Anyone out there who did a degree, but is now doing something completely different?

Question

I'm doing a degree at uni, but i'm pretty sure i'm not going to get employed in the profession after uni. So basically, i believe i will end up doing something else.

Are you or do you know anyone who has a degree, but is now doing something that is completely unrelated?

what kind of jobs are they? Are they still reasonably paid?

anyone or know anyone who has been in a similar situation? Just looking for supportive to feel better.

Thankyou.

Answer 1

My Dad did Chemistry at Oxford and he's now been in Finance and Accounting for about twenty years now. He's been in very well paid jobs for the 12 years or so, and he's always been happy with his work, even though it's nothing to do with his degree.

The point of college, he told me, was to devote time in your life to studying something you loved. Obviously for some jobs you really do need the degree to work in that field, like medicine, but sometimes degrees is about learning something you love and proving to employees that you can learn and work hard - the things you learn at uni will be relevant in all walks of life.

Hope this helps!

Answer 2

I did my degree in music, trained to teach in schools. Now I fix Lorry's for a living, and I couldn't be happier!

Answer 3

Unfortunately this is often the case.

We live in an era where there are no jobs and certainly no jobs for life. Getting employed after university is a major problem. I believe that only twenty percent of law graduates actually work in the legal profession. Many medical graduates have to go overseas to find positions as doctors.

On the other hand I do know people who trained and work in their chosen professions. These people all had one thing in common - an uncompromising approach to job seeking and tackled job hunting in a methodical, determined and aggressive manner. Rejection cannot be taken personally and every time they were unsuccessful they believed they got nearer to their goal. Patience and persistence pays off over time. Keeping at the job can be demotivating if you allow it to be.

Answer 4

My cousin did a spanish degree at a university in London. For now he's an accountant.

Also i am doing a maths degree at university because at school i was good at it and enjoyed it but have no intention on using it in my future career. I want to be a combat madical technnician in the army! Totally unrealted to my maths degree.

Answer 5

My dad's degree is in agriculture but now he works in IT. He's probably more well paid now than he ever was before (he lectured at colleges I think...) Most people change career paths several times in their lives.

Answer 6

Are there people working in fields unrelated to their undergraduate majors?  Yes -- nearly everyone.

Do you think all those History majors actually work as historians?  Do you think all those English majors get paid to sit around reading books?  Do you think all those Philosophy majors sit around thinking about the nature of knowledge?  Do you think that all those Theatre majors become famous actors?

The good news is that going to college teaches us to think critically and express ourselves clearly -- and that helps us in industry.  The bad news is that we often have to settle for work unrelated to our true interests.

That being said -- I work in a field directly related to my field of study.  There are lots of lucky people out there.