Seven careers you can enter with any degree

Not sure how your degree subject relates to a future career? With only 27% of graduates working in a job related to their degree subject, there are plenty of rewarding, well-paid careers open to you whatever subject you choose. Here are our top seven careers that you can get into with any degree.

Management consultant  

What you’ll do 

Management consultants help organisations to work efficiently and solve problems. They normally work for a management consultancy firm, like Deloitte or KPMG, who organisations hire them to advise on things like business strategy, human resources, and IT. 

What you’ll need 

• excellent numeracy and IT skills
• presentation skills
• problem-solving skills
• communication skills

Management consultancy is open to graduates with at least a 2:1 in any degree, especially ones that help you build strong numeracy and problem-solving skills (like business, mathematics, or science). If that's not your thing, you could study a subject related to the sector you want to work in, like health or engineering.

For more information on salary, career progression, and qualifications, take a look at the management consultant profile in the Careers library.

Journalist

What you’ll do 

Journalists (also known as reporters) investigate and write stories for newspapers, magazines, radio, or TV. The type of story depends on the publication they work for – they might write a news report on a political event for the national press or a feature on Nordic Noir thrillers for a film magazine.

What you’ll need 

• research skills
• excellent writing skills
• strong listening and questioning skills
• determination and resilience

Although most journalists have a degree, it doesn’t need to be in journalism or English. Any essay-based degree subject (like history, anthropology, or philosophy) would build your research and writing skills. You could even study science or technology if you'd like to be a journalist in those fields. If your degree isn't in journalism though, you'll need a professional / postgraduate qualification in journalism.

For more information on salary, career progression, and qualifications, take a look at the newspaper journalist and magazine journalist profiles in the Careers library.

School teacher 

What you’ll do 

School teachers look after the educational, social, and emotional development of children. They might teach in a mainstream school, a special educational needs school, a non-traditional school, or work with home-schooled students. A typical day will include lesson planning, running activities in a classroom, marking, replying to emails, and updating class records. 

What you’ll need 

• the ability to inspire and motivate
• the ability to manage classes and deal with challenging behaviour
• creativity to design activities and materials
• organisation and planning skills

The entry requirements for becoming a teacher vary from country to country. Although you can choose to study for a degree in education, there’s often the option to complete a degree in any subject you want, followed by teacher training. If you want to teach in a secondary school, you'll have to teach a subject related to your undergraduate degree.  

For more information on salary, career progression, and qualifications, take a look at the primary school teacher and secondary school teacher profiles in the Careers library.
 

Lawyer 

What you’ll do 

Lawyers provide legal services to their clients. In some countries, like South Africa and the UK, there are two types of lawyers: solicitors/attorneys, who give legal advice to their clients and prepare cases for court, and barristers/advocates, who represent their clients in court. In other countries there is no distinction between these roles. 

Most lawyers specialise in one area of law like criminal law, property law, or family law. 

What you’ll need

• the ability to understand and interpret complex language
• research and analysis skills
• excellent communication skills
• the ability to manage your time, prioritise, and meet deadlines

You can study law as an undergraduate degree (sometimes known as a Bachelor of Laws LLB), but many countries also offer law as a postgraduate degree (like the Juris Doctor in the US), which means that you can complete an undergraduate degree in any field. 

For more information on salary, career progression, and qualifications, take a look at the barrister and solicitor profiles in the Careers library.

Politician

What you’ll do 

There are different types of politicians and the roles vary between countries, but you could work as a:

• government representative (like Members of Parliament and Members of Congress) who represents the political beliefs of those who live in their area and vote on new laws and policies.
• diplomat who creates, preserves, and repairs their country’s relationships with other countries.
• lobbyist who creates campaigns to influence policy and law.

What you’ll need

• a strong understanding of the current political issues in your country
• excellent communication skills, including public speaking
• strong research and analysis skills
• the ability to persuade and motivate others

Many people who work in politics hold a degree, but enthusiasm for your cause is valued more highly than your degree subject. In saying that, a humanities degree (in something like politics, history, or philosophy) would provide you with valuable research and communication skills. 

For more information on salary, career progression, and qualifications, take a look at the MP, diplomat, and lobbyist profiles in the Careers library.

Intelligence officer 

What you’ll do 

Intelligence officers help to keep their country secure by gathering and analysing intelligence data. This could mean detecting organised crime, assessing the reliability of a source, working undercover, or analysing data using specialist software.

As well as government agencies like India’s Research and Analysis Wing (RAW), the UK’s Military Intelligence, Sections 6 (MI6), and the US Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), you could work for your country’s police service or armed forces. 

What you’ll need 

• excellent communication and presentation skills
• the ability to build strong relationships with people
• research skills and the ability to pay attention to detail
• analytical skills to write and understand complex data

The intelligence community recruits people from a diverse range of backgrounds, and many agencies (like MI6) offer training schemes to graduates with any degree. Your choice of degree might influence the area you can specialise in; for example, a degree in cyber security might make you a more favourable candidate for a role in that field. 

For more information on salary, career progression, and qualifications, take a look at the Intelligence officer profile in the Careers library.

Investment banker

What you’ll do 

Investment bankers help companies to achieve their financial goals. They provide their clients with expert advice and serve as a link between the company and its investors. 

You could work for an international investment bank (such as Goldman Sachs), the investment banking department of a large commercial bank (such as Deutsche Bank), or a specialist independent investment bank (such as Lazard and Rothschild). 

What you’ll need 

• dedication, energy, and commitment
• attention to detail
• numerical and analytical skills
• the ability to work under pressure and to strict deadlines

Investment banks recruit graduates from across all academic disciplines, but competition is fierce, and you’ll often need a 2:1 degree or higher with a strong, consistent academic record. Some international investment banks will favour applicants with a second or third language.  

For more information on salary, career progression, and qualifications, take a look at the Investment banker profile in the Careers library.


Good to know: Graduate schemes

If you're still unsure which career you'd like to pursue after your degree, a graduate scheme can be a great way to start your professional journey.

Graduate schemes are training schemes businesses offer to graduates, so you can learn the skills of one or several different roles in the company, whilst earning an income. They usually last one or two years, and can sometimes lead to a permanent job offer.

Industries which offer graduate schemes include:

- finance
- law
- HR (Human Resources, sometimes called People teams)
- IT (Information Technology)
- charities
- healthcare
- transport
- retail and sales
- marketing and media
- public services (like government departments).

Take a look at the websites and social media channels of companies you're interested in to see if they offer a graduate scheme.
 

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