"reason rules the world, and world history has proceeded rationally"
Careers Information
The School of Philosophy & Art History, along with the University’s Careers Centre, is keen to
assist students in their search for employment or further study. In the
School students are welcome, indeed encouraged, to speak to any member of
staff about their plans for the future, but in particular to
Deborah
Povey, our
School careers representative, and/or to
Lynne Jordan, the Careers Centre’s Adviser for Philosophy.
Lynne’s contact details are: e-mail ljordan (non-Essex users should add
@essex.ac.uk); extension 4509; room 4.402.
A course in Philosophy, whether single or joint honours, is highly
relevant to a range of work that students may wish to undertake in years to
come, albeit – like most other university courses – not a professional training
for a particular line of work. A good philosophy graduate will have the
well-developed ability to think clearly, to analyse arguments, to express
meanings precisely, and to predict and answer objections and counter-objections.
Having these skills is obviously an advantage, and philosophy graduates can be
expected to be better at them than those who went straight into vocational
training or undertook different studies. As more and more areas of
employment – from government to business – have become aware of the importance
of wider ethical and philosophical issues philosophy graduates can be expected
to look even more attractive to employers.
During your studies, it is extremely helpful, and important, to be
aware of what sorts of transferable intellectual and work skills you should be
developing, and to check that you are making progress. This will not only
be useful when you find yourself writing a CV or going for a job interview, it
will also help you to make sure that you are pursing your course as effectively
as possible. In particular by the end of your course you should be able
to:
- define the task in which you are engaged and exclude what is
irrelevant;
- seek and organise the most relevant sources of information;
- process a large volume of diverse and sometimes conflicting
arguments;
- compare and evaluate different arguments and assess the
limitations of your own position or procedure;
- write and present verbally a succinct and precise account of
positions, arguments, and their presuppositions and implications;
- be sensitive to the positions of others and communicate your own
views in ways that are accessible to them;
- think 'laterally' and creatively -- see interesting connections
and possibilities and present these clearly rather than as vague hunches;
- maintain intellectual flexibility and revise your own position if
shown wrong;
- think critically and constructively.
Both the Guardian and the Times Higher Education have published
articles on why so many students are now choosing to do Philosophy and why
prospective employers find them so attractive, these articles can be accessed
from the links below.
Employability and Careers
The Independent (April 2012) -
Philosophy: Far more than a witty remark.
Staff and student profiles
Postgraduate courses
Where are they now?
Other careers Philosophy students have entered into:
- Administration in the higher education and local government sectors
- Army
- Banking sector
- Celebrity PR Officer
- Charity and aid work
- Civil Service
- Compliance Manager at HM Revenue & Customs
- Fire service
- Freelance writer
- Journalism
- Law firm
- Librarianship
- Police force
- Radio presenter
- Recruitment Consultant
- Televison presenter
- Teaching English as a foreign language
- Teaching/PGCE