As a student, do you ever find yourself wondering, “What am I actually going to do with my degree?”
You’re not alone. For some fields of study, the path from university to a career isn’t obvious—and that’s not necessarily a bad thing.
Not every degree leads directly to a specific profession. That doesn’t make these fields any less valuable to society. In fact, they can open the door to a surprisingly wide range of careers.
So the next time an aunt, relative, or neighbour raises an eyebrow and asks, “You’re studying XYZ? And what are you going to do with that?”—you don’t have to have the perfect answer.
You can figure it out as you go.
Of course, you can carve out your own career path from scratch. But you don’t have to start with a blank page. Looking at what other people have done can help you discover possibilities you might not have considered.
Here are a few places to look for inspiration.
Learn From Alumni
There’s absolutely no shame in looking at what people before you have done. In fact, it can be one of the most useful ways to explore your options.
Find out where alumni from your university, institute, or degree programme ended up. What industries are they working in? What roles do they have? How did they get there?
If your programme is new and doesn’t have many alumni yet, look at graduates from universities or programmes with a similar focus.
Alumni blogs can be particularly useful. They often give you a glimpse into the twists and turns behind someone’s career—something you won’t get from a job title or LinkedIn profile alone.
Also keep an eye out for alumni events organised by your university or graduate school. These can be a great opportunity to hear directly from graduates, ask questions, and discover career paths you hadn’t considered.
Explore Industry Events and Career Fairs
Career fairs and industry events aren’t just for people who already know exactly what job they want.
Go with the goal of exploring.
Talk to people from different organisations and ask them about their work. What did they study? How did they get into their current role? What skills do they use every day?
You might be surprised by how many professionals have backgrounds that seem unrelated to their current jobs.
Your degree doesn’t necessarily have to match your job title. Sometimes, it’s simply the starting point for developing skills that you can take in a completely different direction.
Talk to Mentors and Teachers
Your professors, supervisors, and mentors can be another valuable source of inspiration.
Ask them about their own career journeys. What did they originally plan to do? How did they find their way into their current field? Were there unexpected opportunities or turning points along the way?
If you’re lucky enough to have a mentor you trust, use that relationship to your advantage. Don’t just ask, “What career should I pursue?”
Instead, ask questions such as:
- “What career options do you think someone with my background could explore?”
- “What skills should I start developing now?”
- “What kinds of roles or industries should I learn more about?”
- “How did you build your professional network?”
You don’t need to have your entire career mapped out today.
Sometimes, the best way to discover what you can do with your degree is simply to see what other people have done—and then start exploring what might work for you.