According to recent research by Graduate Prospects and MORI, the most popular alternatives to traditional graduate jobs are working in the public sector or in small to medium enterprises (SMEs).
32% of final year students stated a preference for the public sector, perhaps because public sector jobs traditionally put an emphasis on a good work/life balance and may offer a more secure option in an era of decided job uncertainty.
27% of finalists said that they were aiming to work for SMEs. Smaller companies can offer graduates the likelihood of early responsibility as well as the chance to use your degree and make a real impact on a company. SMEs arguably also offer a better introduction to the whole world of work, as there is the opportunity to be involved in differing levels of the organisation at an earlier stage.
Another alternative is self-employment. Although only a relative small percentage of graduates actually go straight into self-employment straight after university, an increasing number are taking the more independent option at some point in their career.
If you career choices are driven by altruistic motivations then you could be one of the 6% of finalists who said that their ideal career would be in the voluntary or charity sector. Competition is often very tough, especially for work in NGOs - the key to success is having enough relevant work experience for the employer to see that you have the necessary conviction to the cause.
Niche jobs in media and creative industries are notoriously difficult to get into and a period of freelancing (with the emphasis on the free) is to be expected. Gaining work experience to put on your CV or build up your portfolio is essential in these areas.
If you'd like your career to focus on the subject you studied, teaching could be an ideal option especially given the free tuition and £6k bursary available. It's certainly a more flexible working environment than an office and it's a profession that could allow you to work almost anywhere in the world.
Whichever direction you do take, your career doesn't have to be a continuous line.
