Careers Undergraduate Advice Making The Most Of Your Time At University
For most people, university is their first experience of freedom. There's no one to tell you what to do, when to be home or to comment on your personal hygiene (or lack of it).
Great! But with this freedom comes responsibility; responsibility for yourself. By all means enjoy university - join the rugby team and do obscene things in the student bar every Friday night if you like. But remember, you're there to get a degree and it's a good time to think about your future.
Maybe you have no idea what you want to do with your life and you see your time at university as a breathing space. That's all well and good but you may lag behind your more organised colleagues later. It's a good idea to think about which industry you'd like to go into and do some research before your final year. That way you'll know what's required of you, both academically and in terms of additional skills, BEFORE you go for interview.
Graduate employers now presume you are intelligent and diligent, they're looking for candidates with additional skills such as communication, motivation, initiative and time management. These could be the difference between a successful and unsuccessful applicant. They take time to develop, so start now.
Meeting people is important in developing social and interpersonal skills and networking abilities. You'll find later in life that it's often who you know, not what you know, that helps. So get out there and get involved. Join the Dangerous Sports Society or the choir if you like, as long as you're meeting a range of people and interacting with them.
Work experience and work shadowing are fantastic ways to suss out the world of work and pick up some of the skills you'll need, so even if it's just for the summer, try to do some kind of work while you're an undergraduate. If you treat your studies as you would a job - get everything done on time, don't turn up for lectures late, take the initiative - you'll find life much easier when you do have to start work.
You have access to a wide range of services at university or college, so take advantage of them. Talk to the careers advisor, read the stuff in the library, go to events and recruitment fairs and quiz your lecturers about different careers.
Having fun is important but so is your future. Make sure you're ready for it.
Work Experience
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