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Careers

Careers for Postgraduate Students

Our postgraduate students move into an extraordinarily wide range of careers following their time in the School either an a Masters or Research Student.

According to The Times, “English graduates have almost any career path open to them [...] All of the big graduate recruiters look for communication skills.” (Clare Dight, ‘Degree Doctor…English’, The Times, 6 April 2006).

Career Choices

English postgraduates from Nottingham have gone on to work in a wide range of different fields, including:

  • media work (publishing, TV research, journalism)
  • advertising and marketing
  • acting
  • manufacturing
  • retail finance and banking
  • librarianship including specialist archive and collection work
  • starting up a business
  • translation work
  • working as communications officers for charities, political organisations and government
  • psychiatry
  • accountancy
  • law
  • insurance
  • social work
  • healthcare
  • property development
  • local and central government administration and politics
  • primary or secondary school teaching
  • teaching English as a foreign language
  • research and working as university lecturers

Conducting postgraduate work in the School of English fosters many vital skills and may give you a head start in the job market. Studying at this level allows you to develop qualities of self-discipline and self-motivation that are essential to employment in a wide range of different fields. We will help you develop your ability to research and process a large amount of information quickly, and to present the results of your research in an articulate and effective way.

A postgraduate degree in English Studies from an institution like The University of Nottingham shows potential employers that you are an intelligent, hard-working individual who is bright and flexible enough to undertake any form of specific career training. Our applicants are among the best in the country, and employers expect the best from our graduates.

Our students move into an extraordinarily wide range of careers following their periods of study in the School. Many of our graduates remain in touch with us, and we ask them to return and act as advisors when we carry out our periodic course reviews and attend the School Careers Day held in February each year.

 

Postgraduate Seminars

Whilst at Nottingham, there are also many opportunities for you to develop your CV. There are regular postgraduate seminars at which you will be able to discuss your work and the work of other students and academics, and previous seminars have dealt with help getting your research published, delivering conference papers, applying for funding and pursuing a career in academia.

 

Further Study

Some students may decide that another year (or more) of study may give them an edge when it comes to seeking out a career. Masters students may consider continuing their research as a research student in the School.  

Some postgraduates undertake a teacher training qualification (PGCE) or further postgraduate qualification. 

 

University Careers Guide

The University of Nottingham Careers Guide is now available on-line for all students.  The theme for the guide is employability with sections on

• Employability – with additional new content on enterprise and entrepreneurial skills
• Career choices
• The job market – with additional new content on using social media in the job hunting process
• Applying for jobs
• Jobs and course providers

Follow us on Twitter or join us on Facebook.

 

Careers and Employability Service

For postgraduates who wish to pursue a career outside teaching and research we have a Centre for Career Development on campus, offering an extensive range of careers services, including CV writing sessions, interview advice, presentations by major employers and general career advice. As well as helping students individually, the Centre also hosts regular group events for School of English students.  The Careers Advisor who looks after students in the School of English is Julie Callaghan

Unitemps

Unitemps is based in the Careers and Employability Service at The University of Nottingham and is the University’s recruitment agency to help you to find part-time or temporary work on campus and in the local area whilst you are studying. Unitemps offers:
  • interesting assignments
  • excellent rates of pay
  • holiday pay accrued with every hour that you work
  • complete flexibility allowing you to choose when you work

There are a variety of opportunities available for current students at The University of Nottingham, including administrative work, events and hospitality work, translation work, project work and many more.  You access the vacancies register with Unitemps online .

 

Careers Adviser in the School

The Careers Advisor for the School of English is currently Dr Lucie Sutherland , who will be happy to meet students to talk through their plans.



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School of English

Trent Building
The University of Nottingham
University Park, Nottingham NG7 2RD

telephone: +44 (0) 115 951 5900
fax: +44 (0) 115 951 5924
email: english-enquiries@nottingham.ac.uk