Explore Your Career Options
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What kind of jobs could I do?
The Historical Association and the Discover Anthropology both have extensive career information.
Destinations of QUB graduates
A survey of graduates 6 months after graduation reveals that QUB graduates from History and Anthropology have recently gone into the following…
History (Jobs): Recruitment Consultant, Trainee Accountant, Army Officer Cadet, Insurance Advisor, Management Trainee, Political Researcher, Fraud Officer, Business Development Officer, Business Associate, Auditor, Technology Consulting Associate, Arts Development Manager, Legal Assistant, Trainee Teacher, Rugby Coach, Project Support Analyst
History (Further Study includes): MA Irish History, MSc Management, MSc Software Development, PGCE History, PCGE Primary, MA Legal Science, MA Legislative Studies and Practice, MSc Dating and Chronology, MA International Relations
Anthropology (Further Study): MRes Social Research Methods, MA Cognition and Culture, MA Anthropology, MSc Management
As with all programmes at all universities, some graduates have not gone into graduate level work. Recent roles have included: Sales Assistant, Assistant Librarian, Clerical Officer and Support Worker.
There can be many reasons to explain this including saving for further study, getting relevant work experience, wanting to take some time-out, but often it is due to a lack of career planning prior to graduating. Reviewing these careers resources and taking advantage of opportunities to Go Further will help to ensure that you fulfil your career potential. If you wish to book an appointment to discuss your options and plan your career you can do this through myfuture.
- Museum/Heritage Roles
Roles in this sector are difficult to secure and those that do come along attract a lot of applicants. The key is to build as much relevant voluntary experience as possible, network and proactively seek out opportunities. Further study is usually required for many of the specialist job roles in this sector which include Archivist, Curator and Conservator. The Museum Jobs website will give you an idea of the type of job roles within the sector and qualifications and experience required. For local opportunities keep an eye on the Northern Ireland Museums Council.
- Charity and Voluntary Sector
This sector encompasses a variety of roles as detailed in Prospects: Charity and Voluntary Work and includes the role of International aid/development Worker
If this sector is of interest to you then it is important to undertake some voluntary work experience while at university; for local opportunities Volunteernow is a really good resource. Organisations that offer graduate schemes in this sector within the UK include Cancer Research UK, Charity Works, Wellcome, Sanctuary Group and IntoUniversity.
- Civil Service, Public Sector and EU/ International
The Civil Service Fast Stream is an accelerated training and development programme for graduates, placing them into a variety of departments within the Civil Service. There are various recruitment streams available including Central Departments, Diplomatic Service, Houses of Parliament and the Government Communication Service. Other graduate opportunities exist in GB with the National Health Service and in NI through the Health and Social Care in Northern Ireland Training Schemes. If you are interested in working for a local government authority consider The National Graduate Development Programme. Other opportunities are available, which also be of interest.
- Bond - Site offers information on starting a career in international development, events and jobs.
- Human Rights Watch- internships
- European Parliament– working with us section (jobs, careers, internships)
- EU Careers– hosts career opportunities within the European Union
- North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO)– internships offered
- w4mp (Working 4 an MP)- good site for parliamentary-related openings (paid and unpaid) e.g. in admin, research, campaigning. Also includes lots of guides to getting experience and making the most of it.
- Civil Service Jobs- Site allows you to search for Civil Service jobs across the UK inc Prison Service
- Northern Ireland Civil Service
- Northern Ireland Housing Executive
- Financial Authority Conduct Careers– graduate programme details and profiles of participants and useful recruitment insight videos.
- GCHQ– Details Departments and recruitment process.
- Government Statistical Service– volunteering opportunities and current jobs.
- Government Operational Research Service
- Institute of Chartered Secretaries and Administrator– trains and represents governance professionals across all sectors.
- M15– careers section available on this website that details opportunities available. Online test examples included.
- M16- careers section. Latest vacancies and eligibility information included.
- National Audit Office– information on what they do and working for and with NAO
- National Offender Management Service– Details of NOMS Graduate programme
- Opportunities- Search for local authority jobs.
- Prospects- job profiles– Public Services & Administration, Law Enforcement & Security
- Prospects– explore job sectors
- Research
If you are interesting in contributing to the body of knowledge about your subject, a career in research is worth considering. UK Research and Innovation have a collection of case studies of researchers which give an insight into life as a researcher and the different career paths some researchers take. An Academic Career provides more information about this career route. A postgraduate qualification (most often a PhD) is likely to be required. Jobs and some PhD studentships can be found on Jobs.ac.uk. More PhD opportunities can be found on findaphd.com.
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Education and Teaching
In Schools:A recognised teaching qualification is essential to find work in this area. The Department of Education Northern Ireland has general details about Initial Teacher Education (which includes the PGCE). The Universities and Colleges offering the training also have information on their websites which include how to apply and the closing dates e.g. Queen’s Initial Teacher Education (PGCE) information. See Applying for PGCE Teacher Training to find out about applying in other parts of the UK and in Ireland.
PGCE courses are competitive to get into so interested students are recommended to:
- Gain experience of working with young people of the age group you hope to teach – usually gained through voluntary work.
- Get an insight into what work as a teacher is like by trying to arrange to speak to a teacher to ask them about their job, and/or try to get some classroom observation experience. You may be able to arrange visits through personal contacts or with schools where you were once a pupil. It may be possible to arrange with a local school via a speculative application.
- Keep up-to-date with what’s happening in Education via the Times Education Supplement and the Guardian’s Education section.
- Apply early.
- These interview tips are useful when preparing for the course interview.
The Teach First Leadership Development Programme recruits high achieving graduates to work as teachers in some of the most disadvantaged schools in England and Wales. Its 2 year programme combines this work with business skills training, internship and mentoring opportunities. At the end of the programme around 50% stay in the teaching profession in a leadership position, the other 50% are readily employed in a variety of business areas.
The TET (Teach English in Thailand) programme offers students and recent graduates a 9 week placement opportunity as a Teaching Assistant in Thailand.
In Colleges: Further Education Colleges will sometimes hire people to teach without them having teaching qualifications. These teachers will often be expected to work towards a teaching qualification and will be expected to have other relevant (vocational) qualifications and experience to offer. Colleges list job vacancies on their own websites. You can find a list of colleges on the Department of Education Northern Ireland website.
In Higher Education: University lecturers will normally be expected to have or be working towards a PhD. An Academic Career provides more information about this career route. Jobs and some PhD studentships can be found on Jobs.ac.uk. More PhD opportunities can be found on findaphd.com.
- Human Resources
You can find useful background information about this type of work via the CIPD careers website and Prospects (Human Resources Officer, Training and Development Officer).
As HR roles exist in all types of organisations, any kind of work experience is useful. Many large organisations such as BT and Rolls Royce run graduate schemes through which graduates undertake CIPD-accredited HR qualifications. Many organisations also typically offer student internships and placement opportunities in HR, so one of the best places to find student and graduate opportunities is through Relevant Job Websites.
- Marketing, Advertising and PR
A fast paced and competitive sector which needs creative, organised and innovative people.
- Advertising Account Executives - work within advertising or multi-service agencies, acting as a link between clients and the agency.
- Advertising Copywriters - work alongside an art director within the creative department of an advertising, media or full-service agency. This may include creating slogans, catchphrases, messages and straplines for printed adverts and leaflets.
- Digital Marketer - involved in developing an organisation's multi-channel communication strategies.
- Marketing Executive - involved in developing marketing campaigns to promote a product, service or idea.
- Public Relations (PR) Officer - managing reputation, creative communicators who thrive on the demands of client reputation management.
- Retail Management
In addition to running graduate schemes in many of the areas mentioned above (Finance, Human Resources, and Purchasing) large retailers also run schemes in store management. That includes some of the big retailers in Ireland (Musgrave and Henderson Group). Employers prefer candidates who are willing to be geographically mobile. Graduate opportunities can be easily found on the main graduate websites.
Placements and internships in this area are less common, but part-time work in retail is a great way to get relevant experience.
- Purchasing, Logistics and Supply Chain
The Chartered Institute of Procurement and Supply (CIPS) have some information about graduate careers in this area. These job profiles on the prospects site provide more information on some individual roles: Purchasing Manager, Retail Buyer, Logistics and Distribution Manager.
There are a number of graduate schemes in this area with employers such as Marks and Spencer and other larger retailers but student placements and internships may be harder to find. Those that are available will be advertised on the main graduate websites. For Fashion buying, employers tend to look for a Fashion-related degree.
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Accountancy, Banking, Finance and Consultancy
This broad sector covers a range of different roles including Accountant, Investment Banker, Retail Banker, Insurance Broker, Pensions Consultant and Financial Adviser. Prospects: Accountancy, Banking and Finance has role profiles with more details about each of these areas. A number of large professional services firms offer a range of graduate opportunities including Management Consultancy and Accountancy. These firms are interested in History and Anthropology graduates due to their analytical, research and communication skills. Interested students are recommended to find opportunities to build their commercial awareness and business understanding.
There are lots of opportunities to gain relevant experience in these areas while you are a student:
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Some organisations (e.g. PwC) run 2 day Talent Academies for Level 1 students (application deadlines are often in Semester 1);
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There are lots of summer internship opportunities for Level 2 students (application deadlines are often in Semester 1);
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Graduate schemes in this area are usually open to graduates of any degree discipline.
Any additional opportunities to develop your business/commercial awareness such as City Scholars, the Stock Market Challenge and Insight into Management would be beneficial. Keep an eye on MyFuture for details.
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- General Graduate Options
Approximately 50% of graduate vacancies are open graduates of any subject. Some may require some additional, specialist, post-graduate training but some do not. The list is extensive but includes fields as diverse as accountancy, general management, human resources and recruitment consultancy. You can find a list of websites which advertise these opportunities below: