What can I do with my qualification?

What could I do with my subject area?

Although our careers do not necessarily develop in straight lines, it can be useful to reflect on what others with qualifications similar to your own, have gone on to do. However, what you do with your qualification is entirely up to you. You are not defined by your qualification - relatively few roles require a specific qualification.

• Prospects - What can I do with my degree?
• What do Graduates do?
• Targetjobs – Degree subjects, what next?

Looking at these links might well give you things to think about. However please be mindful that some of these options and routes may not be available in your location.

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What next after my HNC/D?

After studying for an HNC or HND you can either choose to continue your studies, enter work, or do something different.

Progress to further study

You may choose to go on to a range of different courses from an HNC or HND however typical routes are:

• From an HNC you may progress to an HND or to a degree course.
• From an HND you may progress to a degree course.  

If you are planning to go on to degree level study, you should check what year you can enter. Sometimes having an HNC or HND will allow you advanced entry into year two of a degree course. An HND will allow you to progress to year three of some degree courses at the University of the Highlands and Islands and possibly to year three of some courses run by other institutions.

Whether or not you can gain advanced entry to a degree course normally depends on two things:

1. Whether the course you have completed is in a relevant subject (and has enough 'credits').
2. How popular the degree course is that you wish to join - for some popular courses advanced entry is not offered.

Undertaking degree level study can be beneficial as it tends to open more opportunities for employment - such as graduate training schemes and graduate placements. Some careers also require specific degrees - such as teaching, nursing and social work.

Funding for further study

If you are deciding what course to do next it may be important to consider funding. SAAS normally only fund you if you are progressing in your studies (i.e. going up to the next level). Further information about funding is available on the SAAS website.

Entering the workplace

Most HNC or HND courses are vocational in nature - this means that they give you a qualification that is relevant to a specific kind of work. Once you have your HNC or HND you may seek work in a field related to your qualification or look for something else.

Other Options

Others may choose other options such as taking a year out, self employment or volunteering.

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What next after my degree?

After studying for an ordinary or honours degree you can either choose to continue your studies, enter work, or do something different.

Entering Work

Once you have graduated from a degree you can look for:

• A graduate job or training scheme: this is a job or scheme that specifically states you must have a degree to apply. Most of these jobs do not require a degree in a particular subject. Some jobs require an honours degree rather than an ordinary degree.
• A job that uses your skills and knowledge: many jobs will not specifically ask for a degree but may ask for skills and knowledge that you have developed as part of your studies.
• An internship or placement: these are short fixed term opportunities that allow you to build up relevant work experience. 

Further Study

Instead of seeking work, some graduates will choose to progress to further study. Commonly for ordinary degree holders this will involve progressing to honours (and on some occasions postgraduate level study); and for honours students this will involve progressing to a postgraduate qualification.

It is important for students to be aware that they may need to progress to honours level study or postgraduate study if they want to work in certain professions.

You can check what qualifications are required for different careers by looking at career profiles provided by Prospects,  myworldofwork, TARGETjobs

It is also important when considering further study to be aware that postgraduate courses are not funded in the same way as undergraduate courses, and that seeking funding can be more complicated because of this. Download a SAAS brochure here.

Other Options

Some graduates will choose other options such as taking a year out, self employment or volunteering.

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What next after my Postgraduate qualification?

Studying for a postgraduate qualification gives you :

• High level specialist knowledge and skills
• A higher level qualification

Depending on the nature of your qualification different options may be open to you. Some postgraduate qualifications are highly vocational in nature and may lead to specific careers (e.g. the postgraduate diploma in education). Other courses may give you a specific skill set or knowledge base - e.g. management skills or knowledge in Highlands and Islands Culture and this may influence the kind of work you look for.

For some Masters students, and many PhD students, the development of specialist research skills and a specialist knowledge base means that the following are popular options:

• Academic careers: lecturing and research
• Specialist posts: consultancy and advice

However, it is worth remembering that lots of postgraduate students go on to enter graduate jobs and training schemes as well. In these cases, your qualification may be higher than that required for the job, but as competition for these posts can be very high, holding a higher level qualification may help to put you ahead of the competition.

You can find out more about your options from the following sources:

• Your Masters, what next?
• Increasing your potential with further study 
• Your PhD, what next? 
• Researcher careers 

Often postgraduate student have advanced specialist knowledge and connections. This means that many students find work through their networks and contacts.