The analytical and research skills gained from your geography degree are attractive to a range of employers

Job options

Jobs directly related to your degree:

• Cartographer
• Commercial/residential surveyor
• Environmental consultant
• Geographical information systems officer
• Planning and development surveyor
• Secondary school teacher
• Town planner

Jobs where your degree would be useful:

• Astronomer
• International aid/development worker
• Landscape architect
• Logistics and distribution manager
• Market researcher
• Nature conservation officer
• Political risk analyst
• Sustainability consultant
• Tourism officer
• Transport planner

Work experience

The direction your career takes will depend on your interest in physical or human geography. Try to secure work experience in your chosen field to get an insight into the work available and to establish contacts. Fieldwork is a useful way of developing your practical skills and gaining hands-on experience, which is highly valued by employers. Some degree courses include a placement year, which is another great way to get an insight into working practicalities.

The skills you develop during your degree will equip you for a range of jobs. If you're unsure which career path to follow, try doing some work shadowing to find out what interests you.

Typical employers

A geography degree enables you to embark on a career in a range of fields, including those in the education, commerce, industry, transport, tourism and public sectors. You'll also have many transferable skills, attracting employers from the business, law and finance sectors.

Employers include:

• the armed forces
• charities
• the Civil Service
• environmental consultancies
• environmental protection agencies
• information systems organisations
• local government
• Ministry of Defence
• police service
• private companies
• utility companies.

Skills for your CV

By studying geography, you'll gain an insight into a range of practical, social, economic and environmental issues. Geography offers the opportunity to tackles some of the most important issue facing modern society, from climate change, natural disasters, to overpopulation and urban expansion.

In addition to core geographic skills, for example field work and the use of specialist equipment, preparing maps and diagrams and using social survey and interpretative methods, you'll also develop a range of key skills that are relevant to many jobs and sectors.

These include:

• skills in research and data collection, analysis and evaluation
• mathematical and computational skills
• IT skills, for example computer cartography and the use of databases and spreadsheets
• written and oral communications skills, including report writing and data presentation
• the ability to understand abstract concepts and articulate these to a range of audiences
• planning and problem-solving skills
• creative thinking and the ability to recognise the moral and ethical issues involved in debates
• the ability to work independently and also in a team, taking on board ideas and coming to a consensus
• self-motivation and self-reliance
• time management and the ability to meet deadlines.