Light at the end of the tunnel

We’ve all had that moment in our university lives where we question ourselves; will all this stress and anxiety be worth it in the end? Will my chosen field of study actually get me a job? According to the Australian Bureau of Statistics, the answer is yes.

In 2010-11, 79% of employed people with a qualification were working in a field that was the same or relevant to their highest qualification. I don’t know about you, but this statistic comforts me. Imagine a lecture theatre of 100 students, now I know there’s math that needs to be done here to be completely accurate, but approximately 80 students within that room will get a job that is relevant to what they are studying. Have a look for yourself

EMPLOYED PEOPLE (a) WITH A QUALIFICATION, RELEVANCE OF QUALIFICATION TO JOBS 2010-2011

Another exciting fact is that as the annual income increases, so too does the likelihood that people are working in the same or relevant field as their highest qualification e.g. Bachelor degree.

PEOPLE (a) EMPLOYED FULL-TIME WITH A RELEVANT QUALIFICATION IN THEIR CURRENT JOB BY PERSONAL WEEKLY INCOME QUINTILES - 2010-11

Around 9 in 10, (88%) of people employed full time and situated in the highest income quintile reported working in the same or relevant field of their highest qualification.

So breathe easy fellow university students, the 3am assessment submissions, unhealthy reliance on caffeine and constant elevated stress levels will all be worth it one day!

This information was obtained off the Australian Bureau of Statistics website at

 http://www.abs.gov.au/AUSSTATS/abs@.nsf/Lookup/4102.0Main+Features30Sep+2012