Careers

Our undergraduate students move into an extraordinarily wide range of careers following their time in the School.  

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 students 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

A course in the School of English fosters many vital skills in communication and professional practice and may give you a head start in the job market. 

You will learn to plan your work and develop the qualities of self-discipline and self-motivation that are essential to any form of graduate employment. 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 degree in English Studies from 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.

Whilst at Nottingham, there are also many opportunities for you to develop your CV outside of the seminar room and lecture hall. For example, our students help research and present programmes on the university radio station, contribute to the university newspapers such as 'The Sanctuary', act and direct plays at the student-run New Theatre, and publish their creating writing in literary journals such as the university's 'Impact' magazine. Our students have also worked as assistant directors at Nottingham's professional Lakeside Theatre, contributed plays to the Nottingham's Momentum literary festival, and developed their management skills by organising events for a range of different charities and student societies.

Many of our graduates remain in touch with us; we invite some of them to return to give talks and offer advice to students at the School's  Undergraduate Careers Day held in February each year, whilst others act as mentors to current students.   

 

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

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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. Undergraduate students may consider continuing their research as a Masters student in the School.  

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

• 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 .

 

Advantage Award

In addition to your degree you can work towards The University of Nottingham's Advantage Award - an accredited programme designed to help you develop transferable skills that will appeal to employers.  The Advantage Award is a new initiative at The University of Nottingham that focuses on student skills, employability and personal and academic development. These awards are created for undergraduate students and aim to develop the kind of competencies, learning and evaluation skills that employers are looking for in talented new graduates. The School of English is pleased to announce the launch of two new Advantage Awards for students in the School from 2011/12:

Career Skills in English Studies
This is a module designed to help you to think dynamically about personal development, employability, your job seeking skills and career paths.
Start date: February 2012
Convenor: Dr Lucie Sutherland 

Literacy Volunteers
This module is available to students in the School of English who volunteer as part of the literacy support project at Nottingham University Samworth Academy (NUSA) or linked primary schools. It is designed to help develop classroom skills, communication, mentoring and interpersonal skills, as well as employability and career related skills.
Start date: October/November 2011
Convenor: Dr Sarah Grandage

Employers are increasingly looking for graduates with well-developed competencies and transferable social and learning skills. The Nottingham Advantage Award has been designed to help ensure employers notice you.  The awards are completely voluntary and taken in addition to your academic studies.  The award gives you the opportunity to be formally recognised for your involvement in a range of extra curricular activity and develop competencies and skills crucial for graduate employability.

The Advantage Award currently offers students a number of modules and you will find activities that reflect your current interests and offer you opportunities to learn new topics and skills. 

 

Careers and Employability Service

We have a Careers and Employability Service 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 Service also hosts regular group events for studetns in the School.  The Careers Advisor who looks after students in the School of English is Julie Callaghan. 

 

Careers Adviser in the School

The Careers Advisor in 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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