Whenever graduate employment is under discussion, there seems to be one comment that always shows up. It is along the lines of ‘Education doesn’t train people to work in industry, and they can’t do the jobs we need’ or something similar. Well, of course it doesn’t, that isn’t really the job of education. What it does, is prepare people so they have the skills to work more effectively once they are in the job, but it cannot provide experience of the job itself.
In short, when you leave education with your qualifications, you are in a position to start work, but you still need to couple that with the experience of actually doing the job.
It’s all about options
For the graduate at any level, it all becomes about options. In some cases, graduates tend to be immediately snapped up by industries with specific skills gaps, but for the majority, the graduation ceremony is a starting gun for a new career. Unfortunately, sometimes a career simply becomes ‘a job’ that pays the bills but does satisfy your expectations.
If you want a real career-based future, then you need to think about your options. Your career is going to last you a long time, perhaps even a lifetime, so it’s a big decision. Getting it right now can be the best decision you ever make, but getting it wrong could delay or stall your development. This is the point where you should probably sit down and really look at what you want to do. Keep it simple, grab a pen and paper and write down the answers to these questions.
- Do I know where I want to be in five years? This is a bit of a cliché question, but there is a reason they ask this at interviews – it helps define your career goals.
- What experience do I currently have and is this relevant to my career aims? Most students will work during their learning, and you ignore this at your peril. That part-time job you had probably gave you a lot of experience.
- Am I ready for a career move? As much as we suggest now is the time to consider your career, you should also be asking yourself if you want a career yet at all. For many new graduates, the flexibility of temp work or contact work gives them time to breathe and think.
- Do I want to go into the career I trained for? This may seem like a question that would get a yes 100% of the time, but it isn’t uncommon for graduates to realise that they do not want to do the career they expected to go into. In fact, over 50% of graduates do not work in the specific industry they intended to work in, and their qualification is a door-opener for a different path. Regardless of whether you write ‘no’, are wavering, or put a firm ‘yes’ on this question, expand and say why you have answered that way. Be honest – you may surprise yourself.
Take what you have written down and condense it into a plan that shows where you want to be, what you can do now through experience, what you are trained to do but lack experience for, and what is motivating your choices.
Once you have the results, you have the start of a career map to bring in and discuss with us. We will look at your options and work with you to get you to a place where you have the work/life balance and job satisfaction you want. An honest assessment of your options will probably be an eye-opener, and could well set you on a great path for the future.
Focused application of a career plan
Actively working with a good recruitment agency and the focused application of a career plan is the difference is between just getting a job and having a full career. You just completed years of hard work to qualify, now let’s work towards using that in the best way for you.