Yet this year it’s not just that – it is also
MY LAST EVER TERM. AHHH!
This is such a strange place to be, mainly
because I never thought I’d be here. It seems like yesterday that I was a
fresher, enjoying my carefree time at Monte, going to Jesters a solid four
times a week and loving life. Don’t get me wrong, I love my life now but it
definitely involves more time at Hartley and less time in Jesters. Who knew
that the time would fly and I’d find myself in my final year, in my final
semester even, so soon! It’s all gone too quickly but you know what they say –
time flies when you’re having fun.
Third year is tough, but it can still
be a lot of fun!
This year has been a fairly odd one; I have
worked harder than ever before and had to encounter the fear of growing up and
entering the real world. So I thought I’d share a few of my (very limited)
pearls of wisdom regarding job applications and final year – they are two very
hard things to juggle and manage simultaneously.
1. The previous summer, start researching
what area you want to work in.
Some of you might be studying medicine and definitely know the route you want to take, but many of you won’t be too sure. Don’t stress about this, it is perfectly natural. Over the summer I was panicking, researching about five completely different industries, and didn’t know how to proceed. However whilst on my search it became natural that a few of them seemed suddenly less interesting and thus could be dropped, a few of them were able to be combined, therefore despite it taking a while I was able to get, through extensive researching, a clear idea of what I wanted to be doing.
2. Once you know the area you want to work in,
start looking at when their grad schemes open, whether there is the possibility
for internships and what skills they look for.
Make lots of lists and plan your
applications. Also, despite it potentially being your last year it is still not
too late to get involved with extracurricular work which will enhance your CV. Make
use of the bunfight come September!
3. Now you know what area you want to work
in, and what jobs you want to apply for, you have nothing stopping you. APPLY.
And apply early.
I started applying for jobs over the summer and never really stopped, which means I have a big folder of various CVs and cover letters on my computer, which I think is a great advantage. I feel I have perfected and reworked the documents so much that I know them inside out. My first few drafts were nothing like my latter ones, for it took a while to get the hang of knowing what qualities are desirable to employers – things I wouldn’t necessary consider as skills just need to be marketed properly. Luckily there are wonderful uni-provided CV workshops that can help with this and I definitely recommend them, the CV is normally the first round with job applications and it has to be impressive enough for them to invite you to an interview – the interview is the place where you can really wow them with everything that the paper doesn’t demonstrate.
4. Stay positive.
Sadly this is only half the battle. I am
someone who loves a plan, being organised and getting it all sorted, however, with
jobs this is just never going to happen. Applying and getting jobs is hard. But
don’t get disgruntled, keep applying and try and learn something new to
implement next time from every application you make. Don’t limit your options
for next year, as long as your know the field you want to work in, it shouldn’t
matter how you get there. So perhaps you don’t get the job with the most
exclusive firm you wanted, but you get an internship with a different one? That
is still awesome!! It took a while for me to realise that despite having
graduated, jobs do not just fall into your lap. That this is a process, and as
long as you enjoy the journey you have nothing to complain about, every step
closer to your dream job is still an important step! Equally, one of the jobs I
have next year was never advertised. I had an interest in the institution so I
emailed them and got lucky. A big part of job searching is about being
audacious, using those contacts your great aunt may have, and forcing your way
onto the market.
My plan for next year? Well I want to work in
International Development. I have assigned next year to getting experience
before I proceed to a Masters in the field. Come next year I will be working in
Croatia and then moving to Bolivia. It’s a hard life right…
So these are my best recommendations to
prevent the panic which comes with final year and graduating: Take it slow,
start early, be prepared, and be flexible.
Plus, make use of what the University offers in regarding to careers – from CV workshops to events with members from the industry – they are invaluable.
http://www.southampton.ac.uk/careers/
Florence
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