Philosophy degree and careers.

StormWarrior

I'm currently about to start my second year of a philosophy degree. I was wondering if anyone has any idea what kind of jobs this would qualify me to do? All I know is that I want to live in Sweden.

Offalycool

Hard to say.. Some companies (I hear) are actively recruiting philosophy graduates, more open minded companies and graduates I guess. Either way the best advice you can get is at your collages careers advice centre. You should talk to them sooner rather than later.

hivizman

StormWarrior wrote:

I'm currently about to start my second year of a philosophy degree. I was wondering if anyone has any idea what kind of jobs this would qualify me to do? All I know is that I want to live in Sweden.

My cousin did a philosophy degree a few years ago and ended up training as an accountant. He said that the firm he trained with (one of the big accountancy firms) told him that people with philosophy degrees tended to be good at analysing business problems in a rigorous way, and also were good at writing and presenting business reports because of their experience in writing philosophy essays.

I guess that these skills would be valuable in a wide range of settings. I don't know about Sweden, though.

Tim Robbins

StormWarrior wrote:

I'm currently about to start my second year of a philosophy degree. I was wondering if anyone has any idea what kind of jobs this would qualify me to do? All I know is that I want to live in Sweden.

I have heard of people doing Philosophy and then doing the Barrister exams.
A philosophy degree would be good evidence you're a bright person who is able to think and write. You may need a second course though to find yourself a career. Another option would be to do a masters in journalism.
I would have considered philosophy if I was any good at writing, I ain't.

DadaKopf

Having a degree in Philosophy, it's really not easy to say what prospects it'll throw up. Perhaps employers value philosophy graduates, but it's also the case that many philosophy students just do OK in exams, and aren't really that bright.

I think what cuts it is getting a good degree, combining that with some other employment/voluntary work, and looking to doing a postgrad, either HDip or MA.

I ended up with a MSc in Development Studies. Perfect for me, as I wanted to combine my love for philosophy and political theory/science with doing something important.

That said, philosophy equips you for nearly any kind of job. But particularly those that require abstract thought in a systematic way.

It's not enough just to have a philosophy degree, it's vital to demonstrate how it's benefited you, and how that benefits your potential employers.

But yes, philosophy as a subject does require rational analysis, and excellent comprehension and writing abilities. More broadly, it equips people with an array of models of seeing the world, which is an asset in having a broad picture in your mind with which to assess situations in a professional context.

Offalycool

I think the range of student ability throughout the university curriculum is the same. High marks in Philosophy are difficult to attain because the subject requires a different type of thought and a high level of reading. I don’t think most students do OK because they aren’t that bright, I would argue the work load in Philosophy is rather large when compared to English, Math, or Commerce. The philosophy student is required to have an extensive knowledge of large texts, not just have an opinion, or know the right answer.

silvine

Ah yes, many a time I have read such vacancies in the Irish Times recruitment section:

"Wanted: Philosopher

Must be open to change"

Joking aside I trained with a Philosophy graduate who went into journalism.

StormWarrior

I have been thinking about maybe becoming an english teacher in sweden. In my university, if you're single honours, you only need to take 80 credits out of the 120 per year in your chosen subject. That means I can take 40 credits a year in other subjects, although I will still finish up with a single honours philosophy degree.

Do you think taking modules in English or something will be beneficial to my becoming an english teacher, even if it's not stated on my degree?

Offalycool

It wouldn’t hurt.. in the end it comes down to experience, and an impressive CV/Interview.

J.S. Pill

DadaKopf wrote:

That said, philosophy equips you for nearly any kind of job. But particularly those that require abstract thought in a systematic way.

It's not enough just to have a philosophy degree, it's vital to demonstrate how it's benefited you, and how that benefits your potential employers.

But yes, philosophy as a subject does require rational analysis, and excellent comprehension and writing abilities. More broadly, it equips people with an array of models of seeing the world, which is an asset in having a broad picture in your mind with which to assess situations in a professional context.

Come on dude, that sounds like something lifted from a university prospectus!

Tim Robbins wrote:

You may need a second course though to find yourself a career

DadaKopf wrote:

I think what cuts it is getting a good degree, combining that with some other employment/voluntary work, and looking to doing a postgrad, either HDip or MA

I know a lot of people with less than marketable degrees. The one guy I know who did a pure philosophy degree is on course to becoming a solicitor, he'll be pushing 30 by the time he's qualified but that doesn't seem to bother him. Some went into things like property, journalism and teaching. Those who didn't supplement their degrees (or who just added an MA of equal or lesser relevance) are, I'm sad to say, rotting away in call centres and insurance brokerages. Now is a very good time to be looking into your options. Talking to a career guidance counciller would be a good starting point (though you might get an odd look if you told him "All I know is that I want to live in Sweden..." :rolleyes:

sturgo

StormWarrior wrote:

I'm currently about to start my second year of a philosophy degree. I was wondering if anyone has any idea what kind of jobs this would qualify me to do? All I know is that I want to live in Sweden.

In my experience it always comes down to hard work, personality, contacts, luck. Degrees are usually just glanced over.

Pyjamarama

DadaKopf wrote:

I ended up with a MSc in Development Studies. Perfect for me, as I wanted to combine my love for philosophy and political theory/science with doing something important.

Sorry off topic but what are the job prospects with this masters? Thinking of doing community developemnt or something in this area but worry about the competitiveness of the field job wise. All colleges are very helpful by saying off course all their masters have a 100% employment rate :rolleyes:

DadaKopf

Getting a job is very difficult, actually. You have to bust your balls for ages before you end up getting anything in the area you want, or often any area at all.

A great many people are working in rubbish jobs to tide them over while they volunteer (in Ireland or abroad) and find a job in a development NGO. Others have moved over to other areas of the social sector due to a lack of employment opportunities.

At the same time, the development field is international, and so there are many opportunities abroad if you're willing to go elsewhere (which is the appeal for many).

Pyjamarama

Thanks for the info, kind of what I thought. Am volunteering in my spare time at the moment just not sure i want to jump into a masters that would involve major debt and still no job! :eek: Might focus on community development but probably just as hard an area to get into I love the real world! Sorry for hijacking the thread OP!!