Graduating from university is a bittersweet milestone in your life. You’ve achieved your degree and no longer have to slave over essays and revision. You may feel a little like this:
However, when summer ends and you realise you have nothing to go back to in September, the panic can set in. You have no plan, you don’t know what’s next and you have some big decisions to make. Adjusting to not seeing your friends every day, saying goodbye to student night outs and having to move home with your parents is enough to send anyone into a meltdown!
Not knowing what the future holds can be exciting, but it’s also a little daunting. Discover our advice below on handling life after university and looking to the future with confidence.
While in an ideal world you’ll find the perfect graduate job and begin your journey on a wildly successful career path, this is unlikely to happen. Finding the best career for you can take time and you should take the opportunities that come your way.
Gaining work experience and researching various careers will help you to discover where your strengths lie and what you enjoy. Even travelling and working abroad can help you to develop new skills and find yourself. A little bit of trial and error early on in your career will only help your future prospects.
Some of your friends may look like they have it all figured out with graduate jobs in the bag and 5-year plans in place while you can’t even decide what to watch on Netflix. However, what’s right for your friends may not be right for you.
Rather than rushing into jobs or further degrees, take time to think carefully about what you want and where you want to be. If you know exactly what you are getting into, you can make better decisions so focus on yourself and go at your pace.
Once you’ve decided what career path you want to take, getting your foot in the door may not be easy. In many instances, having a degree alone isn’t enough to make you stand out from the competition. Gaining industry work experience and building your skill set may be the first challenge you have to face.
While many graduate jobs don’t require you to have experience, by being open-minded and proactive about work experience, you’ll boost your chances of getting to where you want to be.
Moving back into your family home is rarely appealing after enjoying the freedom and independence you had at university. However, once you get started with work and your social life you won’t be spending much time at home anyway. You also have the option of exploring house shares or moving in with friends once you have a regular income.
There’s still plenty of fun to be had after university. Keep in touch with your friends and arrange to meet up when you can. Once you get started with your graduate job, you’ll also have work socials and hopefully a few employee perks to enjoy!
While finishing university can be daunting it’s also an exciting time in your life. You’re entering the real world and getting started with your career. Search our graduate jobs today to get started.
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