Making Career Decisions from an Arts Degree 18 th December, 2012

Career Development Centre

Making Career Decisions from an Arts Degree 18th December, 2012

John Hannon

What’s this session all about?

• Arts, happiness and career decisions

• How do we spread the news? Subject, career and course paths and progression routes...

• Arts and employability

Career Development Centre NUI Galway


The Value of an Arts Degree

• “All art is quite useless”

Oscar Wilde

“Art is the expression of the profoundest thoughts in the simplest way”

Albert Einstein

What do students want?


.....Expectations….from Guidance Counsellors?


Geography of Happiness

Green = Happiest > Blue > Purple > Orange > Red = Least Happy; Grey = Data not available

Believe it or not!

– In the past people didn’t value happiness.

– Instead, they valued virtue and greatness, which may result in suffering. [We might be going back that way!]

– Happiness was [is] considered an unworthy pursuit!

Related Research: How Do We Make Irrational Choices?

• People make decisions based on their current situation.

• People tend to adapt to things around them eventually.

• People tend to remember feelings that they expect to remember, not actual feelings that they experience.

“Indicators of intent”


Doer (Realistic)...archaeology, IT

• Archaeology • Information technology • Instructional technology / training• Programmer• Police Officer / Garda • Quality (assurance, control)• Safety


Thinker (Investigative)....all subjects! Especially economics, psychology, maths, soc. and pol.

• Actuary

• Computer science

• Economist

• Finance

• Lawyer

• Market researcher

• Mathematics

• Physician/Medical school

• Teacher /Lecturer e.g. maths

• Psychologist

• Psychiatrist

• Statistics

• Sociologist

• Systems analyst

• Journalist

Creator (Artistic)...majority of subjects especially languages, history

• Actor

• Advertising copy writer

• Director

• Dancer

• Editor

• Musician

• Museum curator

• Patent agent

• Producer

• Teacher (e.g. Languages)

• Technical writer

• Web designer

• Writer

• Poet



Helper (Social)...Sociological and Political Studies, psychology, education

• Advocate

• Guidance counsellor

• Therapist / counsellor

• Care worker

• Education/teacher

• Health promotion officer

• Occupational therapist

• Psychologist

• Social worker, probation officer

• Theology / religious life

• Social Worker

• Speech-language therapist


Persuader (Enterprising) ...Economics, law

• Administration • Business• Communications • Insurance • Investment Banker • Journalism • Law / Politics

• Marketing / Advertising • Management• Management Consultant • Public Health• Publishing • Public relations • Public policy• Retail • Stockbroker • Sales


Organiser (Conventional)...economics, mathematics, languages

• Accountant

• Actuary

• Administration

• Banking/Investment banking

• Business

• Clerk

• Copy Editing

• Financial analyst

• Information officer

• Lexicographer

• Librarian

• Proofreader

• Secretary

• Technical writer


NUI Galway BA graduates (and postgraduates) 2011

• Further Study/Training 58.5 (19.1)%

• Seeking Employment 5.3 (9.4)%

• Yr. Out/Not Available Emp. 3.6 (2.8)%

• In Employment 30.6 (67.7)%

‘Traditional’ career sectors from Arts...how do we get this across? [ and go beyond it]

• Public Service and Teaching

• Media / PR / Advertising

• Arts / Culture

• Leisure / Tourism / Travel

• Library / Archives / Information

• Insurance/Marketing/Retailing/HR/Finance

• IT

• Law

The economic factor?



Fastest Growing Industries

• Information Technology• Healthcare• Energy Efficiency /

Environmental• E-Learning• Microelectronics• Manufacturing Productivity• Composite Materials• Social Networking• Business Services – esp.

Multilingual• Telecommunications• Food

• Care of the Elderly• Business & Personal Coaching• Personal Wellbeing• Medical Devices & Technology• Accounting (some aspects more than

others)

• Digital Media – e.g. -gaming, mobile media, animation

• Alternative Power Generation• Financial Regulation and Control• Corporate Compliance• Life Sciences • Biotechnology

Ref: Enterprise Ireland - HPSU’sIDA Ireland – Competence Centres

Importance of Arts, Humanities, Business and Social Science


•Underpin sectors such as finance, business, legal, communications, cultural, tourist and education and social services

•Knowledge of foreign languages and understanding of world cultures can be an asset to any exporting enterprise

•Understanding of consumer and natural behaviours

•Hybrid and blended skills

•Linking with the Natural Sciences Ursula Halligan, EGFSN


Great Skill Combinations

• Languages and logistics• Languages and marketing/sales• Product knowledge and sales• Finance and quantitative modelling• Law and finance• Statistics and software modelling• Software architecture and business• Web design; animation; programming

Source: National Skills Unit


What are employers looking for??

Graduate Recruitment Trends Survey 2012 (gradireland)

• 57.7% Graduates ‘who can demonstrate core competences’

• 59.2% Must have studied specific degree

• 57.7% Require a 2.1

• 25.4% Must have relevant work experience

Shortfalls in Soft skills Hard skills

• Communication

• Motivation

• Analytical skills

• Managing own learning

• Problem solving

• Confidence

• Independent working

• Flexibility

• Writing

• Administration + org.

• Fluency in foreign language

• Basic computer skills

• Leadership

• Project management

• Numeracy


In Summary: What Can Arts Graduates Offer Employers?

Task/Goal Orientated

Cultural Flexibility

Highly Motivated

Communication Skills

Organisational Skills

Research Skills

Presentation Skills

Intelligence

Work Experience

Critical Thinking Skills

Planning/Organisational Skills

Time Management

Independent Working Skills

Specialised Knowledge

Networking skills

Career Focus….?


The ‘Language Divide’

Students tend to focus on: Employers want to know about:

•Qualifications

•Subjects/Modules

•Theory

•Content

•Ideas

•Academic grades

•Project work

•Work experience

•Skills

Are you aware of the skills you have developed to date?

Can you provide evidence of how these skills were developed?

(Past achievements as evidence of future potential)

Some Career Paths with subjects e.g. Psychological Studies

• Social Work• Counselling, Guidance and Counselling• Community & Youth Work• Business / Management/HR• IT – e.g. training, systems analysis, management• Media, journalism• Pharmaceutical industry• Research /Administration• Teaching (mainly primary and higher education)• ABA• Retail and marketing

Not to mention the other subject…and the BA!

• Heritage, museums, archives

• Teaching

• Research

• Library

• Tourism

• Genealogy

• Media e.g. journalism

Some Career Paths with History


Languages: two career paths

• Specialist language occupations

– Translation, teaching, interpreting

• Occupations with languages

– e.g. bilingual accounts, market research, international sales, bilingual customer support, admin. In Euro. Commission, software localisation, consultancy services, export / trading…..



Postgraduate Conversion Programmes

DEGREE

POSTGRADUATE CONVERSION PROGRAMME

MASTERS (TAUGHT/RESEARCH)

PhD


Seven Categories of Conversion Programmes

Law

IT

Health/Therapies Engineering

Education

Business

Arts & Social

Sciences


Arts: General Examples…

• Archaeology, NUI Galway

• Psychology, NUI Galway, UCC, UCD, TCD, DBS

• Journalism, NUI Galway, DCU, DIT, Griffith, Fitzwilliam Institute

• Planning and Sustainable Development, UCD,UCC, QUB

• Arts Admin./Policy & Practice, NUI Galway, UCD

• Literature and Publishing, NUI Galway

• Digital Media NUI Galway and Multimedia, DCU


Business: Examples

• Business (e.g. H Dip Business Studies) NUI Galway, UL

• Accountancy, GMIT, DCU, DIT, UCC

• Marketing & also Advertising, DIT

• Economics (H Dip – NUI Galway


IT: Examples

• Software Design & Development, NUI Galway

• Information Systems Management, NUI Galway

• Computer Engineering (need maths) UL

• Computer Science, Letterkenny IT, IT Tralee, UCD

• Information Technology, NUI Galway, NUIM

Information Overload!


www. gradireland.com


How can we convey these key points?

• Most students don’t choose a career path until their final year.

• Most students worry about being typecast by their discipline…yet the degree seldom limits options.

• Most students gain new interests during their studies.

• Arts course provide key skills for employers.

Making Career Decisions from an Arts Degree 18 th December, 2012

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