The careers that start now
If you want to be a high-flier, or simply have an interest in a specific career route, bear in mind that there are some careers you need to start thinking about early: get started now to put yourself on track for success in sectors like banking, law and journalism.
It's possibly the most frustrating thing in the world. You finish uni, decide on a job that you really like, apply and then get rejected because everyone has more experience than you. For some careers, you really do need to start thinking early.
'How can I get experience if you won't give me a job?' is the oft-heard cry of woe and it's an infuriating situation to be in. It's true that most graduate recruiters want you to have some work experience, but a select few sectors demand that you have oodles of sector-specific experience under your belt. It may surprise you to discover which jobs these are, so we thought we'd let you know now - while you still can do something about it. Not that it's anything to be daunted by, just something to think about and act upon in your spare time, and after uni you'll find yourself laughing all the way to the job-satisfaction bank!
What are these careers then?
Surprise, surprise, they're generally the most desirable ones. But that's where the generalising ends. They each have their own variation on the starting-early theme.
Investment banking
This career sector is ideally approached through the medium of the internship. This is a well-paid summer placement that wannabe traders and corporate financiers undertake during the summer before their final year. Plenty of time then, I hear you say with a sigh of relief. But the deadlines start to arrive by Christmas of your second year. And unfortunately, these internships are so competitive that it's almost essential to have a bit of work experience (that is also reasonably relevant) in order to get a place. In other words, get thee to thy careers service quickly. You'll find that the big banks' taster events and open days are often targeted at first years.
Journalism
Journalism is almost as competitive as investment banking. Unfortunately, there are very few formal placements... yet it's generally only those with considerable journalistic experience who get the jobs. The trick here is to get involved with student journalism as early as you can. Like now. Then, in your second year, you can start firing off speculative applications, consisting of a CV, covering letter and samples of your best work, for a vacation job (quite probably unpaid). The same goes for other media jobs and, increasingly, publishing.
Law
Law is another interesting case in point. If you're a law student, did you realise that applications for training contracts (trainee solicitor posts in other words) have to be in by the summer of your second year? And applications for vacation placements have to be in early in that year too.
Or a life of academia?
Finally, if you fancy yourself as a bit of an academic, with a PhD in an arts subject in about six years' time, it's not quite as simple as sewing some leather patches on a corduroy jacket. Funding is quite scarce so you'll almost certainly need a first to get a PhD place. Even if your first-year results aren't going to affect your final degree very much, you do need to knuckle down immediately to impress the tutors who could one day be your referees.
And the rest
As the number of students graduating each year grows, a whole lot of other jobs are going to be added to the must-start-early list. If you're interested in social care or teaching then you will need relevant experience under your belt before you'll be considered for any role in these fields. Marketing and human resources are becoming increasingly popular, while most companies that recruit graduates in large numbers, including management consultancies and accountancy firms, run banking-style internship schemes these days. And as for competitive commercial careers, it's a new variation on an old catch-22 situation: only those with work experience will get the work experience. The good news is that a spot of temping or even a menial job that boosts relevant skills will do.
So now you can no longer say 'nobody told me that in three years' time I'd need work experience'. You should go out and party at university. Just don't forget that you may also need to open those early doors.
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