Soldiers, obviously. Engineers, fair enough. But marketers, accountants and sociologists – really?

“The defence sector has a strong demand for graduates... but people are still only very vaguely aware of what’s available,” says Dr Charlie Ball, lead researcher at the Higher Education Careers Services Unit. “It’s a very wide industry and an important part of the economy. A lot of our exports are in defence.”

Exports mean work for commercial companies, which in turn means demand for all the usual corporate staff and management required to run a business, Ball says. Lawyers, particularly those with expertise in areas such as data protection or the health and safety implications of working in biochemical warfare countermeasures, also have a part to play.

“Another area that’s on the increase is the clergy,” Ball says. “Quite a lot of graduate clergy from the past few years have gone into the Armed Forces.” Graduates whose skills are organisational rather than pastoral are in demand at companies that move goods between defence-related organisations. This is not like getting groceries to the right supermarket on time; the goods in question could be large, delicate, dangerous, secret or all of the above.

But across the board it’s probably engineers and, to a slightly lesser degree, scientists who are most in demand. About half of the Fast Stream civil servants taken on by the Ministry of Defence (MoD) each year are engineering or science graduates; private companies and universities need them for military development and research projects; the Defence Engineering and Science Group (DESG) wants to take on 110 graduates every year; and the Armed Forces are also on their trail.

“We’re always looking for qualified engineers in aerosystems and electronics,” says Paul McCafferty, who selects RAF initial officer trainees for the ground branch (ie, everyone who is not a pilot, navigator or weapons systems officer). “About 70 per cent of the officers that we select each year fill vital support roles on the ground.” These range from air traffic control to policing and intelligence. The RAF is also keen to recruit doctors, nurses, lawyers and dentists who have completed their postdegree professional qualifications.

Engineers who join the MoD through DESG’s graduate scheme complete a two-year programme that includes a secondment at an MoD supplier. Many go on to work in acquisition – buying equipment for the Armed Forces – or in-service support, which means keeping equipment up to date and well maintained. This could involve volunteering to serve overseas in an active theatre alongside the military.

Less common jobs reached through the DESG scheme include policy, research, estates management (the MoD owns 1 per cent of the UK’s land mass), intelligence and “decider” roles. Deciders are the forecasters who decide on and prepare for the military’s long-term requirements.

Joining the MoD through the Civil Service’s Fast Stream means applying to the Cabinet Office. Applicants list their preferences and interests, and from that are allocated to a government department. Those who end up at the MoD – 23 this year, about half of whom will have science or engineering backgrounds – might develop defence policy, analyse information, brief ministers on international security or manage defence budgets.

The Metropolitan Police doesn’t particularly try to attract graduates; it’s simply looking for people with the broadest possible range of skills and backgrounds. Languages and in-depth experience of a minority community or faith are highly desirable, says Acting Inspector Tony Cox, from MetCareers. But some of the Met’s 14,000 civilian staff definitely need a degree. “You need a science degree for the forensic service. We also attract a lot of sociology and criminology graduates to be crime analysts.” These highly numerate people analyse data such as where crimes occur and how it relates to, say, where known criminals live. From this they notice crime hotspots and direct resources accordingly.

Defence is a good sector in which to start your career, Ball says. “It’s is a very tight-knit industry, so if you make a name for yourself in one organisation it will come to the attention of others in the sector. [Defence experience] also has kudos outside the sector – having a company like BAE on your CV will open doors.”

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