Why would employers want a Philosopher?

Career Prospects

In the School of the Arts we take your future seriously. It is our responsibility to equip students with the skills they need to be a success in the workplace. Employability is not an afterthought, but a central theme of our teaching, embedded in the curriculum.

Philosophy is all about being able to weigh up arguments for views, to communicate one's own opinion persuasively and to respond thoughtfully to objections. Employers value philosophy because any graduate-level job will require the employee to be able to sift through a large mass of information to find the relevant parts, weigh up the arguments for and the arguments against, a particular view or course of action and present advice in a clear and compelling manner.

Transferable skills fostered through the study of Philosophy include:

  • Creative, critical and independent thinking
  • Flexibility and adaptability
  • Efficient time and information management
  • The ability to organise and present a persuasive case
  • The ability to recognise relevant information

Our graduates work in a variety of professional roles after graduation including marketing, accountancy, recruitment, education and administration.

We work closely with the university’s award winning Careers & Employability Service to offer a 30 credit, year-long module (SOTA300) which incorporates placement with a local company, group or institution related to your subject, providing practical/vocational experience.

In 2015/2016 77.8% of our Philosophy graduates went into graduate level employment or study six months after graduating.

Recent employers include:

  • DHL
  • Grantismedia
  • Kurt Godel Research Center, University of Vienna
  • New York Stock Exchange
  • Open Eye Gallery
  • Ought Rington Primary School
  • Philosopher's Information Center
  • Tate Liverpool

Studying Philosophy at the University of Liverpool taught me so much but perhaps the most valuable skill was how to construct arguments and explain my point of view clearly, even when there may not be a "right" or "wrong" answer to an issue. This is a key ability in business in general, but particularly in Human Resources, where persuading people to listen to your advice is critical to being a valued member of the management team.

Tim Scott, Liverpool Enterprise Partnership

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