Hermione Berry
For our latest post, Career Consultant Hermione Berry has some words of advice for students graduating this summer…
If you are about to graduate, then you are probably having to make several career decisions right now. You are not alone when pondering these questions: should I try and find a graduate job? Or study for a postgraduate degree? Do I look locally or move away? Are any graduate recruiters actively looking for people like me in our Covid world? Should I consider my own business? Lots of decisions to make…
It is easy to find yourself feeling confused and a bit lost in the various options especially if having to rethink your plans because of the virus. However, as some doors close others might be opening for you as the UK gets back to business.
Some of your peers will have a very clear career path and plan, and that’s great but don’t worry if yours seems like a long winding road as you could turn this to your advantage. One way might be to use your time to investigate alternative careers. Ask yourself:
- What are your passions?
- Could you consider trying out new roles focused on your interests?
- What are you good at and where do you need to develop your skills?
- What about developing your online skills through additional learning?
Choosing a job now does not mean that it will be your career forever and sometimes different experiences can open up our eyes to new possibilities. It might be a good time to step out of your comfort zone and try something new. Maybe you are a quick learner who is adaptable and flexible – important skills in our ever-changing world. By not restricting yourself to a particular occupation or sector you can consider a variety of new skills, experiences and contacts that you might not have thought about before. The decision making should then hopefully get a little easier.
If you feel confused with so many decisions to make then Career and Employability Services at the University of Bradford are here to help our students and graduates. You could start by checking out our website which has loads of helpful resources including our Build My Career online resource.
A snapshot of some of the Build My Career functions
We understand that career decision making can be confusing especially when your family and friends might be trying to influence you with their suggestions. Why not start with booking an in-depth career guidance appointment with one of our friendly Career Consultants? Online, by phone or email they can help you focus on what is important for you and help you take those small steps towards a clearer future. Chatting things through can help you to make your career options and decision making just that little bit easier.
Making choices can be hard but that can also be a good thing as you consider the alternatives, think about your skills and work towards developing yourself into who you want to be in the future. If you need a little a little more structure then why not join others on our Bradford Graduate Programme?
Career decision making can be difficult and only you can make the final decisions but why not let Career and Employability Services help you on that journey?
And don’t forget, we’re here for you for the next five years, so please get in touch.