Coming to the end of your studies and graduating from university, may leave you with a feeling of uncertainty. You may be unsure what you would like to do after your degree, what type of job or sector you would like to work within, and how to obtain the future career that you have been thinking of.
There are small steps that you can take whilst you study to ease your worries and prepare yourself for life after university.
Here are some of our top preparation tips to help you.
Explore Different Career Paths
There are so many different potential career paths that you could choose from. It’s important to take time to consider which type of career, sector and job role that you would like to work within.
You can explore different sectors and learn about a variety of roles, how to gain experience and find jobs through the Explore Occupations section of the Careers Service website.
As you explore your options it may help to think about the answers to these questions: ‘What will I find interesting? What do I enjoy?’.
It may be helpful for you to see what other Newcastle University graduates have gone on to do within their own careers; LinkedIn can help you explore the career paths of other professionals from the university who work within a wide range of sectors and industries.
Finding Opportunities
Once you have taken the important first step of deciding on what type of sector, organisation and job role that you would like to work within, you can then start thinking about finding opportunities that are available for you.
To help get you started searching for job opportunities, why not take a look at graduate vacancies that are regularly updated on MyCareer.
Graduate roles are advertised in a number of ways, from posts on social media to being displayed on recruitment agency websites. You can find more information on where to look for current graduate vacancies on the Careers Service website.
You may also wish to contact an organisation that may currently not be advertising a vacancy, however you are interested in working for them. You can find more information and advice on speculative applications through TARGET Jobs.
Succeeding at Applications
Your job application is the first opportunity you have to make a great first impression with your potential future employer. Applications take time, it is important that they are of a good quality and tailored to the role that you are applying for.
Why not take a look at the Careers Service YouTube channel to get you started with understanding how to succeed with applications; you can find masterclasses that focus on writing your CV, developing a covering letter and how to effectively tackle applications.
You can also develop your CV further with the CareerSet online tool, which allows you to upload your CV and the job description for the role that you are applying for at any time, you will then receive automated feedback and guidance on how you can improve your CV writing.
For more advice and help with developing your CV you can book an online appointment with one of our friendly CV Advisers through MyCareer.
Practising Your Interview Technique
Interviews can often feel quite daunting, so it is important to familiarise yourself with the process, so that you feel more comfortable when you are invited for an interview for the job role that you really want.
Interviews can differ in format from telephone, face-to-face to online video calls, but at the moment they are more likely to take place online. You may find that your interview could be held with more than one panellist from an organisation asking you questions.
To find out more information and see what an interview is really like, why not take a look at our Shortlist.Me tool, with a variety of realistic employer interview video questions?
Making Connections
Did you know that the opportunity to speak to new people and make connections that could help with your career planning is right at your fingertips?
Whilst you study you can build and develop your professional network through NCL Spark, as well as gaining career advice and insight into specific sectors and careers.
Why not create your own online LinkedIn profile so that you can explore and make connections with a variety of organisations, employers and Newcastle University graduates. To help get you started creating your own online profile, take a look at the Careers Service information on setting up and creating your LinkedIn profile, as well as our advice on how to expand your connections through LinkedIn.
Career Planning Support
As you prepare for finishing your studies and becoming a Newcastle University graduate, you may wish to find more support and advice on your career planning. As you explore your options and think about your future career, why not book an online appointment with one of our Careers Service Team through MyCareer? Our expert Careers Consultants can offer guidance to help you explore different career paths and make realistic choices about your future career plans.
