What Is The Best Degree in Terms of Future Demand?

[Deactivated] on 23/10/2018 - 22:45
Last edited 28/10/2018 - 18:35 by 1 other user

Hi all,
If you are in year 12 now, or have been in the same stressful period of time throughout a point in your life of exam after exam, you may need some help looking to the future. Suppose you are in Sydney, able to attend any uni within Sydney and it’s surrounding suburbs, and achieve a high atar, (eg. 96), what are some sound degree ideas. Aspects to consider include future demand, current employability, pay, satisfaction and… (you may suggest others to consider).
Cheers:)

Edit: I have added a poll to quantify some of suggestions listed in the comments.

Edit 2: I have been offered 4 unit maths at school which is excellent as it opens up several degree options.
Is actuarial studies or electrical engineering good options for employment in 5 years. Thanks for everyone’s support

Poll Options

  • 54
    Medicine/ Dentistry
  • 3
    Law
  • 9
    Business/Finance
  • 6
    Economics
  • 76
    Engineering
  • 12
    Sciences/Mathematics
  • 8
    Social sciences/Arts
Education & Work

Comments

  • [Deactivated] on 23/10/2018 - 22:48
    +67

    Crystal ball operator.

    • FireRunner on 23/10/2018 - 23:19
      +4

      A bachelor of pseudoscience.

      • [Deactivated] on 23/10/2018 - 23:25
        +4

        That term has been deprecated. The new term for quackery is consensus science.

  • Hybroid on 23/10/2018 - 22:50
    +114

    No particular degree is the best. Your aptitude, hard work and life’s opportunities make the difference.

    • AdamFury on 23/10/2018 - 22:54

      Not sure why you got neg'd for this comment. It's great advice.

      • [Deactivated] on 23/10/2018 - 22:58
        +21

        Some people really dislike aptitude, hardwork, opportunities and/or differences.

      • sane on 24/10/2018 - 08:46
        +17

        Because it's terrible advice.

        Doing a degree in a subject you love might make the difference between passing or not, but there are plenty of people who get degrees (and debts) in McDegree subjects and then find they have wasted their time. "Comparative Gender Studies" is not the same worth as a law degree.

        Your aptitude, hard work and life opportunities are largely independent of your degree subject - so do a degree that will help rather than be a pointless debt.

        • HighAndDry on 24/10/2018 - 11:20
          +12

          But Hybroid didn't say "follow your heart!" They said that there's no objectively "best" degree, and that hard work and natural talent are more important. They didn't say there aren't better or worse degrees, but OP was asking for the best degree, and "there isn't a best degree" is a fairly good answer.

          • poboy on 24/10/2018 - 19:50
            +4

            @HighAndDry: Oi, we are trying to have an argument here.

        • pennypincher98 on 02/11/2018 - 09:12

          "Do what you love and you'll never work a day in your life"

          Funnily enough this can be taken two ways, both equally valid.
          If you do what you love you'll enjoy doing it for the next 50 years and it won't really be "work"
          However, if you do what you love you'll also (probably) have trouble getting a job.

          As long as you don't do a degree in something that can be replaced by a robot in a few years than they are all relatively hard to find employment.

          Engineering would probably be the most demanded - but I would never do a degree in it personally.

          Btw if your love is "Comparative Gender Studies" (LOL) than its time to start experiencing the real world.

          • sane on 02/11/2018 - 09:19

            @pennypincher98: If you pick a degree in something you 'love' then so will many others. Meaning more competition for places, more competition for jobs, and less pay if you have a degree (because so do loads of others)

            Jobs like 'pilot' or 'vet' are generally horrible, because people think they sound sexy.

            Pick something out of the way, but where there are jobs likely, and you can FIND interest in the subject.

            Engineering might sound boring, but there is plenty of interest (and lucrative work) to be found.

            • pennypincher98 on 02/11/2018 - 09:21

              @sane:

              Jobs like 'pilot' or 'vet' are generally horrible, because people think they sound sexy.

              Is this like when you are young and want to be an astronaut/doctor/policeman/firey? Never had any of these ambitions.

              The thing is if you pick something you have a genuine interest in than you can find work in related areas.

              Not all scientists wear coats, and not all law students become lawyers.

              • sane on 02/11/2018 - 09:24

                @pennypincher98:

                not all law students become lawyers.

                Yeah, many become politicians <shudder> …..

                • pennypincher98 on 02/11/2018 - 09:27

                  @sane: Well that's better than used car salesmen running the country…

    • alikazi on 25/10/2018 - 15:57
      +1

      Wrong. You are basically saying do any degree you feel like then it's all upto your luck with what opportunities you get, given that you are talented and work hard. Lots and lots of people are hard working and talented and a lot of them are not living up to their potential and making lower income because they did not finish their education in the right field for the market.

      The whole point of asking what's the best degree is to find out which career path leaves you less susceptible to luck with great opportunities, given that you will work hard. How many people can I tell you about who are great artists but have no secure income and a low income? I would have never said "Programming is my talent" but I changed from Aeronautical engg to Computer engg only because the work opportunities were better and I loved working with computers. I sucked at my studies at the beginning I did not have the natural talent for programming but I worked hard and once I saw how I can make amazing things via coding (games, apps, websites - nothing short of magic when you build it yourself), I loved what I did. Fast forward a few years and my knack for attention to detail and the desire to have the best user experience (UI/UX) are what made me a better developer, which have nothing to do with being a natural prodigy at coding. And now because I can produce good work and software jobs are always plentiful in the market, good opportunities are open for me with good work-life balance. Companies compete with perks to hire good developers - thanks to Google for starting the whole perks thing - look at the offices of software firms (free beer, snacks, lunches, sit anywhere you want, flexible times, work from home is allowed, casual dress code, money to learn new skills, ask for the latest laptop, some offer laundry and childcare services) . I know of some accountants who work full time even on weekends because if they don't someone else will. That's hard work, the person may have a good aptitude but that's not a life, so that's not the best degree.

      OP wants to find out what skills are likely to be in demand in future given that he will keep a great academic record. Software is hot - Computer Science, Security (cyber warfare is on the rise good security engineers will be in demand in the future, you can join the army and such - good pay and government job security), Robotics, Embedded software engineering. All of these are great degrees. I'm sure there are many more good degrees.

    • idonotknowwhy on 26/10/2018 - 13:09
      -3

      Fine arts.

    • imurgod on 27/10/2018 - 15:39
      +2

      Excellent advice

  • dcep on 23/10/2018 - 22:54
    +1

    the world runs by accountants & lawyers

    • nubix on 23/10/2018 - 22:57

      https://willrobotstakemyjob.com/13-2011-accountants-and-audi…

      dead right on th lawyers though

      • dcep on 23/10/2018 - 23:00
        +7

        robots can't cook books

        • Gandalf the Thrifty on 23/10/2018 - 23:54
          +1

          Don't see why not. Nothing in Asimov's laws about robot not being programmed for corruption

      • SydStrand on 23/10/2018 - 23:21
        +14

        Law is screwed. Every uni in Australia has a law school now, so there's a glut of graduates. One particularly scummy/brilliant firm tried to get students to pay them to work. Anecdotally, of about 6 people I know who did a law double degree, all but one fell back on accounting.

        • HighAndDry on 24/10/2018 - 09:54

          One particularly scummy/brilliant(abc.net.au) firm

          Scummy? Yes. Brilliant? Hardly - pretty sure a part of a lawyer's job is to think broadly, and they completely neglected the PR angle.

        • redvaldez on 25/10/2018 - 15:25
          +1

          Depends on where you want to practice. I agree 100% that there's a glut in the mid to top end of town, but I practice regionally and we struggle to find good solicitors who want to stay at least medium term. Having said this, the same probably applies across a lot of professions.

          Coincidentally my brother did a law double degree and fell back on his accounting degree…

          • Other on 26/10/2018 - 00:03

            @redvaldez: What are the wages like? Do the dessert sands get in your car?

          • Shiny Mew on 29/10/2018 - 09:40

            @redvaldez: It's a fallacy, however, to suggest that law grad should apply to regional firms, since they don't have capacity for anyone without PQE.

        • [Deactivated] on 25/10/2018 - 21:45

          Agreed. From what I’ve been told, universities like ACU offer much more accessible undergraduate degrees like law and ultimately allow for the dilution of this industry. This takes away from the prestige of the degree. Long story short, I would personally be pretty salty if I were at somewhere good like Sydney uni.

          • SydStrand on 26/10/2018 - 14:08

            @[Deactivated]: There's still prestige and networking opportunities if you're a high achiever at an old law school like USYD. But if you're just aiming to coast, good luck standing out from thousands of other grads from the likes of UWS or CSU.

        • Other on 26/10/2018 - 00:01

          yeah - this.

          Gone from a profession to just a job. Massive oversupply of grads (who all have good grades (unis have low bar, because law is so profitable) and willing to work hours for nothing.

        • unifex on 26/10/2018 - 21:45

          Agree there are more law students than there are lawyers at the moment. That can't be good for either employability or society if they are employed

      • payless69 on 25/10/2018 - 21:05

        by now there already way too many lawyers so they invent a new code: It's embarrassing they say if somebody tries to outsmart them

    • entropysbane on 23/10/2018 - 23:08
      +2

      Well at least law is a smidgeon more respectable than political science, or journalism.

    • qvinto on 28/10/2018 - 17:28

      And this is the one of the key problems with the world

  • Marko6164 on 23/10/2018 - 22:58
    +41

    Robotics and Artificial Intelligence

    • MarsTitan on 24/10/2018 - 02:16

      This.

    • ompa-lompa on 28/10/2018 - 11:12
      +4

      Playing the devil’s advocate, today’s AI is way overhyped and is not going to be as game changing as we think. I work in machine learning and it is nothing more than glorified curve fitting / pattern recognition.
      Here is a recommended read: https://blog.piekniewski.info/2018/05/28/ai-winter-is-well-o…

      On the other hand, a generic electrical / electronic engineering degree, maybe combined with computer science will go a long way.

      • qvinto on 28/10/2018 - 17:34

        Key elements of human learning can be tersely summarised as nothing more than "pattern recognition". I think ML will be game changing in terms of severe societal impact in that that it will make a lot of relatively repetitive, heuristic jobs obsolete - this includes much of accounting and law. What is unlikely is the idea that will will soon create some superhuman general intelligence which will transcend our ability to control it

      • adante on 28/10/2018 - 23:27

        That was a great read! I feel like despite being overhyped it still has the potential to be game changing as well (see also: dot com bubble). Which isn't to disagree with you - I guess the question is how game changing do we think it will be? Do you really think it is sufficiently overhyped that it would be a poor idea to invest in AI/ML as a career path?

        I mean, I feel like I'd still prefer to be in this space as opposed to a lot of others in the poll.

        • ompa-lompa on 29/10/2018 - 10:40

          It’s good to know how to apply and use it. There are a lot of free courses that teach you how to appply machine learning like Andrew Ng’s and Jeremy Howard’s course. You don’t need to pay for it.

          I would rather pick computer science / software engineering / electrical engineering as a career path and teach myself machine learning. I don’t like calling it “AI”, because current methods are really not that intelligent.

  • entropysbane on 23/10/2018 - 23:05
    +6

    Carpentry

    • [Deactivated] on 23/10/2018 - 23:07
      +4

      Everyone needs to erect wood.

      • Seraphin7 on 26/10/2018 - 15:19
        +1

        Actually only around half do. Although any assistance the other half can provide is greatly appreciated.

      • leiiv on 26/10/2018 - 15:24
        +1

        Robots and 3D printers will do that in the future.

        • qvinto on 28/10/2018 - 17:35

          No. It will be much cheaper and easier for a human to do it for a long time. Carpentry (in the sense of installing kitchen etc) will be a safe profession for at least a generation

      • pennypincher98 on 02/11/2018 - 09:23

        Robots don't have wood to erect. Sustainable job outlook!

  • p1 ama on 23/10/2018 - 23:10
    +8

    Suppose you are in Sydney, able to attend any uni within Sydney and it’s surrounding suburbs, and achieve a high atar, (eg. 96), what are some sound degree ideas.

    Honest advice from someone who has three degrees, currently completing a fourth, enrolling in a fifth for next year, and have previously been in degrees I didn't enjoy - you have to (1) separate degrees from profession/occupation, (2) do what you are good at.

    Firstly, it may seem weird to separate degrees from profession/occupation, but there are other reasons why you might wish to do a degree apart from getting some job, and there are often ways of getting jobs without having a degree. The two are linked, but they are not the same thing. If you want to do a degree just because you have an interest in the field and want to learn about it without ever wanting to ever work in that field, that's great and I think you'd greatly enjoy doing that. If you just want to do a degree to get a job, move onto my next point.

    People tend to misconstrue the idea of "demand", the demand is not for doctors, engineers, lawyers, teachers…etc, the demand is for good doctors, good engineers, good lawyers, good teachers…etc. There is a difference between the two and a very large difference. The bulk of your success in life, once you ignore things out of your control, are generally how hard you work, how creative you are, and most importantly, how good you are at what you do.

    Think back to when you were a kid, was there something that you just really wanted to do when you grew up? Talk to your friends or peers. Do you ever get the comment "you'd be a really good XYZ", those are the sorts of things you should watch out for and are your best sources of advice.

    I think one of the really terrible things about the Australian system is that it forces you into a pigeonhole way too early. The US system is much better, where you spend your earlier university years taking foundational courses from various areas (in fields you enjoy), then finding your way after that. Of course, the trade-off is that graduate degrees in many areas are basically a must in the US now.

    I'll give you my own experience. I've always wanted to be a teacher. Did teaching work at every opportunity I had, started my own tutoring business in university, volunteered at various places…etc. I started off in medical school, dropped out because I didn't like it. I ended up wayward trying different things, ended up doing a degree in economics, then a master's degree, then a PhD, all the while being involved in teaching at a university level. Through that I also practiced as an economist at a government agency (mostly doing economic modelling). I'm now looking to do a Master's degree in teaching. I might become a teacher after that, or I might become an academic. Heck, I might even continue being an economist!

    But after my many years of running around, what general advice to I have? If I could go back in time, I would do an Arts degree and/or a Science degree. They are good degrees for expanding your curiousity about the world. I've always loved maths, physics, history, all the standard stuff. I wish I had the foresight I do now to have spent 4 years of my life learning about all those things and building myself a good foundation. Even if I wanted to be an economist, I would do this, take some economics breadth subjects, then do a master's degree in economics.

    Degrees in super-specialised fields, especially in business fields, in my opinion are not really worth all that much. The amount they teach you is very little (I learned more in the few maths subjects I did as an undergrad than the mostly business-oriented subjects I did). When I went to graduate school, I filled in all of my knowledge by reading and working on my own. I agree that in degrees like engineering, law, medicine…etc., you do learn more. However, those are better as graduate degrees.

    TLDR; what do you want? Do you just want to get a job? If so, and you're reasonably smart, any career path is fine. Do you actually want to learn things? If so, don't do a super specialised degree that is really for professional development.

    • [Deactivated] on 23/10/2018 - 23:20
      +107

      Don't listen to someone with five degrees :p

      • MarsTitan on 24/10/2018 - 02:19
        +4

        Haha. Harsh but true..

      • No ONE on 27/10/2018 - 11:52
        +6

        Seems like a relationship advise with 5 divorces 😂

      • rflash101 on 29/10/2018 - 09:55

        Haha have you actually read the post 3 of those focus of economics one being a masters and one a PHD. Got to say seems like solid advice from someone with first hand experience.

        • HighAndDry on 29/10/2018 - 14:26
          -1

          p1 ama has good advice, but I think it's fairly unique because while it does come from a place of a lot of experience, it's also from someone who likes learning and the university environment (which not everyone is cut out for), and is a more… enlightened take. Not saying one is better or worse, but OP seems to be looking for far more pragmatic "what do I do to earn money" advice - if they're dissatisfied with their career down the line, I guess at that point they can follow p1 ama's advice here.

    • spackbace on 24/10/2018 - 00:53
      +20

      Essay writing is on point 😂

      • p1 ama on 24/10/2018 - 01:28
        +2

        Writing is a good life skill, I'd say!

        • Name on 25/10/2018 - 21:10
          +3

          Except when it's that long. I disengaged after the first paragraph.

          • AddNinja on 26/10/2018 - 08:23
            +8

            @Name: Not being able to concentrate for more than a moment will also limit your career opportunities.

            • HighAndDry on 29/10/2018 - 14:28

              @AddNinja: It's not a competition. p1 ama can write to target the audience better and ability to pay attention can also be a good skill to have.

              • AddNinja on 29/10/2018 - 15:10

                @HighAndDry: Yeah. But not every topic can be discussed in depth with audience members who don’t want to attend to anything.

                • HighAndDry on 29/10/2018 - 15:13

                  @AddNinja: That's true, but while p1 ama's post was very comprehensive, you could basically shorten it down by about 80% without losing any real value. And again, target audience is important: A short summary that's read is 100% more useful than a long comprehensive response which is skipped over.

          • gimme on 26/10/2018 - 11:31
            +1

            @Name: Perhaps he/she should have inserted a Dominos deal to get more attention (sad).

    • entropysbane on 24/10/2018 - 07:29
      +4

      Shorter version: do a generalist undergraduate degree and work at the same time, then a specialist postgrad in the field you are really interested in. This maximises your options all the way though.

      Exception would be something like engineering.

      • digitalbargain on 25/10/2018 - 18:29
        +3

        I don't think there are any exceptions.. learning how to learn well is the value I got from my degree.. and I think the post above highlights the value of foundations..

    • [Deactivated] on 25/10/2018 - 21:53

      Thanks for your advice @p1 ama. I agree with you on the notion that Australian uni students are forced to choose highly specific degrees straight after school, and encounter an additional thousands of dollars in uni fees when they decide to defer after the first year.

      Would you say that an economics degree would take someone far if they are committed to developing their industry specific skills into the future?

      • Other on 26/10/2018 - 00:06

        Go look at the number of firms who hire economists (Gov, banks, think tank). Its actually not that many.
        Are you a maths genius?

    • Icecold5000 on 28/10/2018 - 12:20

      I think one of the really terrible things about the Australian system is that it forces you into a pigeonhole way too early. The US system is much better, where you spend your earlier university years taking foundational courses from various areas (in fields you enjoy), then finding your way after that. Of course, the trade-off is that graduate degrees in many areas are basically a must in the US now

      The US system is worse because it forces students to take up huge loans with the possibility of never being able to pay them back. Imagine having to do a 4 year liberal arts degree and THEN having to go to law school for 3 year ending up with 200k in loans. If you have mummy and daddy paying for that stuff then why not but ignoring the opportunity cost of learning something you enjoy with no career value is substantial.

    • justwaitingforamate on 29/10/2018 - 15:31

      This guy knows what he is talking about as he has the nuance to ask the "WHY" as it definitely directly correlates to the "HOW".

  • Geekomatic on 23/10/2018 - 23:12
    +8

    Software engineering.

    Have a look on seek.com.au

    Good luck!

    • Powershopz on 28/10/2018 - 12:16
      +1

      This. If you've got an aptitude for problem solving, are decent at algebra/logic and are interested in software/programming/tech you can make some serious bank as a software engineer. I know several software engineers that were on 150K @ 30.

  • holdenmg on 23/10/2018 - 23:13
    +10

    B̶a̶r̶r̶i̶s̶t̶e̶r Barista

    • StrayfireX on 24/10/2018 - 12:06
      +21

      Barrister Barista Ballista

      • Gnostikos on 25/10/2018 - 16:41
        +14

        The Church of Wololo is seeking new priests I hear…

  • Tidy on 24/10/2018 - 00:07
    +3

    Machine Learning or Artificial Intelligence.

  • whooah1979 on 24/10/2018 - 06:45
    +3

    A trade in construction. One may start making money from day one and twice as much as a graduate when they graduate.

    • esty on 24/10/2018 - 17:09
      +6

      Agreed, i work in construction (corporate based), our site/trade team make executive level pay, $150K+.

      No degree, just trade qualification and a few solid years under your belt.

      • abuch47 on 25/10/2018 - 19:15

        as in for a building company?

        • esty on 26/10/2018 - 08:49

          I worked for a tier 2 construction company (think Lendlease/Multiplex but smaller).

        • abuch47 on 26/10/2018 - 10:42

          That makes sense but trade is four years while studying cert 4 or more as well. Plus the opportunity to be taken on as a foreman is small, most I see are junior supervisors and then the supervisors in Adelaide get less than 100k salary with 55+ hours.

          That said I do know subbies making a (profanity) killing in carpentry but lots of hours with stress and then downtime.

      • ozb9user on 25/10/2018 - 20:07
        +3

        Tradies, as in electricians etc make $150k? Surely 6 figures is management.

      • Name on 25/10/2018 - 21:18
        +2

        Are you talking site engineers / construction management? Or the tradies on site building things?

        Because when I did my cabinet making apprenticeship I was on $6 an hour. When I finished I was on $16. Talking to others in the industry (the ones on site), no one was earning the big bucks except those who were managers and those managers were doing 12hr days.

        The other thing is are you referring to charge out rate or actual earnings after expenses? Tradies charge outs are high but it usually includes insurances, tools, vehicle, fuel, training, operating overheads etc.

        • Crashbound on 26/10/2018 - 15:46
          +1

          I work as a graduate for a Tier 1 Builder in Perth.
          The course I studied at Curtin was 'Construction Management'.
          Grad salaries (min 2 yrs) is ~72k (incl. Super).
          Once you complete those years the jump is to around 90k.
          Most of the guys who work for the Builder (Head Contractor) are easily on 120k+.

          I can't speak for the tradies.

          • Name on 26/10/2018 - 21:00

            @Crashbound: Yeah. So that makes sense. You're in a management role.

            I changed careers after I did my back in and completed a degree in civil engineering. I don't work for a builder or on site though. I went into a consultancy. Can earn a fair bit if you're good at what you do. Earning a lot more now than I ever would had I kept doing my trade, much more relaxing in an air conditioned office too.

            I can still remember wrapping wet rags around my neck during a heat wave so that i didn't pass out in the metal shed while building. All for $16 an hour. Was horrible.

            • PonyTable on 29/10/2018 - 15:52
              +1

              @Name: Its not just a management roles - Just look up any CFMMEU EBA with any Tier 1 or 2 Construction company in QLD (Multiplex, LL, ProBuild, Icon Co.) most CW1 Labourers (CW1 = Skilled labourers, such as: Hoist Drivers, Concrete Formworkers etc etc, Not Full Trades, trades are classed as at least CW3) are on at least $75k per year, not including allowances (daily travel $50 per day, height and site average of $5 P/HR).

              The $75k is also only based on a 36 Hour week, and most do 56 Hours (10 Hour weekdays + 6 Hour Saturday) for which the first 2 hours after 8 hours are paid at 175% and the last 4 Hours on a Sat are paid at 200% of the normal hourly rate - and yes a lot are employed casually, so there is an additional 25% loading on the wages again. This is all pre-super, also on top of the base wage is compulsory accident insurance and redundancy fund all paid by the employer.

              So full-time CW1's are on $100k, and Casuals are closer to $120k, and it goes up from there depending on the classification.

              So yeah, what Crashbound says is real.

              For the record, I am not saying its right or wrong, its just so different to what is paid in the outside world for a similar type of work, and a lot of the general population have no idea it can be so lucrative.

              Example agreement: https://www.fwc.gov.au/documents/documents/agreements/fwa/ae…

              • Name on 29/10/2018 - 17:24
                -1

                @PonyTable: geezz, times have changed since I did my apprenticeship!

  • Quantumcat on 24/10/2018 - 06:52
    +16

    IT: software development, it security, data science

    Don't do law, it is really hard to get a job. Out of the 3 people I know who did law at uni, only one is employed in law. Of the other two, one works in a bridge club (she did double degree in law and medical science), the other is long term unemployed. To get into law you have to be an intern or paralegal in a law firm while you are studying. If you don't, once you have the degree, no one will hire you to be a paralegal or intern (you're over-qualified), but no one will hire you as a lawyer either as you have no experience.

    • entropysbane on 24/10/2018 - 07:21
      +7

      Law has become the modern version of a Bachelor of Arts.

      I mean that seriously. There are many, many law schools because they are from the universities’ perspective a cheap degree to offer (thus profitable), and most graduates end up in public service or corporate bureaucracy type jobs.

      • Clear on 24/10/2018 - 09:31

        And a massive massive list of incompetent lawyers and law firms exist now.

      • HighAndDry on 24/10/2018 - 11:21
        +1

        I mean - previously you'd do a B.A. first if you wanted to become a lawyer so it's kind of come a full circle.

    • Clear on 24/10/2018 - 09:32
      +5

      +1 for IT Security. Most of my year has consisted of it thanks to a growing demand.

    • Pulseidon on 25/10/2018 - 17:42
      -1

      That might just people the people you know. I am just about finished my law degree and have a grad job in a good law firm lined up for next year. Everyone that I've studied law with is either in a graduate position at a law firm or other great company or has one lined up next year. Your experience might not be representative and mine might not be either (it's probably somewhere in the middle) but I don't think it's really hard. If you get some experience while studying (you get paid for it and there's lots of paralegal positions on offer so why not) and don't get terrible grades then you're probably going to get a decent job. Maybe it's at a law firm, maybe not, but either way a law degree is a great starting point

    • AlanHB on 25/10/2018 - 20:34
      +1

      Lawyer here. I think you're right in saying that it is harder to get a job as a lawyer, and I think this is simply because like any desirable job, there's a lot of people who want to do it, and not enough positions to accomodate for all the law graduates.

      That said, every lawyer that I know ended up being a lawyer because they REALLY wanted to do it.

      Like you point out, one great way to get into a job is to work in a law firm while studying. I wish I knew that during my degree. Another way is to get into a grad program, if your grades are good enough.

      But what about the rest? Well generally you apply to absolutely everywhere, hit up every law firm you can, until finally you end up with the worst lawyer job ever. You stick that out for a year and then move to a good one (achieving that much desired 1 year PQE).

      But if you don't have good grades, don't apply to everywhere, can't stick through or think yourself above that worst job ever, yes, you will not become a lawyer.

      My worst job ever netted me $6k in my first year. I dressed up to go to Centrelink every two weeks so that clients wouldn't recognise me. I have lots of stories from this job, but the main takeaway is that my next job paid 12 times as much, and I've been progressing since then.

      Edit: And I should add that a law degree is also a good generalist degree, and can lead to consultancy roles if practicing law isn't your thing.

      • Other on 26/10/2018 - 00:08
        +1

        My worst job ever netted me $6k in my first year.

        Welcome to law.

        How much of a bastid was your boss?

        • AlanHB on 28/10/2018 - 12:06

          My answer is kinda torn. On one hand, without that job, I wouldn't have received the one year PQE which lead to far better opportunities.

          On the other hand my boss was rarely present at work, and although we got on, he never assumed a teacher/mentor position. I learnt through trial, and a crapload of error.

          He was also disbarred soon after I left.

  • SeaSalty on 24/10/2018 - 06:56
    +3

    Surveyor

    • 2ndeffort on 28/10/2018 - 20:42

      Quantity Surveyor. All of the new government infrastructure projects need somebody to work out how much steel, concrete etc will be needed.

  • Godric on 24/10/2018 - 07:34
    +6

    A Degree in Bargaining

    • Gaz1 on 25/10/2018 - 15:29

      Is that a BB ?

      • R-Man on 26/10/2018 - 22:32
        +1

        BOzb

  • entropysbane on 24/10/2018 - 07:46
    +18

    As someone who regularly employs people, do not touch anything with “studies” or “social” in its name. These are just subsidy farms run by the university, because they are cheap to run and thus cross subsidise the more expensive to operate courses. But a “studies” graduate will never compete with a graduate with a “science” degree, for example. And they are usually run by the b or c team. Who know it and therefore are burdened with issues they inflict on hapless students.

    An old friend of mine is a dean at a sandstone uni: he has 1200 kids doing environmental studies. He is quite open that most of them won’t get a job, they supply the places because the demand is there, and it makes money. If you want a job in the environment, it has to a science degree, and the best employment prospects are environmental engineering. And a ranger job, btw is rare, and if you actually get one mainly involves picking up litter and cleaning out drop toilets.

    Personally, too many people are wasting their time going to Uni. For many a trade would be a better option. For IT as well IMHO. Go to TAFE. Some of those ensure you get a job while studying.
    Also avoid intensive, high contact hour specialist degrees, with the exception of engineering. A generalist science degree keeps options open, and is flexible enough to get casual work at the same time, which always looks good on a resume. Then once you really know what you want to do, do postgrad specialisation.

    • esty on 24/10/2018 - 17:15
      +3

      TL;DR - Stick to a STEM based course.

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