Options with sociology
Studying sociology develops your understanding of how society is organised and how we experience life. The skills and knowledge you develop throughout your course will often focus on the human activities and relationships that connect individuals, groups and institutions and are relevant to a wide variety of careers. You will have developed ideas relating to a range of human and societal issues including the economy, work, gender, race, social inequalities, social norms, deviance, the social environment, organisations, religion, class, relationships and health.
Additional skills gained as a sociology graduate include:
The chief concern of sociology graduates is people, and therefore, jobs in the police force, market research, retail management, disability advising and the civil service are all areas into which sociology graduates may choose to go.
Practical skills and work experience may be required depending on the career you choose. For some posts, a postgraduate qualification is needed. Part-time and voluntary opportunities can be combined with your course or job in order to gain experience. These include opportunities in schools, community education and social work departments or with groups including young people, victims of crime or homeless people.
Have a look at the British Sociological Association website and think about the group or environment you are interested in. Narrowing down your preferences allows you to focus your approach to specific employers. Securing work after your degree with a relevant employer in a temporary post or in an introductory role is worth considering in the short term in order to gain experience and knowledge of the job. It could also open up vacancies that are only advertised to existing staff.
Although some of the jobs listed here might not be first jobs for many graduates, they are among the many realistic possibilities with your degree, provided you can demonstrate you have the attributes employers are looking for. Bear in mind that it’s not just your degree discipline that determines your options. Remember that many graduate vacancies don't specify particular degree disciplines, so don't restrict your thinking to the jobs listed here. Look at your degree... what next? for informed advice on career planning and graduate employment, or login/register with My Prospects to find out what jobs would suit you, a helpful starting point for self-analysis.
Explore types of jobs to find out more about the above options and related jobs.
A 2011 HESA survey of 2010 graduates indicates that six months after graduation almost 65% of sociology graduates were in employment in the UK or overseas with a further 6% combining work and further study. These graduates entered a wide variety of jobs. Nearly 13% went into social and welfare professions and about 9% went into public and private sector management.
Interestingly, 20% entered occupations not categorised, which could include those working in not-for-profit organisations, project-based work and those using employment as a 'stepping stone' to gain experience for a specific career. There were also relatively high numbers employed in clerical and secretarial positions (14%) and in retail, catering and bar work (22%), which may indicate students gaining work experience as they decide their further career path.
While many sociology graduates enter work in the public sector in a social or welfare role, others go into a variety of jobs throughout the public and private sector. Some employers include local and central government, industry, commerce, the NHS, education authorities, further and higher education, and charitable, counselling and voluntary organisations. Opportunities also exist in the civil service and graduate management training schemes. Sociology graduates work with a varied and diverse client group.
Start researching the employment market to see what opportunities are available at:
For further insight into some potential employment areas see:
See industry insights for further information on possibilities in other employment areas.
Statistics are collected every year to show what HE students do immediately after graduation. These can be a useful guide but, in reality, because the data is collected within six months of graduation, many graduates are travelling, waiting to start a course, paying off debts, getting work experience or still deciding what they want to do. For further information about some of the areas of employment commonly entered by graduates of any degree discipline, check out What Do Graduates Do? and your degree...what next?
A 2011 HESA survey of 2010 graduates indicates that six months after graduation 12% of sociology graduates had moved on to further study, with an additional 6% combining study with paid employment.
For students considering further study, there are generally two types. For some careers areas, it is necessary to undertake a vocational postgraduate qualification. Examples include teaching, social work, law, housing, counselling, community education, information management, careers guidance and human resource management. However, for those who wish to continue to study sociology or related subjects (e.g. social policy or social research) it is also possible to study for a Masters degree (either via a taught course or a research programme) with the possibility of then studying towards a PhD.
These trends show only what previous graduates in your subject did immediately upon graduating. Over the course of their career - the first few years in particular - many others will opt for some form of further study, either part time or full time. If further study interests you, start by thinking about postgrad study and search courses and research to identify your options.
Look at funding my further study for details relating to finance and the application process.
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