Defence
There are many positions within the defence industry for graduates to consider whether it is in the air, on the sea, or on land. You can take on a range of roles form working in an office organising food supplies to fighting on the front line. Graduates seeking employment in one of the armed services (Army, Navy and RAF) will enter at officer level. Alternatively there are roles within the Ministry Of Defence (MOD) that are less service based and give you the chance to work in government.

When starting on a career as an officer you will be on a three year commission. Within the job there is great variation and many travel opportunities. The modern soldier, pilot or sailor is as much likely to be involved in peace missions working alongside the UN as to be fighting. Flexibility is a key that all candidates will need, as well as a strong belief in taking on responsibility.

As a student there are many opportunities for you to get involved with the armed services such as joining the University Officers Training Corp. There are also possibilities for students to be sponsored through University and can receive bursaries between £6000 and £8000.

Aerospace
The aerospace industry employs around 300,000 people across the UK from management positions to research and development, testing, manufacturing and maintenance roles. Most candidates for these positions on a graduate level will be working within engineering roles so a science or maths background is essential.

There are several different facets to the industry where you can work on:

• Planes and helicopters


• Missiles satellites and weaponry


• Space craft and equipment


• Simulators


• Aircraft Components

This is an industry that is well established in the UK and is expanding so there are good career prospects. With so much talk of reducing carbon footprints and so many environmental issues at present, there is a large scope for research, design and testing within this segment of the sector.