Lauren volunteered at an Environmental and Outdoor Education Project in South Africa after her law degree to gain some experience in ground level environmental work. She believes her professional calling was to become involved in environmental law. Read Lauren’s story here
What to do after graduation?
For thousands of university finalists, the next few months are crucial in deciding their future. Soon-to-be graduates are busy studying for their finals at the moment, but plans – and worries – for the future are always lingering in the air.
Graduate schemes are always a popular choice, but are also extremely competitive. Generally there are around 56 applications for every job, which can increase to as much as 197 applications per job if you’re in the consumer goods market. Unless graduates apply quickly with bundles of experience plastered all over their CV, it can be difficult to secure the high flying job they’ve always dreamt of. It’s unsurprising that 1 in 12 recent graduates are without a job for the first six months after they’ve finished university.
The facts are scary, especially if you’re graduating soon. But it doesn’t have to mean you’re doomed – far from it.
Martin Birchall, managing director of High Fliers Research, claims that “the pressure is on students to get work experience and choose their career path early on. Students should go to university with a plan in their first six months, not leave it until the last six weeks, or they risk missing out on a decent job.”
A fair point, but not necessarily true. Many, many students leave university with no idea what they want to do with their lives, so it’s unfair to presume that they should just jump into the world of work and do something they don’t want to do.
If you don’t have a job lined up, then don’t worry. The graduate intake of companies has increased this year (albeit marginally) which means there are more companies now wanting to hire young professionals. However, that still means nothing to thousands of graduates who are just as clueless about their career direction now as they were in Sixth Form.
Instead, taking time out can be a really good alternative.
If you plunged straight into university after school, it may well be a good idea to take some time out to travel and volunteer abroad. Globetrotting doesn’t mean that you’re on holiday either, so you won’t find yourself with an awkward gap in your CV at the end of it. Up to a third of graduate jobs will be taken by those who have relevant work experience or internships with the companies they’re applying to, which means that bulking up your CV is absolutely vital in getting you a job. Luckily for wanderlusters, travelling can easily be combined with precious work experience.
There is a wealth of opportunities out there, and even if you’re not completely sure about what area of work you want to get into, these experiences can be moulded to fit whatever you choose in the end. For example, teaching English in a small community can demonstrate fantastic leadership skills as well as ideal communication qualities that employers want. Volunteering as an environmental worker shows great passion for a cause. Being a medical assistant will show that you can work hard under extreme pressure; the opportunities really are unlimited.
So if you’re graduating this time – don’t worry. You might have ‘graduate schemes’ drilled into you, but fundamentally, it’s the perfect time for you to do exactly what you want.
