Career Planning Checklist for First Years
I hope you have enjoyed the first few weeks on campus! In the next few years you may make friends for life and acquire knowledge that will inspire you in many different directions, I know it did for me! You might already wonder about what you would like to do with your degree and what you will learn here at Bath. Your first year is all about finding out who you are, what you like to do, what you are good at, what you are not so good at and creating friendships and networks. Your career journey actually starts here, today, and I have several ideas about how you can start exploring.
Get involved!
This is the time to join student societies and clubs. Do you like to juggle or debate politics? It is for you to find out. Would you like to have an active voice on campus? Join societies, student committees or join roles in the Students’ Union.
Get work or volunteer experience!
I had no idea what I wanted to do after my degree when I started, so I explored many different roles and acquired many different skills which became useful later. Working in catering taught me I don’t like working with food but I love talking to customers! Working as a market researcher taught me I don’t like speaking on the phone, but I enjoy writing up company marketing reports. I volunteered in translation, which confirmed my interest in languages. Being a student advisor in the Study Abroad Office my last year at University taught me that I enjoy supporting students decide about their future, and became the reason why I started working in student support and ending up as a Careers Adviser. So my advice to you is to get experience, try different jobs and volunteering roles. Explore who you are!
Start writing your CV!
To apply for work experience and volunteering roles, you may need to have an updated CV. So why not start that now? It will also be so much easier to add to the CV later on if you start early, believe me! There are several CV writing workshops and talks you can join through MyFuture – our careers portal to events, talks, workshops and for booking appointments. We also have a great CV writing resource to get your started.
Does all this peak your interest? Come and visit us!
We are open everyday and we always have time to speak to you. We are now based in city centre, near the station in the Virgil Building. We have lots of resources, both online and in the centre, for you to look through. We have Careers Advisers for you to book appointments with, to share your ideas and thoughts. We offer a range of appointments and support, please see our website for more details. We even have a page dedicated to you, first year students.
Here are further links for you to explore:
- MyFuture – your links to careers appointments, skills development training, employer events, jobs and internships.
- Bath Careers website – A great resource for all things careers, from writing a CV and succeeding in an assessment centre to exploring employers and taking a gap year.
- Joblink – The Students' Union's part-time job portal, if you would like a part-time job alongside your studies.
- Students’ Union – great resource for all things SU.
But most of all, ENJOY your first year at Bath.
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