Your degree, what next?: Getting a job

Choosing and attaining your career once you have completed your undergraduate degree is an essential part of your time at university and beyond...

You should give considerable thought to this as early as possible in your studies.

What job do I want?

• Think about which jobs you will be able to do with your degree subject - your university careers service and options with your subject can help you with this.
• Consider the type of job you wish to do, as well as the type of work that will suit your skills set. To help you decide on the right job role for you, login to what jobs would suit me?
• Research graduate training schemes on public, private and charitable sector websites.
• Attend recruitment fairs to speak to potential employers. This is invaluable, as not only will it help you choose your career but it could lead to valuable contacts for the future.
• Research and contact professional bodies and organisations associated with potential careers, as this might assist you in your decision.
• Investigate work experience or work shadowing opportunities.

How can I increase my chances of getting a job?

Identify your skills and think about what you can offer a potential employer. You already have a unique set of skills and attributes, which are a result of your personality, your studies and your work experience. Don't forget your hobbies, interests and any clubs or organisations you belong to outside your degree.

Consider the transferable skills that you can build on to increase your employability, such as:

• people skills - leadership, teamwork, influencing and negotiating, customer skills and communication;
• self-reliance skills - self-awareness, self-management, initiative and resourcefulness;
• general skills - numeracy, flexibility, adaptability, problem-solving and planning;
• specialist skills - including IT skills and commercial awareness.

Your degree will help you to develop these employability skills, as will work experience and volunteering. More than one-third of jobs for new graduates are taken by individuals who have already undertaken work experience with that employer, according to the Graduate Market in 2012 report from High Fliers Research.

Explore whether your university offers a Skills Certificate, which you could take alongside your degree. Not only will this develop your skills, it will also boost your job applications.

Remember that, while work experience may be hard to find, volunteering work is not. Your careers service can advise you on a range of opportunities that will aid skill development.

For additional help in identifying your skills, ask your careers service, who will have tools, including psychometric tests.

Where can I find a job?

Job hunting can take time and hard work. Don't be surprised if you do not find the perfect job straight away. It may take several months, so you need to be proactive and stay motivated.

You will need to focus your search and consider the sector in which you wish to work (public, private or charitable), the type of employer that will suit you (large organisations, small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), self-employment) and your preferred location. Make the most of your time by using job hunting as a guide.

AGCAS

Written by Claire Roby, Canterbury Christ Church University

Date: 

February 2012

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