Why smart second years look beyond the summer holidays
If you’re in the summer term of your penultimate year as a student, spare some time now to think through the demands of the year ahead.
This is the ideal time to start making a job-hunting plan of action so you know what you need to do when to get into your chosen career. Then you can relax and make the most of your last student summer safe in the knowledge that you’re good to go in the autumn.
Start by thinking about where you want to be in a year’s time. If you haven’t yet decided on the right career for you, explore the options open to students with your degree background, analyse your strengths and weaknesses and consider what you want to aim for.
Building on your strengths
This is also a good opportunity to review your CV. Is there anything you could do to strengthen it and gain evidence of the soft skills graduate employers want, such as organisational ability or communication? You’ve still got time to get involved in extracurricular activities, undertake voluntary work or arrange work experience that will help your job applications stand out.
If you know what career sector you’re aiming for, research individual employers and check the deadlines for graduate programmes – some may be as early as November or December. Find out as much as possible about the kind of role you want to apply for. In some cases your choice of modules for your final year could make a big difference to your chances of getting the position you want. For example, some IT employers prefer graduates who have chosen specific specialisms.
More advice to help you plan ahead for job-hunting in your final year
- Graduate job-hunter’s checklist: simple steps to success
- How can you boost your chances of getting a job in tough economic times?
- Don’t panic! It’s never too late to start your job hunt
- What you need to do in each year of your degree to become a solicitor
- What you need to do in each year of your degree to become a barrister
- How, when and where to apply to become a teacher
Posted by Alison_TARGETjobs on 4 May 2010
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