Some of us were talking about the most common things we have heard this term from students in our drop-in’s along with helpful hints that we may give to individuals in that situation.
“I am not sure what I want to do”
This is perhaps one of the most common statements we've heard and this is followed by a look of embarrassment. Students in this situation often feel like they have failed in some way, like they are the only student on their course without a career plan. There’s some great advice within this article by the Guardian. Our advice is to stop panicking and to please book an appointment with one of the careers team. We can support you by giving you space to reflect on what you want from a future role, suggest helpful starting points to research options, signpost you to relevant resources, online tools and share with you what other students from your course have done.
“Do you have a list of jobs I can do with a degree in x?”
We don’t have that magical list of jobs you can do with your degree.
The reason is that in the UK, you don’t have to study a particular degree to enter a certain profession. Now there are exceptions (predominantly specialist scientific/tech careers) but in the majority of cases recruitment is based around the skills you have to offer. So rather than asking “what job can I do with a degree in x?” it may be worth asking “what jobs am I interested in?” or “what skills do I want to use in my future role?” It is important that you don’t put limits on the options you believe you have. Think instead about what careers you would enjoy doing and use websites like Prospects and TargetJobs to expand your awareness of the breadth of opportunities that are available to you.
“Argh! I think I will get a 2:2, are there any jobs out there for me?”
You can survive a 2:2: while some graduate schemes use 2:1 classification as a way to sift applications this is not true of all employers! I just did a quick search on Milkround.com and counted at least 20 grad schemes which accept a 2:2. Not to mention SME’s and start-ups, who often don't have such stringent requirements. So it is worth exploring alternative routes into the sector of your choice. Check out this amazing list produced by Warwick Careers of employers who consider a 2:2!
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