Careers with economics

What do economists do? In their working lives, the answer is ‘everything’, in principle. Some familiar roles are the economists who attempt to monitor and explain ‘big picture’ events in the national and global economies. Both public and private sectors value that expertise, and ongoing economic challenges have led to particular demands for graduates who are literate in economics.

In addition, economics graduates wok in other areas, right across the spectrum, including for example for health care providers and policy makers, in energy and environmental industries, and in the education and labour market policy domains.

Most generally, employers value a good economics graduate’s analytical abilities, and their capacity to manage and interpret data.

A degree in economics provides you with a wide array of both subject-specific and transferable skills, of enormous importance to the world in which we live.

Economics and skills for employment

Graduating in economics can lead to working for a variety of employers, including governments, private companies and non-governmental organisations (NGOs). 

While not all economics graduates go on to work specifically as economists, the skills you develop as an economics graduate are highly valued by employers:

  • critical and analytical thinking
  • oral and written communication
  • time/task management.
  • numerical and computing skills.
  • problem solving/decision making skills.
  • logical argument skills
  • research skills
  • business/political awareness

Recent NUI Galway economics graduate jobs

  • Recruitment Consultant, Recruiter, Dublin
  • Brand Manager, Brown Thomas Galway
  • Analyst-Graduate Program, Bank of Ireland-Dublin
  • Legal and Business Affairs Assistant, Parallel Film Productions Ltd-MNG Films
  • Plans Finance Administration, Invesco Dublin
  • Bank Official-Credit Card Section, AIB-Dublin
  • Internship in PR, NCB Music Production,Dublin
  • Fund Accountant, International Fund Services - State Street
  • Fund Manager, Luxembourg
  • PR Assistant, Ernst & Young Dublin
  • Assistant Economist, IPA - Dublin
  • Shareholder Administrator, Investors Trust Dublin
  • Fund Accountant, Merrill Lynch Dublin
  • Trading, Financial Company in Dublin
  • Trainee Accountant - Funds, PricewaterhouseCooper