Once the golden glow of joy and excitement that comes with graduating from university has faded, many post-graduates are faced with the looming terror that is stepping into the working world. The days of lectures and assignments may be over (for now!), but the lack of clarity and routine that often follows graduation can feel just as challenging and exhausting.
To help you figure out what to do next, we have rounded up a list of broad options and simple steps to follow after the completion of a degree in this guest blog, ‘Navigating the graduate world – what should I do after University?’
Explore and gain experience
Gaining experience relevant to the field you want to work in is an excellent use of time, and allows you to have a break whilst figuring out exactly what you want from a career. Experience is a broad term, and can range from part-time roles to paid positions.
Travelling
Travelling opens many doors of opportunity. Seeing new cultures, wild places, cuisines and global challenges can inspire new ideas, passions, and spark a drive to pursue a specific career path. Travel also equips you with a multitude of invaluable life skills, from time management, planning and communication to cultural awareness, in depth knowledge of people and places, and a greater appreciation for nature and wildlife.
Volunteering
Volunteering for a period of time that is feasible for you is another way to greatly enhance your skills, experience and employability whilst giving something back to nature and society. There are plenty of organisations and online platforms where you can find opportunities, locally and abroad, to volunteer your time and skills. This will help fill out your CV and make you more employable, as well as providing you with new skills, connections and knowledge.
Internships
Find an internship with an organisation whose work interests you and aligns with your career goals. Internships, especially in the marine realm, are often unpaid or you may even have to pay a fee if there is training involved, however the benefits of completing a meaningful internship far outweigh the cost. Internships can vary in length, often from 1-12 months, and can range from online work to practical field research such as diving coral reefs or monitoring marine megafauna from research vessels.
Paid Work
Perhaps the most obvious option, finding a job after graduation is a standard path. This doesn’t mean launching yourself straight into your dream career right away – in fact that almost never happens – but could involve applying for any kind of job either to expand your relevant experience, gain new skills, or save some money up to help pay off loans and bills.
Explore career paths in the field you are interested and qualified in. Often there are hundreds of job opportunities stemming from a single degree, many of which we miss out on simply because we don’t know they exist or have preconceived ideas about what they entail, which dissuade us from investigating them. Use tools such as LinkedIn, conservationcareers.com and the job listing sections of marine organisations which are updated weekly or monthly. If you are affiliated with a university, try looking at the uni job listings – there are often research assistant and lab roles available, usually with a decent pay.
Grow your network
Talk to people, both in person and online. LinkedIn is an amazing way to find new contacts and connections which may lead to a job – don’t be afraid to follow interesting pages, join job listing groups for updates on employment opportunities, and ask people about any job openings they are aware of, either within their own organisation or through friends and colleagues.
Also, attend events and conferences relevant to your field, which are a hotspot for making connections with people at the centre of the marine science and conservation world.
Keep Learning
If the world of work doesn’t appeal to you yet, or you don’t feel quite ready and qualified to jump into it, there is always the option of furthering your education.
Short Courses
Short courses are available with most universities, and free webinars and online sessions can help you expand your skills and knowledge of specific topics. This can also be done in conjunction with part-time work, if you are looking to earn money at the same time.
Open University
Open university is a wonderful way to learn new things, develop existing areas of expertise, and continue your education without the financial burden of conventional university. Taking a course in an unrelated skill, such as IT or communications, can give you a big boost in employability as you increase the number of skills you can offer to an employer, many of which can be incorporated into existing job profiles.
Higher Education
Higher education such as a second degree, or a PhD, if accessible and necessary, enables you to refine your area of expertise and become highly specialised in a particular field. Whilst PhDs are not always necessary, jobs are often preferentially allocated to those who hold masters degrees or above, as it demonstrates a higher level of dedication and ability to carry out research or other academic requirements, making you a more reliable candidate, as well as greatly enriching your knowledge, experience and work ethic. Read my blog on how to choose a degree, and university.
Thanks to our guest writer Sophie Coxon for this blog!
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