Careers Brief - Business & Management FdA
Overview
The Foundation degree in Business and Management offers you the opportunity for progression onto an Honours degree programme or direct job entry, although the advantages of being an Honours graduate can be significant for career entry.
Career opportunities for business students are widespread across all areas of industry, commerce and the public sector. Success in your course will not only have given you knowledge of business, but also you will have demonstrated key transferable skills and competencies in demand by employers.
You can further your prospects by selecting relevant subject options and gaining appropriate level work experience (or an industrial placement).
Business management and finance Honours graduates are least likely to suffer from any recession in graduate recruitment and employment remains among the highest from graduate disciplines.
Key areas of employment include: accountancy; finance; marketing and sales; public relations and advertising; retail management; buying; human resources; logistics and transport; information technology and management consultancy.
Go to the website links below to find out more.
Be aware that many of the multi-national companies start their recruitment programme for graduate trainees from the Autumn Term of the final year. If you plan to continue onto one-year top-up honours degree or final year honours degree, you should be prepared for job-hunting before you start your final year.
Go to the Job Applications section of this Careers Guide for help and advice.
Further Study
You will be able to apply for a top-up degree. Top-up degrees are designed as direct progression from Foundation degree to achieve an Ordinary or Honours degree, though entry may be selective.
Alternatively, you could transfer onto a related Honours degree course. Entry point would depend on your grades, experience and overlap between courses.
Go to http://onlineservices.bournemouth.ac.uk/courses/ for information on the BA (Hons) Business and Management Top-up degree at Bournemouth University and University Centre Yeovil.
Other institutions offering related Top-ups include:
University of Bolton; Bradford College; University of Brighton; Buckinghamshire New University; University of Wales Institute, Cardiff; University of Central Lancashire; Coleg Sir Gar/Carmarthenshire College; University of Cumbria; Duchy College; Exeter College;
University of Glamorgan, Cardiff & Pontypridd; University of Gloucestershire; University of Greenwich; Guildford College of Further & Higher Education; Harper Adams University College; University of Hertfordshire; University of Huddersfield; University of Hull;
London South Bank University; Manchester Metropolitan University; New College Nottingham; University of Wales, Newport; University of Northampton; Norwich City College of Further & Higher Education;
Pembrokeshire College; Staffordshire University; Swansea Metropolitan University; Thames Valley University; Wakefield College; York College.
To search degree courses go to www.ucas.com/ (UCAS - Universities and Colleges Admissions Service for the UK). Use the university/college links for course details.
You will need to use UCAS to apply for courses. Contact the Course Tutor of your chosen course to find out your position, before you make your formal application.
Find out how much this will cost you. Where is the funding coming from? Go to the university/college website for information on course costs and finance and to www.direct.gov.uk/uni/ for additional help with student support.
With a good Honours degree (First or 2.1), you may progress onto an appropriate higher level degree to attain a Masters and/or PhD doctorate. This could be to develop your area of study to a more in-depth practical and/or academic level or to gain other specialist training.
For information on postgraduate study and finance, go to the national online directory at www.prospects.ac.uk/study.htm .
Useful Links
www.prospects.ac.uk/starting_out.htm
Graduate Prospects - national careers website for HE students studying in the UK:
Drop down 'Job sectors' for 'Business and management' and related sectors
Drop down 'Jobs' and click on 'What jobs would suit me?' to use Prospects Planner, a free career matching service
Inside Careers publication - graduate careers and jobs in 'Business & Management' and 'City & Finance'
GTI Media publication for graduate jobs and careers advice - click on sub-heading 'careers advice'
GTI Media graduate careers publication - 'Advice by graduate career area'
http://jobseekers.direct.gov.uk/
Government Careers database and links to jobs nationally. Search by either clicking on side-heading 'Careers' and choose a category or type in job title.
http://careersadvice.direct.gov.uk/helpwithyourcareer/jobprofiles/
Government Careers Advice service
www.connexions-direct.com/jobs4u/
Jobs4U Careers Database - click on sub-heading 'Job Families & Articles' or Quick Search by typing in job title
Go to the Job Applications section of this Careers Guide for advice and help with making applications.
