If you're feeling bogged down by deadlines and revision, you're probably thinking you don't even have time to read this, but here's a very quick quiz to help you decide if/when it might help you to talk to a careers adviser.
You should come in to the Careers Service if:
A) You have a job sorted and need help negotiating the terms with an employer
B) You have an interview or assessment centre coming up and don't know what to expect
C) You'd like to know where to find jobs or more info on career options that interest you
D) You'd like someone to cast an expert eye over your CV
E) You have absolutely no idea what you want to do after graduating
F) You're in a quandary because it feels like all your friends have already got a placement or graduate job and you don't know where to start or who to turn to.
The answer, rather predictably, is 'all of the above'. We help students in all years work out where they want to be and how to get there. At this time of year we're particularly aware that there may be students who are feeling anxious because they haven't yet secured a placement or graduate job. Peer pressure, the stress of juggling job-hunting with other pressures and scare stories in the media can all contribute to making you feel more and more overwhelmed and paralyzed. If that's you, please do make an appointment to talk things through with a careers adviser. We will never judge you or tell you that 'you should have thought about this earlier'; we're experienced enough to know that students approach thinking about their career in different ways and in different timescales. We won't tell you what to do or 'fix' things for you but we can help you think through what matters to you in a career and work out useful strategies for helping you move forward - this post by my colleague Saiyada explains a little more about what careers advisers do. It's a common myth that you need to know what you want to do before you come to the Careers Service - in fact the opposite is true. We can help you think clarify your thinking whether you have 17 different ideas or none.
So what do you need to do next? Take a deep breath and come in to the Careers Service!* I can guarantee you'll be met by a friendly face from the moment you walk through the door. Finally in the words of a student I saw this morning: 'I didn't expect that you'd give me a job, but I feel a lot more confident about the next steps I need to take.'
There's also a wealth of advice and information on our website.
If you're feeling overwhelmed or anxious about any aspect of your course or life, our colleagues in Student Services offer a range of services to support you.
* Or phone or email us if that feels more comfortable. If you can't easily make it onto campus you can speak to a careers adviser via Skype.
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