Employment options for education graduates
Employment of academic staff in both public and private universities remains strong. Job opportunities however, differ from one institution to another due to each institution’s areas of specialisations and pool of academic staff. For instance, one institution may be in need of PhD holders in science education whereas another may need those with expertise in educational administration or TESL.
Lecturing is not the only option for those with a postgraduate degree in education. Apart from teaching, graduates can work in training, publishing, human resource management, consulting and curriculum development. You can also serve in the civil service and take on administrative roles later on in your career. The list of potential employers is limitless, depending on your combined qualifications, work experience and skill set.
What skills do I need?
A career in education is worth considering if you enjoy communicating and have a genuine interest in helping people to develop their potential at a range of different levels. Other important qualities include creativity, organisational skills, flexibility, the ability to work in a team and, depending on the area you work in, an enthusiasm for and in-depth knowledge of a specific subject. If you are passionate about a particular subject, teaching could be an excellent choice for you.
A career in education is worth considering if you enjoy communicating and have a genuine interest in helping people to develop their potential at a range of different levels. Other important qualities include creativity, organisational skills, flexibility, the ability to work in a team and, depending on the area you work in, an enthusiasm for and in-depth knowledge of a specific subject. If you are passionate about a particular subject, teaching could be an excellent choice for you.
While teachers and lecturers will be given the facts to impart to students, it is their responsibility to find effective ways of getting the message across. Besides preparing for lessons, teachers also evaluate and report of students’ progress. A teacher at a primary or secondary school might sometimes be called to organize excursions or fun events for students.
University or college lecturers might be required to do less of the “extra-curricular” duties such as organising student events. They are however required to understand the subjects that they teach in a much more detailed fashion. It is extremely common to see university lecturers who are doctorate holders or full-time professionals themselves. Teaching style is usually not creative at this level, as students learn mostly on their own initiative.
