“This week the Lifestep blog will be taken over by Lucy Boden – undergraduate at Newcastle University.”
I am just about to begin my third year as a student at Newcastle University. Although I am not yet a graduate, the rat race for the perfect job or to get accepted onto that perfect graduate scheme has already begun.
The careers service at my university is constantly holding workshops/talks/presentations on how to improve your CV, how to overcome that interview or how to network the right way into the right job. There seems to be a huge panic amongst students like myself that due to the state of the current jobs market that it is going to be almost impossible to find a job. Having fallen victim to this “graduate fear” I’ve attended as many workshops/talks/presentations as possible. I have summarized everything I have been advised on into three really useful pieces of advice, and given examples of how I have put this advice into practice.
The first piece of advice is about finding what career or company you want to go into. I went to an interesting talk held by alumni of the university. One woman was particularly engaging and she explained how it is important to work for something you love. I have been told numerous amounts of times that I will be working for most of my life, so I have to do something that I love. As imagined, it is very difficult at the age of 22 to know what I am going to love considering (aside from part time work in bars and retail prior to university) I have had no experience in any industry, so how am I supposed to begin this mass career hunt? The woman talked about working backwards and thinking about a company you can relate to and/or have a passion for, this way you will always love your job if you know that you are contributing to that company’s success. I read an article in Elle magazine about a woman that loved Elle magazine and always wanted to work for the company, but she didn’t want to design and she didn’t want to be a writer. She is now the treasurer for company and works on the accounting side of the company. She is delighted in her job working for a company that she loves and has a passion for. The next step I think I will take is to think about a company that I would love to work for, then consequently research what jobs are available within that company. This will be far more beneficial than simply thinking, “Is it an accountant or a teacher that I want to be?”
The next piece of advice is about standing out from the crowd which is something that is always talked about but never really explained. Now that I am going into my third year, this is the last chance I will have to get involved in any extracurricular activities offered in and around my university. When Lifestep’s Theodora Clarke came to do a talk at my university she emphasised the importance of making the most of anything extra to add to your CV, besides your degree title and classification. I think at university it’s easy to believe that getting a first class honours is the most important thing, when actually, in today’s job market it seems to be more and more important to have engaged in other things besides academic studies. In second year I was a rep for my course but Theodora’s emphasis on the “and what else?” aspect of a CV motivated me to get involved in even more. This year I am going to be sports sec of a society which will include being the captain of my netball team, running training sessions and planning socials. When carrying out this role I will have to be organised, confident and motivated and I am hoping to improve on my leadership skills. These are all things I can then talk about in an interview and demonstrate in a job. I think as a recent graduate, it’s imperative to think about anything you engaged in at university outside of your studies. At first you may not think that a part time job in a bar or captain of a football team is something to add onto your CV, but this is exactly the kind of thing that will make you stand out from the crowd. One thing I have learnt is that it is the skills you gain from being involved in these extracurricular activities that make you stand out, rather than the role/job itself.
Lastly, I think that networking and making yourself known as a graduate looking for a job is so important. Networking is something that is always talked about but I never really understood where to begin. Theodora explained in her talk at my university that it is about thinking about anyone you know; anywhere that could help you get into an industry. I always thought I didn’t have those kinds of connections. Then I decided to make a list of people I knew that could be linked to something I would be interested in. A friend of a friend did the same degree as me at a different university so I decided to get her telephone number and give her a call. She was really helpful and talked about how she got into her career in marketing which began in a publishing company. She told me about work experience she had done in a small publishing company that she thoroughly enjoyed. I asked her for their contact details and managed to arrange some work experience for the summer. This was my first experience of networking and it was neither scary nor daunting. It’s about talking to people that can help you, because as I am told so often, it’s not what you know, it’s who you know.
To summarise I think these three pieces of advice are a good place to start as a graduate. This year I am going to think about what I have a real passion for and how what I have done at university can give me support in any role I am to undertake within that company. Finally, I need to think how I am going to make the first link from myself to that company or industry. For now I am going to try and get involved in as much as possible in my last year, so that when it comes to that dreaded job hunt, I can be as well-equipped and prepared as possible.
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