What can I do with my degree? The most common first jobs by field of study in Canada

Whether you’re just trying to decide what to study, or you’ve graduated and are wondering where your degree can take you, it can help to take a look at what people with a similar education have gone on to do.
The team at Workopolis looked at the millions of resumes in our database to analyze what the most common first jobs in their field people land by area of study. Here is a look at the professions and career paths most frequently embarked upon by Canadians according to their degree type.
Accounting and Finance [View Jobs]
Unsurprisingly, the most common job title for these grads is ‘accountant.’ However there are other math and finance related first job titles on their resumes.
Accountant
Financial Analyst
Accounting Clerk
Bookkeeper
Accounting Assistant
Financial Advisor
Manager
Analyst
Teaching Assistant
Auditor
Applied Science [View Jobs]
Applied science is a discipline of science that applies existing scientific knowledge to develop more practical applications, such as technology or inventions.
Research Assistant
Software Developer
Teaching Assistant
Project Engineer
Professional Services Consultant
Public Health Inspector
Biology [View Jobs]
The most common biology related job titles involve academic pursuits such as lab work, research, and teaching. Here are the top 10.
Research Assistant / Associate
Teaching Assistant
Laboratory Technician
Student Occupational Therapist
Research Technician
Tutor
Researcher
Volunteer
Microbiologist
Teacher
Business Administration [View Jobs]
This degree teaches students the knowledge, skills and competencies they will need to become leaders in business across the spectrum of industries. Here are the jobs grads land.
Financial Analyst
Project Manager
Business Analyst
Manager
Consultant
Administrative Assistant
Account Manager
Sales Representative
Senior Financial Analyst
Accountant
Computer Science [View Jobs]
Of course many of the most in-demand and fastest growing areas of opportunity is in technology jobs. Computer science grads are well placed for roles in this hot field.
Software Developer
Web Developer
Software Engineer
Business Analyst
Consultant
Project Manager
Research Assistant
Programmer Analyst
Application Developer
Quality Assurance Analyst
Economics [View Jobs]
The first jobs of economics grads span the spectrum from academia to business and finance. The starting salaries for these grads are the highest among the liberal arts.
Teaching Assistant
Research Assistant
Financial Analyst
Business Analyst
Account Manager
Economist
Sales Representative
Analyst
Financial Advisor
Consultant
Education [View Jobs]
It is no mystery that most of the first jobs of education graduates are in teaching. Although, ‘registered nurse’ coming in at the # 2 spot was a bit of a surprise. Here’s a look.
Teacher
Registered Nurse
Substitute Teacher
Occasional Teacher
Instructor
Teaching Assistant
English Teacher
Tutor
Research Assistant
Student Teacher
Engineering [View Jobs]
This data may not be that insightful, since there are many different disciplines within engineering that lead to many different career paths. However, here are the top ten from Canadian resumes.
Research Assistant
Project Engineer
Teaching Assistant
Project Manager
Software Developer
Process Engineer
Mechanical Engineer
Software Engineer
Electrical Engineer
Design Engineer
English [View Jobs]
An English grad myself, I have written at length about my own experience on the job market. See, “So what can you do with that English degree?” The most common fields that English grads get hired into are Marketing (24%), Arts and Media (21%), and Education (15%).
Teaching Assistant
Teacher
Research Assistant
Editor
Esl Teacher
Assistant Manager
Marketing Coordinator
Freelance Writer
Technical Writer
Editorial Intern / Assistant
Geography [View Jobs]
The demand for people with GIS (geographic information systems) has been on the upswing as more and more mobile apps and devices have advanced functionality based on location. Cartography is also making a comeback.
Research Assistant
GIS Technician
Teaching Assistant
Teacher
Project Coordinator
Research Associate
GIS Analyst / Assistant
Environmental Technician
GIS Assistant
Junior Environmental Officer
History [View Jobs]
History grads seem to fare the worst on the job market post-graduation. Their first jobs tend to be in teaching, research, or using their language skills.
Teaching Assistant
Research Assistant
Administrative Assistant
Teacher
English Teacher
Researcher
Sales Representative
Assistant Manager
Human Resources Assistant
Editor
Marketing [View Jobs]
Skilled marketers continue to be in demand for a range of creative fields. Here are the top ten first job titles for marketing grads.
Marketing Coordinator
Account Manager
Marketing Manager
Marketing Assistant
Account Executive
Sales Associate
Project Manager
Assistant Manager
Marketing Consultant / Analyst
Product Manager
Math [View Jobs]
“When am I ever going to use this?” frustrated students lament while studying algebra. It turns out that math skills are amongst some of the hottest on the job market. The strategic use of big data for making business decisions is only increasing its value.
Teaching / Research Assistant
Analyst
Business Analyst
Software Developer
Researcher
Consultant
Tutor
Data Analyst
Logistics Assistant
Actuarial Analyst
Political science [View Jobs]
A great many of the liberal arts grads start out working in academia as teaching or research assistants. Poli Sci grads’ research and analytical skills are sought after in the business world as well.
Research / Teaching Assistant
English Teacher
Account Manager
Researcher
Manager
Sales Representative
Consultant
Teacher
Policy Analyst
Project Coordinator
Marketing Coordinator
Psychology (Undergrad) [View Jobs]
Most people who study psychology do not go one to become psychologists, but it does look like many of them put their understanding of human behaviour to use by working in the Human Relations field.
Research / Teaching Assistant
Sales Associate / Representative
Human Resources Assistant
Teacher / Instructor
Account Manager
Assistant Manager
Student Occupational Therapist
Supervisor
Human Resources Coordinator
Researcher
Consultant
Sociology [View Jobs]
Similar to psychology grads, people who study sociology are also highly represented in the human resources field. This isn’t surprising as sociology is the study of social interactions and human relationships.
Customer Service Representative
Administrative Assistant
Research / Teaching Assistant
Sales Associate / Representative
Human Resources Assistant
Account Manager
Student Teacher
Manager
Teacher
Assistant Manager
Executive Assistant
Human Resources Generalist
See all of the latest research from Workopolis at http://workopolis.com/research.
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