Your Post-Uni Options: What, How & Why?

When you finish uni, you’ll have proved yourself as an expert in your chosen topic, you’ll have furthered your education, and you’ll hopefully have made some lifelong friends along the way. You’ll be walking away with a unique experience under your belt, and you should be ready to head out into the real world and put your education into practice.

Once uni life is officially done and dusted, it’ll be pretty much up to you what you do with yourself, and there are plenty of different things that you can do with your time. Each of these options has its own advantages and disadvantages, but to make it easy for you, we explain them all in one place.

GO ABROAD

Your uni tutors and your parents might advise you to enter the world of work straight away and get some funds built up, but not every graduate feels like they need to get a ‘proper’ job straight away. If you’re one of those people, travelling the world for a bit might be a good choice for you. This is a great way to build on those all-important life skills that you developed while you were in uni.

Some students decide to do a little bit of part-time work before they pack up their things and head off halfway round the world (mainly to build up some funds), whereas others will head off straight away and find work when they get there. The way you do it is completely up to you. Is there a nice pub or restaurant near your parents’ house? Or a supermarket? A coffee shop? Aside from the travel money that this job will give you, it’ll also give you some valuable experience that you can take with you into your future career. If you’ve worked a job where you’re on your feet and you’re serving the general public, it’ll make you more resilient and thicker-skinned – and it’ll make you appreciate the relative tranquility of offices once you do enter that world of work!

Travelling might be a good choice for you if you don’t really know what career path you want to follow yet. It buys you some time and it gives you a chance to explore new opportunities. People will often choose to start their travels in Southeast Asia, because it has well-established travel routes and your money will last for quite a while here, but you should start out wherever you feel like starting out.

If you do choose to travel, you’ll likely meet loads of other like-minded students, and maybe even a few graduates too! You never know, you might end up finding work opportunities abroad that you’re suited to.

If you happen to be a graduate with your heart set on a particular job role, it might be best to get your foot in the door early on and give the travelling a miss for now – it’s all about what’s best for you.

BUILD THOSE SKILLS UP

Throughout your studies, you will have learned all there is to know about your chosen topic, but if you’re entering an industry that’s always changing, it’s a good idea to continually upskill and ensure that you’re on top of the latest trends, even if you’re not yet working.

There are resources available to graduates that will help you gain more industry knowledge if you’re willing to learn. If you get ahead of the curve and you land your place on one of these courses, you’ll find yourself boosting your knowledge in a short space of time. Employers will be on the lookout for up-to-date knowledge, and being able to demonstrate this could land you your first graduate job.

LAND YOUR FIRST GRADUATE ROLE

You will be able to apply for graduate roles well before you even finish your degree, because the majority of employers will be trying to grab the brightest minds before they get taken by competitors and other companies. The pay usually isn’t as high for a graduate position, but the training packages are great and they have the potential to propel your career in a short period of time.

Getting yourself prepared in advance goes a long way when looking for the perfect graduate role, and the best way to get your foot in the door is to write up a shortlist of your dream companies that you would like to work for, then send off your applications nice and early. You might get noticed by the right people for your forward-thinking attitude.

IT’S DOWN TO YOU

Your first year as a graduate might come as a bit of a shock when you’re so used to student life. You’ll get to put your education to the test, as well as those all-important life skills. If you’re on the lookout for advice on finding the perfect role or you just want to know more about being a student, check out our blog.