Employability

It is never too early (or too late) to start planning your career and here at Aber we know how important your future is.

Our degree courses are designed to ensure that your talents are fostered and nurtured throughout your time at Aber and beyond. Not only do we deliver exceptionally high-quality teaching in our subjects but we also work with our students to ensure that when they graduate they have the skills, knowledge, and confidence to succeed in the workplace.

A degree in English Literature or Creative Writing is the 'gold standard' for any employment setting where communication is valued. Our exciting degree schemes are relevant to the workplace and are highly regarded by employers. Our teaching will equip you with key skills that enable you to build a comprehensive CV that evidences your diverse range of competencies - all supported by the expertise of our Careers Service. Not only that but we work with our students to ensure a smooth transition from campus to career - 96% of our graduates are in work or further study within 6 months of graduating - that's 2% more than the subject national average (HESA 2018), and there is nothing we enjoy more than hearing about their successes.

Our students have gone on to develop careers across a broad range of highly sought-after graduate destinations. Recent graduates have signed to some of the UK’s major literary agents and have published with some of the world’s most prestigious publishing houses, including Faber & Faber and Penguin. With a degree in one of our subjects becoming the next bestselling author is not your only option. Our graduates can be found in virtually every sector, from local government to finance, from education to new media journalism - there is no limit to where a degree in English or Creative Writing could take you.

Click on the tabs below to find out what Aber’s English and Creative Writing graduates do now, how they got there, and why their degrees were such an important part of that journey:

The Recent Graduate

“As a graduate of English and Creative Writing the number of opportunities presented to me have been overwhelmingly expansive. I have chosen to become a Primary School Teacher and because of my large skill base I have been offered many paths. The degree has given me confidence not only with my academic skills but also my communication and researching abilities which many other degrees cannot offer. These have helped with my applications into teaching, for the interviews and all of these qualities which the degree has given me will continue to help through-out my professional life.”

Megan Gillett (BA English and Creative Writing)

The Marketing Manager

“My degree at Aberystwyth has contributed not just to my ability to secure an interesting and permanent job in the arts sector, but also to shape and develop it and to engage critically with the work and its context. Not all jobs require or encourage critical thinking or offer any degree of self-determination, but it's safe to say that a stimulating and challenging degree course, such as you find in Aberystwyth, will enable you to recognise where these things can be found and will equip you with the confidence to demand them. And in return, as an English graduate, you can offer enlightened employers an armoury of critical, analytical and communicative skills, as well a command of linguistic styles and registers that will be the envy of your colleagues from other disciplines.”

Claudine Conway (BA English, MA English)

The Project Manager

"The writing element of my job requires a high level of creativity in generating new ideas for articles and features. During my studies in English, I developed those writing and research skills which helped me both in finding a job in journalism and then adapting relatively easy to the demands of my current role. Studying English also gave me the self-discipline that is needed to be able to manage my own workload effectively and to lead other people successfully."

Daniela Evans (BA English)

The Academic

“I gained invaluable experiences teaching Creative Writing courses, serving as the student representative on the Postgraduate Affairs Committee, and completing my project with the aid of a departmental Travel and Research Grant to the very same remote Costa Rican surfing village where the second half of my novel takes place. These experiences really set me up for success in a highly competitive job market. AU’s location is also a major draw. I truly can’t imagine a more inspiring university setting than AU enjoys. The National Library, the picturesque town, the rugged coast—really the whole landscape lends itself to contemplation, deep thinking, and meaningful intellectual work."

Seth Clabough (PhD Creative Writing)

The Executive Director

"My English studies extensively help in my current job. The quantity of information literature students can be faced with taught me how to read and digest at speed but also how to plan and carry out detailed research. When making decisions on the other hand, it is essential to focus on limited subject areas to and learn time management and self-discipline. Dealing with a language-based subject highlights the importance of communicating clearly and concisely, enabling me to reach audiences with diverse views"

Simon Lee (BA English)

The Copywriter

“As an English student, the transferable skills that I had acquired during my educational career have been absolutely indispensable. I can honestly say that having an English degree was one of the most rewarding and beneficial things to have happened to me - not least because it has converged into every job I've ever undertaken. The study of English encompasses much more than the mechanics of grammar, punctuation and spelling - it is about communication. Nowadays in particular, where the global economy has taken a more pointed and direct shift towards the services industry, communication is the key issue and as such English as a subject will continue to be an economic fact of life.”

Miles Vrahimis (BA English)

The Author

"My time in Aberystwyth has served as inspiration, it opened a window to the world. Meeting people from all backgrounds and all parts of Britain and beyond was good because it broadened my horizons and made me realise that if I put my mind to it, I can do pretty much whatever I want. English obviously has been important to me because I love books – reading them, teaching them and writing them.”

Hayley Long (BA English)