Career – Sort Yours Out Now!
At the back of every Uni students mind is the thought that the surreal sheltered world of Uni is going to give way at some point to harsh reality. What’s more YOUR GOING TO HAVE TO GET A JOB. The chances are if you’re at Uni you don’t plan on getting just any old job and spending the rest of your days asking ‘would you like fries with that?’. Whatever stage you’re at in your degree you need to be thinking about what skills and requirements you need to meet to get your dream career. Here are the top tips to sort your future out:
1. Decide what you want to do – Very few individuals know exactly what they want to do with their career path. There is no definite one answer, don’t be afraid to try something and change after you realise you hate it. If you truly have no clue what to do get yourself down to careers fairs and visit recruitment stands on campus, these companies will be happy to provide you with as much information as you want on specific roles offered within their company, this will give you a plethora of jobs to wade through and choose and reject as appropriate! If you still have no clue I went through the Uni graduate job vacancy list and found my ideal career lurking on there. However you do it, the earlier you decide what you want to do the longer you have to prepare
2. Research – Once you’ve decided it’s probably best to do as much background reading as you can in the specific job/company you have chosen. Even better than reading is speaking to a real life individual who does the job, they can offer you unlimited insight into what exactly your chosen career entails and might help you decide whether you want to spend the next 45 years doing it!
3. Get external help – Go and see your tutors and careers staff, they are there to help. They have probably seen others trying to do what your doing and may be able to offer you advise and tips that are not readily available anywhere else. Listen to what they have to say, keeping on their good side may open up a wide variety of contacts and opportunities, use everything you can to help you get started in your career.
4. Ensure you tick all the boxes (and a few extra ones!) – All jobs require more than just a degree, transferable skills and other specifics are normally necessary, my chosen career for example requires a reading level in French and German – guess what I’m doing at the weekends! By being as qualified as you can possibly be for your job you are making your life immeasurably easier once the time to apply for jobs comes around.
Obviously this isn’t a comprehensive list of everything you can do to guarantee your dream career but it is a good start; there are plenty of other things you can be doing. Remember though at your interview it is far better to be yourself and totally honest than lie through your teeth and put on an all singing, all dancing show. You will be employed as yourself and because you are the best candidate for the job, so try and relax and dazzle them with your natural charm. Hopefully you’re all getting back into the swing of university life, so now is a good time to start investing in your future to give yourself the best chance of landing your perfect career. Good Luck!
