Career Opportunities with a Degree in… Philosophy

Your Skills and the Employment Market

Possible Career Opportunities

Sample Jobs

Further Study Opportunities

What Past Graduates Have Done

Resources in the Careers Information Room

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Your skills and the employment market

The study of Philosophy provides many skills that are valuable in the workplace.  Employers are often more interested in the transferable skills that you have learnt rather than your knowledge of your degree subject.  Skills and abilities you develop while studying Philosophy include:

• Logical and analytical thinking and reasoning
• Problem solving
• Research skills
• Writing skills
• Clear communication
• The ability to formulate your own opinions about problems under discussion
• The ability to study/work independently
• A willingness to adapt

Skills in logical thinking and "relating parts to the whole" are useful in management as well. In fact, the problem solving that you learn in philosophy can be useful in many types of jobs.

Philosophy graduates often go on to careers in industries as diverse as:

• Law
• Retail 
• PR 
• IT 
• Publishing
• Media
• Business
• Banking 
• Insurance
• Politics 
• Civil Service
• Education

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Possible Career Opportunities

Note: Further qualifications may be needed for certain positions. This list is a sample of positions available. Up to 40% of graduate employment opportunities are open to graduates of all disciplines.  In most cases, however you will need further postgraduate study or professional training. 

Although Philosophy does not lead directly to a specific career, outside academia, the above are just some of the areas that value graduates.

Call to the Career Development Centre and have a consultation with a career development advisor to explore your career opportunities.

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Further study opportunities

For certain career choices, employers may look for candidates with further qualifications and training.  Some of the range of opportunities available in NUI Galway include:

• MA Ethical & Cultural Studies
• MLitt / PhD by research
• MA Women’s Studies
• MA Health Promotion
• MA Irish Studies

For a full list please visit www.nuigalway.ie/courses .

The Careers Information Room has sections on Ireland and the UK (including individual prospectuses), USA (with guides to applying, funding and lists of courses), studying in EU countries as well as further afield.

Further study links:

http://www.postgradireland.com/ contains useful information on postgraduate courses in Ireland

http://www.prospects.ac.uk/ is an excellent site for researching opportunities in the UK

http://ec.europa.eu/ploteus covers the EU

For a full list please visit the postgradireland website.

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What past graduates have done

It is always interesting to know what fellow graduates have done after obtaining their degree at NUI, Galway.  The following has been taken from recent Graduate Destinations surveys:  

• Housing Support Officer, Galway Simon Community
• Substitute Teaching
• Social Care Worker & Accredited Counsellor course, SOS, Callan Rd, Kilkenny
• Assistant manager, Harry Corry’s, Galway
• Part time Script Reader, RTE
• Teaching English, Korea
• Working with underprivileged children, Roscrea 2000
• Admin work, IDA Business Park, Galway
• MA Ethical & Cultural Studies, NUI Galway
• MSocSc Institutions & Social Mechanisms, Uni of Turku Finland
• Youth  Worker (running after school clubs for children), Bohermore Youth Development Project, Galway

Others have gone on to further study in areas as diverse as

• Law
• Theatre
• Business
• Education
• Writing
• Public Relations
• Health Promotion
• Community Development.

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Resources in the Careers Information Room

 We have valuable information resources, experienced career development advisers and information staff on hand to help you with your queries.

Reference material in the Information Room includes:

• Options with a degree in Philosophy (leaflet)
• Gradireland booklets
• Arts - General Folder
• Arts First Destinations folder
• Books including:
  • Careers with an Arts Degree
  • Careers Working with Children & Young People
  • Odd Jobs
• A-Z of Careers and Jobs

Drop into our information room and we will be happy to assist you.

For useful links see our site at www.delicious.com/careersinfo.com/philosophy .

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