The truth is that all degrees are not created equal.By this I do not mean that degrees offered by particular universities are ‘necessarily’ better than those offered by others simply by virtue of the institution that offers them.I mean that some degree courses offer better employment prospects than others. They are in line with industry needs and skills shortages and therefore are more likely to lead to gainful employment in that field. For example if you study STEM subjects (science, technology, engineering and maths) then according to the ONS you are more likely to be employed six months after graduating than graduates of other subjects and 95% of graduates of medicine and 92% of graduates of technology being employed in the field.It’s important to remember that undertaking a degree is a huge financial investment. It also takes up at least three years of your life if you are studying full time. It shouldn’t be done just for the sake of doing it and it’s a myth that if you don’t get a degree you will end up in the bottom half of society. Studying for a degree should form part of your longer term career plan.In recent months many reports have been published which indicate that many graduates are forced to take low skilled work or are working in roles which do not require a degree at all.Getting a degree is no guarantee of a job, let alone a highly skilled and well paid job and it is really important that you do your research into careers of the future. This will give you the information that you need to make well informed decisions about what you study, should you choose to do a degree.There are some key growth areas of employment and obviously being aware of these can be helpful when planning for your future in employment. It’s also a good idea to inform yourself about technological advances which are likely to affect career opportunities in the future, whether this means jobs which will disappear or those which will emerge.
