Jobs requiring a degree

[submarinefan]

I'm deciding on universities soon and would like a job within the railway industry, but I'm not sure what I'd like to do. Currently, I am studying chemistry, physics, and mathematics. Any suggestions on degrees or jobs that go with those subjects?

 

[bouff34]

I'm deciding on universities soon and would like a job within the railway industry, but I'm not sure what I'd like to do. Currently, I am studying chemistry, physics, and mathematics. Any suggestions on degrees or jobs that go with those subjects?

With those subjects pretty much any degree is relevant - maths, engineering, science, business degrees.... all will give you a sound base for any sort of career within the industry and will be perfect for any of the graduate schemes. If I were you I would be more inclined to pick a degree subject that you are actually interested in rather than one that you think is a better match for a particular job. No point in getting halfway through the course and realising you hate the subject you re studying...

 

[Grvrdvicdr]

If it’s university where you have to pay for it yourself why not look at apprenticeships instead and then get in sooner? Why be thousands in debt when you can be making thousands. Plenty of apprenticeships out there with majority only requiring GCSEs. Personally I can’t think of many jobs on the railway which would require a degree unless you are sat at a desk everyday in HR. Experience by far trumps degrees in terms of getting a job on the railway.

 

[tiptoptaff]

If it’s university where you have to pay for it yourself why not look at apprenticeships instead and then get in sooner? Why be thousands in debt when you can be making thousands. Plenty of apprenticeships out there with majority only requiring GCSEs. Personally I can’t think of many jobs on the railway which would require a degree unless you are sat at a desk everyday in HR. Experience by far trumps degrees in terms of getting a job on the railway.

Further to this, if a degree is something you really want, Degree Apprenticeships are becoming more and more common, especially in the engineering fields

 

[bouff34]

Further to this, if a degree is something you really want, Degree Apprenticeships are becoming more and more common, especially in the engineering fields

My son did one of these in Computing...took 4.5 yrs instead of three but got paid throughout and had one day a week remotely doing lectures plus maybe three weeks a year at the actual university in blocks. The main downside is that you entirely lose out on the social side of things and the learning to fend for yourself in low end accommodation! But he now has a decent degree with no debts and has been paid well throughout...

 

[WAB]

Many TOCs offer placement years for students on degree course (see this thread for examples). This often leads to a return offer, perhaps on an otherwise difficult to obtain graduate scheme. If you are going to study at university, I suggest doing this or at least a summer internship to make yourself stand out in an increasing competitive graduate marketplace.

If you want to specialise in transport as an undergraduate at university, there are only two particularly relevant courses: Transport Management BSc at Aston, and Geography with Transport Studies BA at Leeds. Both are pretty good courses with lots of alumni at all levels of the UK rail industry. But ultimately people get rail jobs with all sorts of degrees; most positions won’t be in need of specific courses.

This is only one path, however. Degree apprenticeships and apprenticeships are now increasing used on the railway. There aren’t so many grad scheme positions as there once were.

Perhaps @submarinefan you could explain a little more about your interests, the sort of work environment you’d like, etc. so we can advise further?

 

[jfollows]

My advice to myself, going back in time, with the caveat that I never had a job in the railway industry, would echo @bouff34 - make sure whatever you do is something you'll be happy studying for three years.
I started out at school with Mathematics, Physics and Chemistry but I switched to drop Chemistry and study Further Mathematics instead, and I was really good at them all, 3xA at A-level (no A* stuff back then), and I kind of fell into a Mathematics degree. Bad mistake, because it's a very different subject at university than it was at school, so I failed my exams, changed university, started a new Computing Science degree and had three years of this. More benign times because it didn't cost me or my family anything like what it now would cost - I'm talking 1980-84.
Wisdom of hindsight, I should have studied Physics. It's a subject that still interests me today, whereas Mathematics in my mind is just a tool, calculus is obvious, but Group Theory and Lebesgue Integration left me cold then and still do.
Whichever degree you end up with shows your ability to stay the course and learn I think.
I did have job offer from BR Nottingham back in the day, but I went to work for IBM in Portsmouth instead. In part because the day of the BR interview I had a job offer from IBM and a full pack of information on terms and conditions, which I read on the train to Nottingham.
So research the university course, which I didn't do, I just assumed because I'd been good at Mathematics at school I'd be good at university too.

Finally, that’s my advice to myself back in time, it may be interesting, it may be helpful, but it may also be totally irrelevant! Good luck, whatever course you pursue.

 

[Horizon22]

There are graduate schemes at Network Rail and TOCs; check the former’s website as there’s quite a few different ones ranging from finance to engineering. TOCs are more general management. They can be very competitive though.

Otherwise various forums of engineering (electrical / chemical / civil) would put you in a good position for project works as well as maintenance teams and potentially management roles within them.

All that being said, don’t go for a degree and go to uni for a subject you really don’t enjoy as it will make the experience worse overall.

 

[aar0]

Having taught in universities there’s nothing as miserable as a student staggering through something they hate and struggle with in the hope of making loads of money or pleasing the parents. Pick the course you love, and if you can, visit the Uni and chat to the lecturers and students. Assuming you qualify for student finance you won’t be “loaded with debt”, it’s not a loan in any real sense, it’s a graduate tax, and once you’re paying enough to be paying more than the interest on it you’ll be on so much money you shouldn’t be worrying about it!

 

[Seehof]

I would strongly recommend an apprenticeship - my stepson deliberately missed one set of college exams to go to a Network Rail apprenticeship interview! Years later he now has had a degree sponsored by Network Rail and a senior job within the organisation and able to afford a £2000 a month mortgage (just!)

 

[43066]

I'm deciding on universities soon and would like a job within the railway industry, but I'm not sure what I'd like to do. Currently, I am studying chemistry, physics, and mathematics. Any suggestions on degrees or jobs that go with those subjects?

Probably better to start from what you sort of job you think you will enjoy, and what your goals are rather than starting from deciding you which industry you want to work in. There are frankly likely to be many options that pay better and offer better prospects away from the railway industry. If you’re an enthusiast you could always volunteer or spend your time off indulging your interest, rather than working in the industry.

I’d also personally consider carefully your financial situation and how good you are academically. If you’re on track to get good grades and aiming for a Russell Group uni it may well be worth it, but if not you may be better off doing an apprenticeship rather than paying through the nose to do a degree at an ex poly that won’t really stand out.

Assuming you qualify for student finance you won’t be “loaded with debt”, it’s not a loan in any real sense, it’s a graduate tax, and once you’re paying enough to be paying more than the interest on it you’ll be on so much money you shouldn’t be worrying about it!

Not sure this is true - if you go onto a reasonably high salary it will be hundreds of pounds per month which you will absolutely feel, especially at a time of life where you’re looking to save for a house deposit, setting yourself up etc. It’s *hugely* more expensive now than it was a couple of decades ago due to the student loan interest rates being so much higher, and of course the fees and living costs also having risen.

£50k+ of debt is common - that is a serious investment just for an “experience” and people nowadays really need to weigh up whether uni is worth it in a way previous generations didn’t.

 

[enginedin]

I'm also (professionally) involved in the HE sector, and have a PhD.

I agree, in general, that if you want to go to uni it is better to do something you're interested in - my current job is very different to what my undergrad was, to the extent people are surprised when I say what subject I originally studied. It is very likely that doing a degree will show you different aspects of a subject you'd never considered.

Assuming you qualify for student finance you won’t be “loaded with debt”, it’s not a loan in any real sense, it’s a graduate tax,

I absolutely agree with this. People (and especially the media) need to stop thinking about it as "debt" - it's not the same as credit card debt, mortgage, etc, which affect credit scores.

If you go onto a reasonably high salary it will be hundreds of pounds per month which you will absolutely feel, especially at a time of life where you’re looking to save for a house deposit, setting yourself up etc. It’s *hugely* more expensive now than it was a couple of decades ago due to the student loan interest rates being so much higher

while this is true to some extent, it is mitigated to a very large extent by the raise in threshold before you start paying off your student loan - a graduate now earning £50k (which is still a very small minority) pays less per month than I did when I was earning £30k because of that raise in threshold (I graduated under one of the previous student loan "payment plans").

And yes, just to agree with most others - there is absolutely value in considering an apprenticeship / degree apprenticeship, especially for more vocational subjects.

 

[aar0]

Not sure this is true - if you go onto a reasonably high salary it will be hundreds of pounds per month which you will absolutely feel, especially at a time of life where you’re looking to save for a house deposit, setting yourself up etc. It’s *hugely* more expensive now than it was a couple of decades ago due to the student loan interest rates being so much higher, and of course the fees and living costs also having risen.

£50k+ of debt is common - that is a serious investment just for an “experience” and people nowadays really need to weigh up whether uni is worth it in a way previous generations didn’t.

I’m in a decent job and pay about £12 a month, and I couldn’t have the job without at least two of my three degrees. The total “debt” gets wiped for me in 21 years and I’d be extremely unlikely to pay even half of it off by then. The whole student loans cock up was simply to get government lending down by transferring a load of university funding off the books. It remains the case that everyone can afford to go, and I hate that people are told not to go to avoid the debt. If someone wants to spend 3 years doing a degree they enjoy, partying and doing sports etc, then don’t use that degree in their professional life, who cares. Well done them. I had a great time at uni - and it just so happens I use my degree every day.

I'm also (professionally) involved in the HE sector, and have a PhD.

 

[devon_belle]

I'm deciding on universities soon and would like a job within the railway industry, but I'm not sure what I'd like to do. Currently, I am studying chemistry, physics, and mathematics. Any suggestions on degrees or jobs that go with those subjects?

I suggest that you read some university prospectuses and work out which combination of location+course fits best with your interests and lifestyle ambitions. I started with locations then narrowed down courses. As pointed out above, the most important thing is you choose the degree you want to do, as it's a lot of investment (in money, effort, and time). Don't worry about the student loan, though, as it doesn't affect your credit and is more of a tax - you only start paying significant amounts off once your salary is well above national average. On the other side, don't feel pressured to go just because of schools, parents, etc, as so many young people are - there's plenty of ways to be very successful without a degree, particularly as you have a 3-4 year headstart compared to your peers.

Based on your (I presume) A Levels, I can vouch for physics (I have a PhD and work in the field) as giving you the transferrable skills to succeed in most technical nonspecialist fields. Maths and computer science are similar, with slight leanings towards different fields. I don't have much idea of chemistry, but it will still afford you all the soft skills that any STEM degree teaches. If you are more interested in engineering than data or science, then one of the many choices of engineering degree would probably set you up better, e.g. for a Network Rail career. There are, of course, combinations of all these courses which give you a more specific cross-disciplinary education.

You should note that the skills acquired from a STEM degree do not necessarily transfer to a good candidacy for roles on the railway. Particularly in operational roles, a science degree is unlikely to put you ahead of someone with experience in environments requiring high concentration, stringent safety considerations, or dealing with difficult members of the public. Therefore, if you have a specific railway career in mind, it might be helpful to share that so that the industry experts can chime in.

 

[43066]

I’m in a decent job and pay about £12 a month, and I couldn’t have the job without at least two of my three degrees. The total “debt” gets wiped for me in 21 years and I’d be extremely unlikely to pay even half of it off by then. The whole student loans cock up was simply to get government lending down by transferring a load of university funding off the books. It remains the case that everyone can afford to go, and I hate that people are told not to go to avoid the debt. If someone wants to spend 3 years doing a degree they enjoy, partying and doing sports etc, then don’t use that degree in their professional life, who cares. Well done them. I had a great time at uni - and it just so happens I use my degree every day.

It all depends on what you define by a decent job/salary, but a lot of people will end up paying more than £12 per month if they’re in medium to highly paying roles which many will aspire to as their working life progresses. That’s potentially a lot of money over the course of a career, especially if you have a degree that doesn’t actually increase your earnings beyond an apprenticeship that you would earn money during.

I don’t think you can really make sweeping like “everyone can afford to go.” Peoples’ circumstances are all different and, like it or not, it’s something people need to consider more carefully these days, especially those who don’t come from wealthy backgrounds with families who pay their fees for them etc.

 

[Ralph Ayres]

...and if you're not already, do something that will give you wider experience and/or demonstrate ability/interest in life. Voluntary work of some sort, a role on a committee, DofE Award and so on. Useful to give you a head start if the job you're eventually interested in asks for particular "soft" skills that even tangentually can be made to fit something you've done. You might also discover a type of activity that you really want to avoid before you make a career choice you later regret!

 

[enginedin]

wealthy backgrounds with families who pay their fees for them etc.

we're getting off-topic now, but this mindset (which I think has been propagated by some branches of the media) mildly frustrates me: nobody pays fees upfront, and maintenance loans (upto ~£14k pa) are available depending on household income. If you earn the average graduate salary of ~£35k, the average loan repayment is £67 per month. I'm not saying that's nothing, but taken as a whole with other taxes and living expenses, it's almost lost in the noise.

 

[Horizon22]

Hi all,

Can we please keep the discussion relevant to the OP's request about degrees and railway careers rather than the wider chat about the merits of a university education.

 

[Brick79]

I know it's hard at that age to decide what you like but worth having a look into the different areas available. If you're intrested in mechanical/engineering side of things then you can look into a degree in that field or there are some high level (and compettitive) apprenticeships out there (some you can get a degree). If its something like a train driver I think building up experience is more valuable so when you apply you can point to something to show you can handle pressure, have good situational awareness etc. depending on who you are things such as army reserves or volunteer fire department would look great but i'm sure many other hobbies/jobs that would do you well. I can't weigh in much on the tendering or law side of the industry but some have touched on that already.

 

[65477]

Don't forget the railway industry is very likely to be very different when you complete your degree. Also the next general election will be due.

Just over 50 years ago I was in a similar position but ultimately left railway employment for better pay and conditions elsewhere as the only real benefit of railway work was free/cheap travel. I calculated that the better pay elsewhere meant I could meet my travel requirements. I also got my railway fix through volunteering at preservation sites. I would need had driven a train, been a guard or operated a sinal box in BR employment.

Unless you would enjoy the social side of residential study at university, I would look at other options as mentioned before. A further option, followed by a couple of friends of mine is to go into employment and then take your degree with the Open University.

 

[gobbybobby]

If you still thinking and want something very skilled my partners a data scientist and works for a rolling stock company he writes algorithms that are used to determine the health of the train bogeys using data from sensors around the train, they are also working with both uk and international rail operators to see if they can use the data to monitor other things like track health/ detect rail breaks, broken crossings that sort of thing. There also developing algorithms and have sensors on metro trains (not in uk yet) and Trams (not in the uk)

I find it quite exciting hearing about the work and progress. Its not operational on/ around trains much, they spend most the time looking at data in an office but do occasionally visit rail depos in the uk and abroad also speak to maintenence in depos in as well as occasional meetings with high up people at different TOCs and network rail as well as rail operators internationally

They studied physics and went on to do a PhD in quantum computing. They never intended to work in rail and are not as interested in trains as I am.