Social Sciences and Law
'What can I do with my subject?' is a familiar question from students visiting the Careers and Development Centre. Having spent 3 or 4 years of your life studying a particular discipline it would be reasonable to assume that there will be some connection between this and the rest of your life. A degree from many Social Sciences and Law fields doesn't come with a specific tag, and even within those fields (Law and Psychology) that do have a defined career path there are many options. Employment prospects for Social Science and Law graduates are excellent and recent graduates of the School have pursued careers in the legal profession, psychology, management, media, local and central government, human resources, the police force, the voluntary sector and education. All of these sectors and others are outlined in the Graduate Prospects Sector Briefings and details of many graduate jobs in their Occupational Profiles. If you are someone who is still unsure about what you want to do next then have a look at our 6 Step Careers Guide.
What skills have I gained?
The Higher Education Academy has provided a guide to each subject, outlining the skills used throughout your degree :
Anthropology
Geography
Law
Politics&IR
Psychology
Sociology
Although you will have developed a wide variety of skills whilst studying it would be a great idea to plan for a period of work experence alongside your studies as this would boost your employability and give you a valuable insight into your chosen field. In order to present yourself in the best possible way, it is important to understand the skills you have developed alongside your theoretical knowledge. See the information about skills development and transferable skills in Finding a Job and Applying for a Job.
Subject-specific resources:
Anthropology
Options sheets from Graduate Prospects contain links to various job options based on information about what graduates have done in the past – follow the links for comprehensive job descriptions and entry information.
Geography
Options sheets from Graduate Prospects contain links to various job options based on information about what graduates have done in the past – follow the links for comprehensive job descriptions and entry information.
Royal Geographical Society
http://www.egea.eu/ European Geography Association
Earthworks
Geographical Association/
International Relations
Options sheets from Graduate Prospects contain links to various job options based on information about what graduates have done in the past – follow the links for comprehensive job descriptions and entry information.
Bond - British Overseas NGOs for Development
Jobs and Internships with MPs and Lobby Groups
Jobs in the Not for Profit Sector
Law
Careers Hot Tips leaflets:
Law work experience ProBono
Training Contracts
Options sheets from Graduate Prospects contain links to various job options based on information about what graduates have done in the past; including job profiles for non-legal careers. The site also contains profiles for different law careers:
The
Prospects Legal part of the site is worth browsing for a range of useful information including case studies.
Law Careers.Net - comprehensive legal careers information
The Law Society Junior Lawyers Division has lots of useful information about training and current developments including a page about
funding further study.
Legal Services Commission - legal aid service including information about their
Training Contract Grants Scheme
The Free Representation Unit look for volunteers in advocacy work.
Politics
Options sheets from Graduate Prospects contain links to various job options based on information about what graduates have done in the past – follow the links for comprehensive job descriptions and entry information.
Civil Service Jobs
Jobs and Internships with MPs and Lobby Groups
Local Government Jobs
Psychology
Download our leaflet with useful Psychology Careers web resources
Options sheets from Graduate Prospects contain links to various job options based on information about what graduates have done in the past – follow the links for comprehensive job descriptions and entry information.
British Psychological Society (BPS) excellent careers section describing various routes into Psychology professions.
So you want to be a Psychologist?, BPS information sheet
Psychologist Appointments
MentalHealthJobs
Sociology
Options sheets from Graduate Prospects contain links to various job options based on information about what graduates have done in the past – follow the links for comprehensive job descriptions and entry information.
British Sociological Association
What are the postgraduate options with my degree?
Postgraduate study is another option and many students take this route feeling that it will boost their employment prospects. This is not necessarily the case as you may already have sufficient skills and knowledge to get the job of your choice. In some circumstances a postgraduate qualification is a must, especially if you are considering an academic or research career. This is because it enables you to specialise in a particular field or topic.
Make sure you check out the information on this site about ‘Postgraduate Study’.
For specific information on postgraduate programmes at Brookes, click here.
If you are considering teaching, here is a website with all the information you need.
And for more general advice from Prospects, click here.
Remember there are lots of professions that welcome graduates with degrees from other subjects e.g.:
Law, Social Work, Accountancy, Psychology, Teaching
Most of these professions will require you to do some kind of postgraduate conversion course or professional exams.