Religious studies/theology : Your skills

Religious studies/theology students explore the beliefs, practices and doctrines of people around the world. The course involves gaining specific subject knowledge and skills related to religious studies and theology as well as transferable skills, which are highly valued by employers.

These include:

• ability to research, analyse, interpret and synthesise different types of information;
• analytical ability and the capacity to formulate questions and solve problems;
• organisational and time management skills;
• presentation skills;
• IT skills - including word-processing, accessing information from electronic sources and using the web;
• teamwork and communication skills gained through tutorials and group work;
• writing skills, including accurate referencing and clarity of expression;
• ability to analyse texts and understand the meaning of complex written documents;
• empathy and imaginative insight while being tolerant to diverse positions;
• ability to work methodically and accurately;
• independence of mind and initiative.

If you took language modules, you may also be able to read texts in a different language.

Additionally, it is important to remember the skills, knowledge and experience acquired through work experience or extracurricular activities. Work experience - paid or unpaid - demonstrates that you have initiative and can apply the skills learned in your course to the workplace. It also shows that you’re motivated, hard working and reliable. Activities like sport or being on a committee also prove that you can work in a team and have good communication and social skills.

Consider the skills developed on your course as well as through your other activities, such as paid work, volunteering, family responsibilities, sport, membership of societies, leadership roles, etc. Think about how these can be used as evidence of your skills and personal attributes. Then you can start to market and sell who you really are, identify what you may be lacking and consider how to improve your profile. Take a look at job application advice for some useful tips.