What next?
So, you're thinking about what to do after University....
What stage are you at?
Help! I have no idea what I want to do!
- I know what I don't want to do, just not what I do!
- I don't know what I want to do, but the job would need to include...
- I have some ideas but don't know enough about them
- I know what I'm interested in, I just don't know how to apply.
The Careers Service is there to support you through these decisions. We can even help you if you have no idea what to do next. We can help you look at all your options in an impartial way and get you to think about your choices, priorities and next steps as well as help you put an action plan together.
Broadly speaking, graduates tend to:
Get a Job!
Many students feel they need to move straight into employment after graduating.
- Decide if your career goals are Short term or long term
- Identify your career priorities: eg. Wanting generous pay, wanting your weekends free, wanting job security, wanting to be seen as an expert etc
- Define your work style: being a team player, being independent, being organised, being creative etc
- Explore your interpersonal skills: persuading, supporting, encouraging, etc
- What about your work values: are you looking for management experience, variety in what you are doing, further training, are you happy to travel for the job?
- Generate career ideas and undertake research.
Gap Year
Many students decide a gap year is the perfect way to round off university life, because they want to enjoy new experiences before they embark on their career path. A wide range of transferable skills can be acquired from this.
- Is this the right decision for you? What do you want from this experience?
- How will you sell your gap year experiences to employers?
- Employers value gap years, but only if they have been well thought through and structured so that you can sell them in a relevant way. Employers also look for candidates who can demonstrate they have set goals, achieved them, and learned from mistakes.
- More information
Further Study
- Decide what your motivation is for doing this.
- Ask yourself, will PG study improve your employability?
- Do employers require a postgraduate qualification?
- ‘Shop around’, compare courses for "added value" - i.e. sometimes the benefit is more than just the academic study.
- Talk to your tutors for advice on course related post graduate study
- Explore your further study options and funding sources.
Voluntary Experience
Increasingly more important companies consider this to be highly desirable both in an informal and formal work experience
- A high percentage of employers have recruited volunteers as permanent staff
The benefits:
- It adds to your transferable skills.
- Provides evidence of: motivation, allows you to stand out form the crowd, find out about the work environment and increase your commercial awareness, identifies your strengths and weaknesses and confirms if you like working in that industry
- Find out more
Self-Employment
Self-employment is sometimes the only option if you wish to pursue a specific career path. Journalism, certain legal occupations, and the creative and performing arts are all sectors where self-employment is a common form of work.
Do the benefits outweigh the risks? For some people, it is a lifestyle choice achievable by: setting up a business, either on a full-time basis or alongside a part-time job;
- working as a freelancer or contractor;
- Buying into a franchise.
- Do as much research beforehand: how to get started, business plans, funding, sales & marketing, managing finances, employing people.
- Explore further