Best degree to do?

bluemoon.

Hi Guys,
Was just wondering your thoughts on whats best to study in college to ACTUALLY gain employment in this recession?

I am a creative person, love art/fashion etc and have a passion for interior design but do not want to waste 4 years doing a degree in it, only to finish jobless and penny-less. I obviously want to do something I enjoy but in these times find it very hard to see any light at the end of the tunnel.

I want to get get a degree, a good job and earn an average salary, but in doing something that I have passion and drive for!?

any suggestions?

seamus

If you have enough drive and passion for what you do, you can earn a respectable wage doing it. Don't get railroaded into doing something that doesn't light your fire just for the sake of working.

There are more things in life than earning lots of money. Study whatever it is that interests you.

bluemoon.

I know I know. I obviously would like to earn loads (who wouldn't) but its not about that, I seriously need to be realistic here and really don't want to be penny pinching and worrying about bills etc all my life.

I just want to live a comfortable life. My dad is in construction and hasn't had a job in so long, business is so bad, and in seeing this and living with this, makes me so uneasy and stressed out about what to do with my life.

LegacyUser

actually Blue Moon I'd have to agree with you on this. It's all great being idealistic and wanting to follow your dreams, but a few years on from that, you're gonna want to make enough money to have a family/house etc.

Seems like IT is a great one - lots of jobs and very good money to be made. Even basic support seems to have a fairly decent wage. You can also be creative - design websites, even writing - tech support manuals, writing content for websites etc. all need good IT skills.

Other than that - the usual jobs you need specific training - engineering, accounting, law (though it's bad at the moment and it'll take a few years to make money), medecine (slow to start making money but great prospects).... seems like if you want to work in business, get a good business degree with a lot of accounting/finance....maybe the BESS or MBA in Finance if you want to get into that world. Otherwise pick a good degree that will train in something specific - not like arts or literature.....I made the mistake of following my dream degree - journalism, and I can't find work. A few years later (I'm now 26) and I'm thinking of biting the bullet and getting a steady job in the business world. I'm doing a job I enjoy at the minute, but the stress of bills and knowing there's no opportunity to progress in terms of pay....to hell with it. That said, I can't work in something I absolutely hate - find a balance

Life is part working, just to pay teh bills, adn the rest of your time you can enjoy through following your dreams - you can always try make design your career on the side of your main one, or do it in your spare time. TBH it doesn't seem to have many jobs and unless you're extremely motivated and willing to slog it in the beginning with workign for free etc, it's hard to get a break - you also will need a lot of contacts and luck to get started.

Either way, best of luck. Check job sites for where there's lots of jobs offered and the average salary.

Emme

Do a degree in something you have a passion for and you'll never regret. If you do a degree you don't really like just to get a job out of it you might find that the qualification is obsolete 4 years down the line and you've wasted 4 years of your life.

bluemoon.

bbbbbbb3w3lkj wrote: »

actually Blue Moon I'd have to agree with you on this. It's all great being idealistic and wanting to follow your dreams, but a few years on from that, you're gonna want to make enough money to have a family/house etc.

Seems like IT is a great one - lots of jobs and very good money to be made. Even basic support seems to have a fairly decent wage. You can also be creative - design websites, even writing - tech support manuals, writing content for websites etc. all need good IT skills.

Other than that - the usual jobs you need specific training - engineering, accounting, law (though it's bad at the moment and it'll take a few years to make money), medecine (slow to start making money but great prospects).... seems like if you want to work in business, get a good business degree with a lot of accounting/finance....maybe the BESS or MBA in Finance if you want to get into that world. Otherwise pick a good degree that will train in something specific - not like arts or literature.....I made the mistake of following my dream degree - journalism, and I can't find work. A few years later (I'm now 26) and I'm thinking of biting the bullet and getting a steady job in the business world. I'm doing a job I enjoy at the minute, but the stress of bills and knowing there's no opportunity to progress in terms of pay....to hell with it. That said, I can't work in something I absolutely hate - find a balance

Life is part working, just to pay teh bills, adn the rest of your time you can enjoy through following your dreams - you can always try make design your career on the side of your main one, or do it in your spare time. TBH it doesn't seem to have many jobs and unless you're extremely motivated and willing to slog it in the beginning with workign for free etc, it's hard to get a break - you also will need a lot of contacts and luck to get started.

Either way, best of luck. Check job sites for where there's lots of jobs offered and the average salary.

Thank you for your reply, I really do need to find a happy medium, its just at doing what is the question?!
Law, BESS etc etc would not be for me what so ever, and also Im not smart enough to even do them. I didnt get very high points in the LC, and would be happy to do a FETAC course to gain entry into something tho.

Im terrible at numbers, I dont think I would have the head for business although the idea of events managements is appealing? The name that is, iv looked up the course content and im unsure, its v well... businessy.

Sorry to hear that about you and journalism, life is just so tough.

unreggd

If you LOVE what you do, you will be way more successful in the field

The only thing I'd be cautious about is an Arts degree, as you can rarely use it directly for a job

Any of my mates who have one will have to go on and do a HDip or a Masters, or can use it to do TEFL, but thats just because its a visa requirement

bluemoon.

Emme wrote: »

Do a degree in something you have a passion for and you'll never regret. If you do a degree you don't really like just to get a job out of it you might find that the qualification is obsolete 4 years down the line and you've wasted 4 years of your life.

Im 19 and haven't gone done a degree yet as I don't want to rush into something that I will regret, thats the thing. Anything creative/hands on I know I would be good at, its finding a degree that fits that and I will find a job with is the problem tho.

greenprincess

I think do something you really like. I did an arts degree and had so many people say i wouldnt get any sort of a decent job with it. I did it cause i really loved what i was doing. did well, got a really good job.
Do something you enjoy its the only way you'll do well

bluemoon.

unreggd wrote: »

If you LOVE what you do, you will be way more successful in the field

The only thing I'd be cautious about is an Arts degree, as you can rarely use it directly for a job

Any of my mates who have one will have to go on and do a HDip or a Masters, or can use it to do TEFL, but thats just because its a visa requirement

Yeah im staying clear of arts, thanks tho.
But seriously WHO in this day and age would hire an interior designer to design house/room. I mean its so hard to even come by a retail job these days. Money is tight with everyone, and people are saving what little they do have not spending it on things they can do themself

prinz

bluemoon. wrote: »

Yeah im staying clear of arts, thanks tho.
But seriously WHO in this day and age would hire an interior designer to design house/room. I mean its so hard to even come by a retail job these days. Money is tight with everyone, and people are saving what little they do have not spending it on things they can do themself

You realise that by the time you probably come out the other end of a degree the economic situation could have changed dramatically? I remember when the IT bubble was in full swing and everyone was being encouraged into that area.....by the time many graduated the bubble was burst, my brother and his friends were convinced to go into computers etc. I think only one of them still works in that area. When I was doing the LC it was construction and building and the guidance counsellor at school was pushing as many people as possible in that direction. Look how that turned out 10 years later. Don't base your decision on how the economy is now, or what boom there might be. Things change. Do something that (a) interests you and (b) you have an aptitude for. After that you could go for a post-grad in a more niche area, or change your career path entirely.

amen

A degree is not suited for everyone but if you feel you are then pick a subject you like history, biology, ceramics etc find out where you can study it and off you go. If you like the subject you should do well.

In most cases you should think of a degree as a stepping stone(unless it is a specific qualification such as engineer, doctor etc) to a job in that it show you have the ability to learn, think and work independently and the ability to see something to then end (A degree will take 3-4 years).

Anything creative/hands on I know I would be good at

Maybe you should think of something craft based or even an apprentiship ?

ztoical

OP you really need to go and do some research into the areas you have an interest in to really understand what the job options are and wither you'd actually like it as a career or not. Interior Design is not just about decorating someones house for them and there are some pretty interesting career direction options out there. I know one person with an interior design degree whose working for a video games company designing layouts for games. Alot of people who go into creative fields will end up combining different areas like animation and graphics or fine art and illustration. Creative fields are hard work as they don't really offer traditional 9 to 5 type jobs and that's something alot of people can't deal with but if your able to work freelance it can be a very rewarding career.

You don't have to go and do a 4 year degree there are loads of shorter options that give you a good introduction like doing 1 year portfilio course. Most PLC colleges offer them and it will help you gear a portfolio towards an area that first you like and second suits you. I'd rather do a one year course and get a cert at the end then start a 4 year degree and drop out after a year or two.

LegacyUser

Chasing money by doing things you've no interested in or no drive for is a recipe for unhappiness, unfulfillment and ultimately a lot of regret.

I'm doing computer science myself and we've seen plenty of people who simply want a well paid job attempting to do the course, fail and drop out. It's a waste of most people's time to be honest. If you get through the very tough degree, unless you have a passion for it in general you're not getting a good job in it regardless. Simply having a computer science degree in this day and age won't get you anything, maybe a tech support job but you'd be mad to actually want one of those, especially considering most of it is being outsourced to india in this day and age.

Do what you'll enjoy doing and be able to dedicate yourself to, otherwise you're destined to fail.

fghijkl

Just to add OP, i really don't think it's a good idea to try and pick a course of study based on what you think the economy will be like in a few years time. I mean realistically that's why there are so many unemployed right now...loads of people started getting into construction and trades and the like because at the time it seemed like the most stable, attractive career only for the whole area to completely collapse.

You really have no idea what the economy will be like when you finish college and even if you pick a career that will give you a secure job during the recession, who's to say that in 10 years time that area will still be going strong?

Your career is something that you're going to do 5 days a week for the rest of your life, at least pick some thing you are passionate about or have a strong interest in, it's all well and good to want a good salary and secure job, heck we all do, but if you end up in a career you hate, it's going to be a long dull 10/20/30 years sitting at that desk.

I am a creative person, love art/fashion etc and have a passion for interior design but do not want to waste 4 years doing a degree in it, only to finish jobless and penny-less. I obviously want to do something I enjoy but in these times find it very hard to see any light at the end of the tunnel.

But seriously WHO in this day and age would hire an interior designer to design house/room.

As has already been said there are so many avenues you can go down with regards creative careers, don't pigeon hole yourself into one particular aspect, do a bit of research and you're bound to find loads of courses that would interest you, there's no point trying to predict which jobs will give you the most security and even if you could theres no guarentee they won't be gone the way of the construction industry in another 5/10/15 years...

unreggd

I was all over the place with college!

In 6th year I wanted to do a photography or visual communications degree, but was pushed to do Art
So I did it, but they lied about the course I was put on, which I ended up hating, so I left

The next year I did a Photography PLC, which was more interesting, but again was a lame college. I dropped out again, but for medical reasons

Since then I just worked for a few years, which was good, as work experience is just as valuable as a degree in a lot of industries!

This year I went back and did IT, because like you, I wanted a job that has lots of jobs goin, which IT does. So my new plan was an IT degree, then a masters in media

But then I did a graphic design internship over Christmas, and I effin loved it! I blinked and a 7 hour day was over, because I was enjoying what I was doing. Also, a mate of mine told me 'Don't worry about backup jobs. Put all your effort into what you really wanna do. You can worry about other jobs in the future IF you need to' - best advice ever!

So now, 5 years on, Im back to my original plan of Visual Communications and I'm well excited

bluemoon.

fghijkl wrote: »

Just to add OP, i really don't think it's a good idea to try and pick a course of study based on what you think the economy will be like in a few years time. I mean realistically that's why there are so many unemployed right now...loads of people started getting into construction and trades and the like because at the time it seemed like the most stable, attractive career only for the whole area to completely collapse.

You really have no idea what the economy will be like when you finish college and even if you pick a career that will give you a secure job during the recession, who's to say that in 10 years time that area will still be going strong?

Your career is something that you're going to do 5 days a week for the rest of your life, at least pick some thing you are passionate about or have a strong interest in, it's all well and good to want a good salary and secure job, heck we all do, but if you end up in a career you hate, it's going to be a long dull 10/20/30 years sitting at that desk.



As has already been said there are so many avenues you can go down with regards creative careers, don't pigeon hole yourself into one particular aspect, do a bit of research and you're bound to find loads of courses that would interest you, there's no point trying to predict which jobs will give you the most security and even if you could theres no guarentee they won't be gone the way of the construction industry in another 5/10/15 years...

thanks for the reply I know i dont know what way the state will be in when im finished but I just want a steady job thats still creative and something that I will enjoy, and something I could go anywhere with.
finding something tho is proving to be very difficult however

bluemoon.

unreggd wrote: »

I was all over the place with college!

In 6th year I wanted to do a photography or visual communications degree, but was pushed to do Art
So I did it, but they lied about the course I was put on, which I ended up hating, so I left

The next year I did a Photography PLC, which was more interesting, but again was a lame college. I dropped out again, but for medical reasons

Since then I just worked for a few years, which was good, as work experience is just as valuable as a degree in a lot of industries!

This year I went back and did IT, because like you, I wanted a job that has lots of jobs goin, which IT does. So my new plan was an IT degree, then a masters in media

But then I did a graphic design internship over Christmas, and I effin loved it! I blinked and a 7 hour day was over, because I was enjoying what I was doing. Also, a mate of mine told me 'Don't worry about backup jobs. Put all your effort into what you really wanna do. You can worry about other jobs in the future IF you need to' - best advice ever!

So now, 5 years on, Im back to my original plan of Visual Communications and I'm well excited

I was looking at visual communcations in DIT actually, where are you planning on studying this?

bluemoon.

prinz wrote: »

You realise that by the time you probably come out the other end of a degree the economic situation could have changed dramatically? I remember when the IT bubble was in full swing and everyone was being encouraged into that area.....by the time many graduated the bubble was burst, my brother and his friends were convinced to go into computers etc. I think only one of them still works in that area. When I was doing the LC it was construction and building and the guidance counsellor at school was pushing as many people as possible in that direction. Look how that turned out 10 years later. Don't base your decision on how the economy is now, or what boom there might be. Things change. Do something that (a) interests you and (b) you have an aptitude for. After that you could go for a post-grad in a more niche area, or change your career path entirely.

im not very sure how all this degree stuff works if i did 4 years in say interior design in dit could i do a masters in a different area like say i dont know business ?? or does it have to relate ? confused here

unreggd

bluemoon. wrote: »

I was looking at visual communcations in DIT actually, where are you planning on studying this?

Same, was lookin at DIT

But the Dublin Design Institute do a Higher Diploma in Graphic design, part time for 2 years. Gonna do that then apply for direct entry into 3rd year of the degree at DIT, as I have lots of related media work experience

LegacyUser

I was looking at visual communcations in DIT actually, where are you planning on studying this?

Just a heads up, the graphic design industry in ireland has been hit very hard by the recession. It's very very difficult for new graduates to find employment at the moment unless you are incredibly talented or have lots of experience. Junior wages are also pretty low if you do manage to find work. You might be better to look at a course related to the web and multimedia area of design as there seem to be (marginally) more jobs in this area.

bluemoon.

careful_careful wrote: »

Just a heads up, the graphic design industry in ireland has been hit very hard by the recession. It's very very difficult for new graduates to find employment at the moment unless you are incredibly talented or have lots of experience. Junior wages are also pretty low if you do manage to find work. You might be better to look at a course related to the web and multimedia area of design as there seem to be (marginally) more jobs in this area.

Thank you.
see THIS is why i am super confused and unsure about what to do :S ahhhh but thanks

Sleepy

OP, it might be worth considering seeing a careers advisor. If you've access to one in school, great, if not, there are quite a few operating privately and I know a number of people who've greatly benefitted from sessions with them. I might be wrong but I don't think they're obscenely expensive either.

boobar

bluemoon. wrote: »

Hi Guys,
Was just wondering your thoughts on whats best to study in college to ACTUALLY gain employment in this recession?

I am a creative person, love art/fashion etc and have a passion for interior design but do not want to waste 4 years doing a degree in it, only to finish jobless and penny-less. I obviously want to do something I enjoy but in these times find it very hard to see any light at the end of the tunnel.

I want to get get a degree, a good job and earn an average salary, but in doing something that I have passion and drive for!?

any suggestions?

I hear you.

I think a course in Design in Digital Media might work for you.

Have a look at the course content outlined here to see if it's something you're interested in:

http://www.ait.ie/aboutaitandathlone/courses/bahonsindesignindigitalmedia/

I'd double-check some of the finer details, I don't imagine this degree could be completed in one year, probably a typeo.

Another job that I always thought would be interesting and pays extremely well is Court Stenographer...course run in Bray as far as I know.

LegacyUser

I hear you.

I think a course in Design in Digital Media might work for you.

Have a look at the course content outlined here to see if it's something you're interested in:

http://www.ait.ie/aboutaitandathlone...ndigitalmedia/

I'd double-check some of the finer details, I don't imagine this degree could be completed in one year, probably a typeo.

Not a typo. It's an add on course you have to already hold a BA in a design related discipline, it's not really a very in depth course just gives people who already hold a BA in design a chance to learn new skills related to digital media and help them further their careers.

OP maybe you should post in one of the other forums education or something you might get better responses.

If you're still in school, surely you could talk to a guidance councellor?

Hope this doesn't sound harsh but:
I think it's very unwise to base your career on what you think will give you the most money. You'll just end up muddling through a course you may not have any interest in, or may not even be any good at tbh, and an employer isn't going to want to employ someone who has no real passion or drive for their chosen career or who isn't actually very good at their job. I mean i could've been a teacher, nice secure job, good holidays, but i have no interest in it, don't particularly like children - i'd make a crap teacher, no passion, no drive, just there because it was the 'easy' option, so who'd hire me?

If you really have no idea what you want to do maybe you could take a year out and try some internships or do a plc course or something and see what interests you?

Naikon

Sleepy wrote: »

OP, it might be worth considering seeing a careers advisor. If you've access to one in school, great, if not, there are quite a few operating privately and I know a number of people who've greatly benefitted from sessions with them. I might be wrong but I don't think they're obscenely expensive either.

I can't speak for his school, but my experience was awful. Seriously, I actually don't understand how a school can justify paying someone to feed crap to people. You know what you are capable of. Nobody else.

Permabear

This post has been deleted.

trio

OP, how about a language? The amount of times I've looked at job websites and it said "Must have German" "Must have Dutch"

It's extremely useful, and after a few years you could go travelling and work abroad.

The Master of Disaster

OP a few people have said it already but I would always advise doing something you're interested in. It's better to enjoy your four years and come out with a good degree than to spend four years hating/struggling through something and either dropping out or finishing with a poor grade.

That said if you want the pragmatic answer than I would be looking at a one of two areas:

1. Languages. The world is becoming more and more interconnected in terms of economics, trade and just about any profession. Try think of any job you can do that doesn't have some element of globalisation in it. Even your local shop is getting some produce from abroad. I know a few people who have gotten jobs with average business degrees over other candidates with PhDs and lots of experience because they can speak a specific language. In particular I'd be looking at Chinese as they'll be the biggest economy in the not too long from now.

2. Engineering/Science. OK so this is a bit of a bone in that I have a science degree and I can't find much work at the moment but that's as much down to not having done well enough at college and not really not being all that interested in making a career out it as much as I enjoyed the degree itself. The principles and practices of both science and engineering apply all over the world so you'll always be able to travel and they are both ultimately technical skills that you can apply in a number of jobs. Be warned though that they are both tough, long and require you to have a least some aptitude.