Law is incredibly saturated at the moment and the pay really isn't that great.

 

[Nitefly]

Well, science grads are in great demand there's no denying that.

For what, science teacher jobs?

There are oodles of people out there with science degrees and most people use them as a springboard for another career, mostly because the related jobs are incredibly boring unless you have some highly nerdy tendancy to enjoy using a pipette 5000x a day. Otherwise the vacancies at big pharma are totally swarmed by people far more qualified than a graduate (PhD plus further research experience).

I enjoyed my science degree, but I certainly wouldn't say there's a huge demand for jobs. It's hard enough getting a PhD that pays £12-14,000pa.

 

[hood1971]

My girlfriend works for Glaxo Smith Kline in the finance department and nearly all her colleagues have science degrees or phds. They all switched as the money was far better in accounting. Though is does help them progress within GSK to have a science background.

 

[Aero]

Civil Engeering is pretty dire at the moment, there's not much around at the graduate level but given 5~8 years I predict it will be picking up fairly well given there is a bit of a missing generation due to the last recession and also due to this one.

It can get you all round the world very easily.

 

[mufc802]

Do some A levels if you're thinking about engineering. Maths, physics and something like chemistry or design as a third. Without A level maths and physics you won't stand a chance in an engineering degree.

-_-

Why does everyone say this? I am doing the BTEC in Engineering so do I not have a chance doing an engineering degree? Why do they let BTEC students in at all then? An example is Loughbrough it's meant to be good for engineering but they don't ask for any A-Level maths with the BTEC.

I wish I could go back and do A-Levels again but it's probably too late and if I can get in with a BTEC then why not.

 

[alx]

For what, science teacher jobs?

I think the point was that employers like people with science degrees (at least that was my point) because of the maths and logical thinking involved.

You can go into all sorts of interesting jobs, many of which don't need a specific degree (more a certain skill set).

I may be biased but if you don't specifically into a job directly related to your degree, engineering > science degree

 

[alx]

-_-

Why does everyone say this? I am doing the BTEC in Engineering so do I not have a chance doing an engineering degree? Why do they let BTEC students in at all then? An example is Loughbrough it's meant to be good for engineering but they don't ask for any A-Level maths with the BTEC.

I wish I could go back and do A-Levels again but it's probably too late and if I can get in with a BTEC then why not.

I think the point is engineering degrees at good universities are pretty theoretical, with lots of maths involved which usually carries on where A-level maths left off.

I don't know much about the BTEC, but if the level of maths isn't a particularly high level you may struggle (not saying it's impossible, just harder).

 

[Amp34]

Always ALWAYS medical Will be guaranteed a job!
In the States it is always the number 1 field to be in regarding the OP's question.

Not in the UK it isn't...

If (and it's quite a big if) you get on a medical degree in the first place, and then manage to stay on it for the 5 years of your basic degree then you will then be in the same position as a lot of other graduates, applying for a job in an area with more qualified graduates than jobs...

As a lot of people in this thread have said, the more maths in the degree the more in demand it is... However with your qualifications you'll be lucky to get into a poor university rather than a good one.

Could always try and get into Geology. It's "apparently" in massive demand in the UK, every employer says this, yet its still almost impossible to get a job as a graduate... However get a UK Geology degree with a reasonable classification and head to Australia, you'll probably be able to snag a job in the mining industry very easily.*

*£40-50k starting salary and I have 3+ friends that graduated with me who went over there on WHV and got jobs in the industry within a couple of months, with very little effort. The working conditions can be either excellent or terrible depending on what you class as good (I'd say good, you work for 12 hours a day in the middle of nowhere (ie desert) for 14 days then have 7ish days off. If you're more of an office worker then it would be hell).

 

[Jonny69]

-_-

Why does everyone say this? I am doing the BTEC in Engineering so do I not have a chance doing an engineering degree? Why do they let BTEC students in at all then? An example is Loughbrough it's meant to be good for engineering but they don't ask for any A-Level maths with the BTEC.

I wish I could go back and do A-Levels again but it's probably too late and if I can get in with a BTEC then why not.

They might let you in with a BTEC, but unless you're good with pure and mechanics maths you're going to struggle with an engineering degree, particularly something like mechanical engineering. Not meaning that as a dig, it's just a warning.