You’ve focused for years on your graduation, but have you thought about what you’re going to do next?
It’s over. You’ve received your final grades, thrown your mortar board in the air and promised all your friends you’ll ‘keep in touch’. But you’re in the real world now and it’s a scary place. No matter where you end up, I’ve put together my advice for new and pending graduates:
Before you graduate
I know you’re busy but are you really too busy to spend a few hours investing in your looming adult life? I doubt it. Skip a couple of Deal or No Deals and sort out your future. I discovered the careers centre in my final year but wish I’d made use of it long before. Most unis have them and the people there are really keen to help you out. They will talk through job options, set up work experience and even read through your CV. They get busy so make sure you track them down sooner rather than later.
Get networking. Spend your summers doing relevant work. Even if it’s unpaid (and I know you’ll be desperate for shoes and drinking money), this is a massive investment in not only real-world skills which are insisted upon by employers, but connections. Be eager and energetic in everything you do, even if it’s brewing endless cups of tea at a publishing house for people who don’t seem to notice. Your next employer might be at one of the desks and they will notice a smiley, enthusiastic worker who gets on with the team. If your name shows up in a few years amongst a list of other applicants with the same degree…guess who’s going to get the job?
After you graduate
This is quite a scary time. You’ll move away from the uni community and suddenly it won’t be so easy to meet up with friends and find things to do. When I left Plymouth I felt isolated. Thankfully, I had a Masters to look forward to in a new part of the country, but I still pine for my comparatively carefree undergraduate years.
It is important to keep in touch. Stay up to date with your friends – they will become a support network and understand what you’re going through. And it never hurts to have qualified mates who’ll read through a transcript for you!
Keep in touch with your tutors too. Join the alumni at your uni and you’ll receive updates about graduate opportunities, writing competitions and events. If you have a tutor who you got on with particularly well, they’re perfect for advice about the real world of writing as and when you need it.
Also, keep reading, writing and learning. I have never assumed that a degree certificate means I am granted a free pass to stop learning. On a week-long professional writing summer school at Falmouth University last year, I met incredible people including industry professionals who inspired me to take up copywriting for business. Four years as an undergraduate, one as a postgrad, and it was a week-long uncertified course that gave me direction! Never pass up opportunities to stretch your mind and keep learning beyond your BA scroll. And I bet you’ve got a list of books you’ve been desperate to read but haven’t found the time between course books. Harry Potter anyone? ;)
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