ADD ADVICE TO FAVWhat are your options?
If you know what qualifications, skills and experiences you have to offer potential employers, your next step is to figure out what your options are.
This is entirely your decision – think about your position, your needs and what you would like to do.
Here are some ideas to start you off:
Find a graduate job
A lot of graduates want a change from studying and welcome the chance to prove themselves in the world of work. This is a good option if you have large debts that you want to pay off.
Take a year out
Some graduates enjoy taking time out after college or university. This is a good option if you feel you want to spend a few months travelling or building up your skills and work experience.
Find out more about gap years.
Study a postgraduate programme
For students who wish to specialise in a particular field or switch career direction to a new area, a postgraduate programme is worth looking at. It’s expensive but has many benefits. Some careers require a postgraduate qualification.
Find out more about postgraduate study.
Do some work experience
If your CV is looking a bit blank, maybe you should think about undertaking some voluntary work experience – this is a great way to build your skills and is crucial in some career areas, such as the media or law.
Read more about work experience.
Gain a professional qualification
Know what you want to do and what qualifications you need to get there, but don’t want to go back to university? Take a professional qualification while working, and you will gain the edge over many of your job competitors. This is par for the course on many graduate training schemes.
Making your decision
This can be a difficult decision to make. You might feel you have too many options to choose from, or you might feel you don’t have enough. The best thing to do is investigate your options. You can find more information about graduate jobs, postgraduate programmes and gap years on this site.
Speak to your careers adviser and talk through any plans you might have. Your adviser will be able to tell you the best way to proceed and you might find some other options you never thought of before.
Find out more
