Careers

• What sort of jobs do geographers go on to do?
• How does geography help to prepare young people for their future careers?

Geography provides young people with opportunities to develop a wide range of skills that will contribute to their employability, whatever their chosen career. The wide variety of transferable skills, abilities and attitudes to independent learning developed through geographical study make geographers attractive to employers.

Geographical study involves the synthesis of facts, figures, ideas and perspectives providing ideal preparation for decision-making at work. In a world where career paths have become more varied, with individuals more readily changing from working in one sector to another, the acquisition of transferable skills has become all-important.

This section provides ideas for teachers about how they can become more aware of:

• how geography prepares young people for future careers
• the jobs geographers do.

Examples of materials about careers in geography are currently being collected. If you have a good example, submit it for possible inclusion.

Other information

The RGS-IBG website provides much useful information about careers in geography. Specific materials include:

• a careers poster for use in secondary schools. The aim of this poster is to encourage pupils to consider choosing geography as an option, either at GCSE level or A level. The poster contains examples of real people who have studied geography, and how the skills they have developed through this study have helped them in their careers. More information can be found on the Royal Geographical Society website (go to www.rgs.org and click on education).
• a pdf of a booklet for students about geography and careers
• information for students about why geography is a good choice of subject in terms of career opportunities
• student biographies, in which students explain how geography has helped them in their careers (the biographies also illustrate the variety of careers followed by geography graduates).