18 th December, 2012
Career Development Centre

• Arts, happiness and career decisions
• How do we spread the news? Subject, career and course paths and progression routes...
• Arts and employability
Career Development Centre NUI Galway

The Value of an Arts Degree
• “All art is quite useless”
Oscar Wilde
“Art is the expression of the profoundest thoughts in the simplest way”
Albert Einstein
Career Development Centre NUI Galway

What do students want?
Career Development Centre NUI Galway

.....Expectations….from Guidance Counsellors?
Career Development Centre NUI Galway

Geography of Happiness
Green = Happiest > Blue > Purple > Orange > Red = Least Happy;
Grey = Data not available

– In the past people didn’t value happiness.
– Instead, they valued virtue and greatness, which may result in suffering. [We might be going back that way!]
– Happiness was [is] considered an unworthy pursuit!

Related Research: How Do We Make Irrational Choices?
• People make decisions based on their current situation.
• People tend to adapt to things around them eventually.
• People tend to remember feelings that they expect to remember, not actual feelings that they experience.

“Indicators of
intent”

Doer (Realistic)...archaeology, IT
• Archaeology
• Information technology
• Instructional technology / training
• Programmer
• Police Officer / Garda
• Quality (assurance, control)
• Safety
Career Development Centre

Thinker (Investigative)....all subjects! Especially economics, psychology, maths, soc. and pol.
• Actuary
• Computer science
• Economist
• Finance
• Lawyer
• Market researcher
• Mathematics
• Physician/Medical school
• Teacher /Lecturer e.g. maths
• Psychologist
• Psychiatrist
• Statistics
• Sociologist
• Systems analyst
• Journalist
Career Development Centre

Creator (Artistic)...majority of subjects especially languages, history
• Actor
• Advertising copy writer
• Director
• Dancer
• Editor
• Musician
• Museum curator
• Patent agent
• Producer
• Teacher (e.g. Languages)
• Technical writer
• Web designer
• Writer
• Poet
Career Development Centre

Helper (Social)...Sociological and Political Studies, psychology, education
• Advocate
• Guidance counsellor
• Therapist / counsellor
• Care worker
• Education/teacher
• Health promotion officer
• Occupational therapist
• Psychologist
• Social worker, probation officer
• Theology / religious life
• Social Worker
• Speech-language therapist
Career Development Centre

Persuader (Enterprising) ...Economics, law
• Administration
• Business
• Communications
• Insurance
• Investment Banker
• Journalism
• Law / Politics
• Marketing / Advertising
• Management
• Management Consultant
• Public Health
• Publishing
• Public relations
• Public policy
• Retail
• Stockbroker
• Sales
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Organiser (Conventional)...economics, mathematics, languages
• Accountant
• Actuary
• Administration
• Banking/Investment banking
• Business
• Clerk
• Copy Editing
• Financial analyst
• Information officer
• Lexicographer
• Librarian
• Proofreader
• Secretary
• Technical writer
Career Development Centre

NUI Galway BA graduates (and postgraduates) 2011
• Further Study/Training
58.5 (19.1)%
• Seeking Employment
5.3 (9.4)%
• Yr. Out/Not Available Emp.
3.6 (2.8)%
• In Employment
30.6 (67.7)%
Career Development Centre NUI Galway

‘Traditional’ career sectors from Arts...how do we get this across? [ and go beyond it]
• Public Service and Teaching
• Media / PR / Advertising
• Arts / Culture
• Leisure / Tourism / Travel
• Library / Archives / Information
• Insurance/Marketing/Retailing/HR/Finance
• IT
• Law

The economic factor?
Career Development Centre NUI Galway

Fastest Growing Industries
• Information Technology
• Healthcare
• Energy Efficiency / Environmental
• E-Learning
• Microelectronics
• Manufacturing Productivity
• Composite Materials
• Social Networking
• Business Services – esp. Multilingual
• Telecommunications
• Food
• Care of the Elderly
• Business & Personal Coaching
• Personal Wellbeing
• Medical Devices & Technology
• Accounting
(some aspects more than others)
• Digital Media – e.g. -gaming, mobile media, animation
• Alternative Power Generation
• Financial Regulation and Control
• Corporate Compliance
• Life Sciences
• Biotechnology
Ref: Enterprise Ireland - HPSU’s
IDA Ireland – Competence Centres
Career Development Centre NUI Galway

Importance of Arts, Humanities, Business and
Social Science
• Underpin sectors such as finance, business, legal, communications, cultural, tourist and education and social services
• Knowledge of foreign languages and understanding of world cultures can be an asset to any exporting enterprise
•
• Understanding of consumer and natural behaviours
• Hybrid and blended skills
Linking with the Natural Sciences
Ursula Halligan,
EGFSN
Career Development Centre NUI Galway

Great Skill Combinations
• Languages and logistics
• Languages and marketing/sales
• Product knowledge and sales
• Finance and quantitative modelling
• Law and finance
• Statistics and software modelling
• Software architecture and business
• Web design; animation; programming
Source: National Skills Unit
Career Development Centre NUI Galway

Career Development Centre NUI Galway

• 57.7%
• 59.2%
• 57.7%
• 25.4%
Graduates ‘who can demonstrate core competences’
Must have studied specific degree
Require a 2.1
Must have relevant work experience

• Communication
• Motivation
• Analytical skills
• Managing own learning
• Problem solving
• Confidence
• Independent working
• Flexibility
• Writing
• Administration + org.
• Fluency in foreign language
• Basic computer skills
• Leadership
• Project management
• Numeracy

In Summary: What Can Arts Graduates Offer Employers?
Task/Goal Orientated
Cultural Flexibility
Highly Motivated
Communication Skills
Organisational Skills
Research Skills
Presentation Skills
Intelligence
Work Experience
Critical Thinking Skills
Planning/Organisational Skills
Time Management
Independent Working Skills
Specialised Knowledge
Networking skills
Career Focus….?
Career Development Centre NUI Galway

Students tend to focus on:
•Qualifications
•Subjects/Modules
•Theory
•Content
•Ideas
Employers want to know about:
•Academic grades
•Project work
•Work experience
•Skills

Are you aware of the skills you have developed to date?
 Can you provide evidence of how these skills were developed?
(Past achievements as evidence of future potential)
Career Development Centre NUI Galway

Some Career Paths with subjects e.g. Psychological
Studies
• Social Work
• Counselling, Guidance and Counselling
• Community & Youth Work
• Business / Management/HR
• IT – e.g. training, systems analysis, management
• Media, journalism
• Pharmaceutical industry
• Research /Administration
• Teaching (mainly primary and higher education)
• ABA
• Retail and marketing
Not to mention the other subject…and the BA!

Some Career Paths with History
• Heritage, museums, archives
• Teaching
• Research
• Library
• Tourism
• Genealogy
• Media e.g. journalism
Career Development Centre NUI Galway

Languages: two career paths
•
Specialist language occupations
– Translation, teaching, interpreting
• Occupations with languages
– e.g. bilingual accounts, market research, international sales, bilingual customer support, admin. In Euro. Commission, software localisation, consultancy services, export / trading…..
Career Development Centre NUI Galway

Postgraduate Conversion Programmes
PhD
POSTGRADUATE CONVERSION
PROGRAMME
MASTERS
(TAUGHT/RESEARCH)
DEGREE
Career Development Centre NUI Galway

Seven Categories of Conversion Programmes
Arts &
Social
Sciences
Law Business
IT
Health/
Therapies
Engineering
Education
Career Development Centre NUI Galway

Arts: General Examples…
• Archaeology, NUI Galway
• Psychology,
NUI Galway , UCC, UCD, TCD, DBS
• Journalism,
NUI Galway , DCU, DIT, Griffith, Fitzwilliam
Institute
• Planning and Sustainable Development,
UCD,UCC, QUB
• Arts Admin./Policy & Practice, NUI Galway , UCD
• Literature and Publishing,
NUI Galway
• Digital Media
NUI Galway and Multimedia, DCU
Career Development Centre NUI Galway

Business: Examples
• Business (e.g. H Dip Business Studies) NUI Galway , UL
• Accountancy, GMIT, DCU, DIT, UCC
• Marketing & also Advertising,
DIT
• Economics ( H Dip – NUI Galway
Career Development Centre NUI Galway

IT: Examples
• Software Design & Development, NUI Galway
• Information Systems Management
, NUI Galway
• Computer Engineering (need maths)
UL
• Computer Science, Letterkenny IT , IT Tralee, UCD
• Information Technology, NUI Galway , NUIM
Career Development Centre NUI Galway

Career Development Centre NUI Galway

www. gradireland.com
Career Development Centre NUI Galway

Career Development Centre NUI Galway

How can we convey these key points?
• Most students don’t choose a career path until their final year.
• Most students worry about being typecast by their discipline…yet the degree seldom limits options.
• Most students gain new interests during their studies.
• Arts course provide key skills for employers
.
Career Development Centre NUI Galway