Let’s face it, there’s never a time at university when you are not thinking about what to do in the future, and there’s no time like the present to better understand your options.
If you’ve a career that you are intent on pursuing, then you may have a good idea of what you need to do next, whether that’s getting an internship this year to stand you in good stead for a graduate scheme next year, or getting good grades so you can get onto a Physiotherapist Master’s to become a Physiotherapist.
However, you might just be feeling lost or overwhelmed, and slightly anxious about what the big bad world is going to hold for you. Here are the four most common paths that graduates take on completion of their undergraduate degree, which can help you to start thinking about what you might like to do next:
Work
Post graduation, work is the most common option with 69% of people in either full-time or part-time work after a year of studying. And we don’t have to tell you that you do have to get one eventually, regardless!
Whether you go straight into the workplace will depend on your career choice and the qualifications you need for that career, but if you think diving into the deep end and finding that first step on the career ladder is what you need, we’ve got everything you need to know about graduate recruitment, graduate schemes and internships.
Further study
18% of students enter full-time or part-time study on completion of their undergraduate degree and for many it’s a great option.
It’s especially great for those of you who want to specialise in a certain aspect of your degree, for example, after completing a Biological Sciences degree you might want to specialise in Quantitative Genetics, while it’s also a great way to pivot your interests slightly, for example, after completing a Biological Sciences degree you might want to undertake an Environmental Protection Management Master’s.
Some careers require you to have further qualifications, such as teaching, so if you’ve a career in mind, it’s a great idea to check early so that you can do your research and apply for courses if you need to.
If you are thinking about further study post university, help is at hand.
Year off
You might be thinking that you’re over working or studying for a wee while and it would be great to have some time off. You are not alone, with 6% of students choosing to travel on completion of their degree.
Travelling offers you the opportunity to spend time thinking about what you want from your working life and your future. The ability to meet new people and explore different cultures can be life changing, and being away from the daily grind can also give you a new lease of life on your return.
Furthermore, you’ll gain some much-needed skills to put on your CV when you return, especially if you choose to volunteer or undertake a project when you are away.
Self-employment
For many, self-employment is a logical first step into the working world as job offers and internships are pretty hard to come by.
You may choose to freelance, to get a few projects under your belt and add to your portfolio, and websites such as Behance, upwork, freelancer.co.uk, guru and people per hour are a great place to start. Once you’ve more experience to show employers, it may lead to your first interviews and your first full-time position.
You might have also spent your university days sporting a side hustle which you want to develop further into a full blown career. There’s no time like the present to give it a go!
