Postgraduate Jobs

Whether you've just left University and the thought of entering the 9-5 right now really doesn't do it for you or you graduated years ago and want train into a specific area of work or build on your current skills to help you in your chosen profession, post graduate course could be exactly what you're looking for.

Some professions require a post graduate qualification and in others an extra year of study can really give you a head start in the field so whatever your circumstances you should defiantly consider what benefits further study could have in your chosen career.

Postgraduate study is becomingly increasingly popular and over the past few years there has been a steady increase in the numbers of undergraduates opting for postgraduate study.

According to the Higher Education Statistics Agency, Destinations of Leavers from Higher Education survey published in 2006, 14.1 % of undergraduates opted for postgraduate study.

Postgraduate study options include:

There are many reasons why people choose to continue their studies, some good some bad. The most obvious reason for doing so is to increase your employability and around 69% of 2006 master's graduates entered employment in the UK with a further 9% choosing to combine work and study after graduation. Statistics for PhD holders are equally encouraging with just over 68% going solely into employment in the UK and a further 11% combining work and study in the UK.

For Masters graduates the most popular types of work were public and private sector management, professional education roles and other professional roles. Just over one third entered central, regional of local government sectors with the remaining two thirds split fairly evenly into Higher Education and the NHS. Another significant sector was social and welfare work.

For PhD holders the top three areas of work entered were professional education roles, general research and scientific research, analysis and development. The most popular sector entered was Higher Education.

In 2005 the UK GRAD programme in partnership with Graduate Prospects published a regional analysis of the destinations of UK domiciled PhD holders. According to the survey the Yorkshire and Humber region produced 9.6% of UK domiciled PhD graduates and employed 5.6% of the UK PhD workforce. Of those who entered employment in the Yorkshire and Humber region 50% entered the education sector, predominantly in HE. Just under 15% were employed in manufacturing and 13.5% in the health sector. 52% remained in the region with 48% moving to other regions of the UK. Of those who entered employment the top four roles were teaching professional posts, scientific research, analysis and development, Engineering professions and Postdoctoral research roles.

Useful links:

Research council websites:

Arts & Humanities Research Council

Biotechnology & Biological Sciences Research Council

Engineering & Physical Sciences Research Council

Medical Research Council

Natural & Environmental Research Council

Particle Physics & Astronomy Research Council

Other useful websites:

UK Grad - offering careers advice and details of the programmes they offer

Research Council's Graduate School Programme - career and personal development courses for PhD students