Looking for a job in Poland? These degrees lead to fast employment

Degrees that lead to quick employment

Certain degrees are in high demand in Poland, giving graduates a significant advantage in landing a job quickly and securing a decent salary from the very start.

According a report from the Polish Economic Institute (pl. Polski Instytut Ekonomiczny, PIE), students who choose fields associated with professions that are in short supply can expect to find a job almost immediately.

Nursing graduates are a prime example – they find employment in just over a month (1.1 months, to be exact) after finishing their studies, and their starting salaries are around 7330 PLN gross per month.

This reflects a broader trend where students graduating in fields related to healthcare, finance, and education tend to have an easier time finding work.

Fields like nursing, medicine, midwifery, physiotherapy, psychology, and accounting are all on the list of professions experiencing shortages, meaning there’s a strong demand for workers in these areas.

What are the most popular study programs in Poland?

Around 280 000 students graduated from Polish universities in 2022, having completed one of nearly 900 different degree programs. The most frequent choices among the students included:

• management
• computer science
• administration
• logistics and economics

Yet popular study programs aren’t always the best bet

Some of the most popular fields of study don't necessarily match the demands of the job market. For example, management is one of the most popular degrees, accounting for 8% of all graduates, but it doesn’t always align with labor market shortages, meaning it might be harder for some graduates to find work.

Other popular fields, including nursing, pedagogy, accounting and IT, are more promising. However, students should be mindful that a degree’s popularity doesn't guarantee demand in the workforce.

For example, while economics is a well-regarded field, it's considered an "oversaturated" profession in some regions of Poland, particularly in Lubelskie, Małopolskie, Podlaskie, and Świętokrzyskie. This means there are more graduates than available jobs, making it harder for new economists to find work in those areas.

What are the fastest routes to employment?

Graduates from shortage fields can generally expect to find work faster, even if the salaries aren't always the highest. PIE's report shows that 94% of nursing graduates found a job within their first year of completing their degree, and 87% of psychology graduates were also employed within their first year, taking less than two months on average to find work.

Fast employed – extraordinary, but what about the starting salary?

When it comes to starting salaries, IT graduates top the list, with average monthly earnings of 7356 PLN, closely followed by nursing at 7330 PLN. On the other end of the spectrum, fields like pedagogy and physiotherapy offer starting salaries of around 4100-4200 PLN, which are lower than the national average but still come with a low risk of unemployment.

The influence of region on employment prospects

Labor market needs vary significantly across different regions of Poland. For example, while management is highly popular nationwide, it's especially sought after in 13 provinces. However, in other areas, there may be an oversupply of graduates in fields like economics and sociology. In Lubelskie and Małopolskie, for instance, these fields are considered oversaturated, which could make it harder to find work.

At the same time, some regions have specific shortages. In Lubuskie, pedagogy is both a popular and in-demand field, while in Podlaskie and Warmińsko-Mazurskie, nursing is the only field that ticks both boxes. In some areas, the shortage of medical professionals is acute, with fields like speech therapy, medical rescue, and construction engineering in high demand.

What industries that balance popularity and market demand?

Interestingly, only three fields of study in Poland both rank highly in popularity and align with labor market shortages: nursing, pedagogy, and accounting/finance. This means students graduating from these programs can generally expect a smoother transition into the workforce, with less time spent job-hunting and better chances of long-term employment.

Overall, while popular degrees like management, IT, and logistics continue to attract students, it's the fields facing shortages – particularly in healthcare and education – that offer the most immediate job prospects. For students beginning their academic journey, choosing a field that aligns with both their interests and market demands can make all the difference in building a successful career.

Sources:

PIE, „Absolwenci uczelni na polskim rynku pracy”, 2024