Sorry for the brief hiatus - the final year exams took a lot of my strength, but I’m pleased to say that I’m out of the woods and well-rested! It took some recovering, and a great deal of cake (final year will do that to you) but it’s time to put the thinking cap back on. What comes next, as I awkwardly wait out the purgatory between still-a-student and graduation, is the preparation; official adulthood is on the horizon, and I’ll be a student no longer. The job search is underway, and I thought I’d share some of the things that I’ve learned along the way.
First of all – it’s okay not to know what you want to do with your life. I’ve always been one of the awkward ones – when people ask me what career I'd like, I genuinely wish I had a better answer that “I’m not sure”. It can be a bit daunting looking for work when you are perpetually ambiguous, but if you have a rough idea of your strengths, weaknesses, and areas in which you could succeed, you can build upon that and at least end up somewhere that you will enjoy. The Prospects guide and career planner is quite good – it’s free and offers advice on the positions you are matched to. And trust me, I’ve used career planner software before and there are far worse ones out there! Meanwhile, seek out the campus Career Centre. I was very sceptical at first, but they really helped me to see potential avenues of work in a different light. When you graduate, you may no longer have this resource on your doorstep, so make the most of it!
Additionally, volunteering is a brilliant way to carve out new interests, and test the water in areas you might want to work in; I wasn’t sure that I wanted to work with old people until I found I really enjoyed it through volunteering. Do-it is a wonderful resource for local volunteering opportunities, and you can also find some student-specific opportunities advertised on the Leeds for Life network.
My only advice with volunteering is to have a realistic think about how long you are able to do it for; short term volunteering (e.g. conservation projects and public fundraising) or distance volunteering (online writing/e-mentoring) might be more suited to students who will be leaving the town in some months. Whereas when you are working in very personal one-on-one roles, such as with vulnerable adults or children, it can be painful on both sides if you form a good relationship but then have to say goodbye in a few weeks. Obviously this advice isn’t lawful – just something to consider.
With regards to the job searches, I’d strongly suggest making a separate professional email account for application purposes, if you don’t have one already. It’s a good idea to register on some job search resources (I’m using Indeed at the minute, and I love it) but sadly, it does tend to bring in the spam (SEND US £70 AND YOUR PASSPORT! GURANTEED WORK!) . A separate email account will allow you to filter through the many emails you will get, saving your personal emails from being buried.
Personalise, personalise, personalise. What exactly does the job description want? Make sure to go directly to the employer's website, and not just the search site; often there are more details there. For example, I'm trying to get into research; some positions want strong data skills, and others require little data manipulating but a lot of working with people. It's good to assess the balance and tailor your written experience to the demands of the job - if the job isn't asking for a particular skill, you're carefully crafted four lines about that your experience with that skill will make it obvious that you're application isn't very personal. A little tweaking can go a long way.
And this goes without saying, but if your social networking accounts are public and are connected to your real name, be careful what you are putting out there.
And if you still have a year or two left of university, make sure to think ahead! Get all the experience you can, talk to professionals in your desired field, and do your research. Make notes of important university open days, if you are going onto higher education. And if you are aspiring towards a graduate scheme, start searching and applying at the beginning of your final year, or even in the summer before - you might be surprised how early the opportunities close.
Hope this helps - good hunting, everyone!
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