For the graduate class of 2024, time is ticking. It won’t be long before final exams are over and you’re packing up your room to head on to your next adventure.
Life after university is a brand-new chapter that can be exciting, challenging and frustrating in equal measure – but it’s so much easier if you plan ahead. Competition for entry-level jobs can be fierce, so it’s worth thinking now about how you hope to stand out when you start applying for jobs.
Fortunately for you, university life has so much to offer in terms of CV enhancements. Here are four simple things you can be doing now, prior to graduation and alongside your studies, to make sure that you’re well positioned to hit the ground running on the careers front.
1. Drop into your university’s careers centre
Although visiting this building might have been pretty far down your list of “must-do” university experiences, now is the time to rethink. They have free resources to help you write a good-quality CV and cover letter, and most run workshops and sessions to help you develop the transferable skills you’ll need for job interviews and working life.
Universities also tend to be pretty well connected to local businesses, offering internships and entry-level roles, as well as to larger companies that hire annually for their graduate schemes.
2. Line up some work experience
Employers overwhelmingly agree this is the single most impactful thing graduates can do to level up their CVs and signal that they are “work-ready”. When you start job hunting, you’ll be amazed how many graduate jobs specify some previous experience.
Work experience includes paid and part-time work, and many placements offer some sort of reimbursement, so you needn’t take a financial hit to get some on your CV.
Try approaching companies you’d like to work for by phone or email (be sure to follow up after the initial contact) and speak to family and friends to see if anyone has any useful connections. Consider contacting companies that hire university brand ambassadors, provided this is allowed by your university.
Volunteering for charities is also work experience and there’s no shortage of third-sector organisations that need your help.
3. Start networking now
You might not feel well connected, but your network is already there and it’s much bigger than you think. It includes your tutors, siblings, relatives, friends of your parents and the parents of your friends.
When you leave university, you will also be able to tap into the university’s alumni network too. Who do you know who works in the industry that interests you? Line up calls with contacts to find out more information, ask questions and help you make new connections.
Take some time to create a strong profile on LinkedIn (a professional social network) because this will come in handy for online networking, job hunting and researching companies and industries later.
4. Get involved in extracurricular activities
University has endless extracurricular opportunities, so it’s time to start thinking strategically about what you could get involved with now that would enhance your employability later.
If you want to go into journalism, make sure you’re writing for the student or local paper. If you think the charity sector is for you, sign up for fundraising or befriending. If you think you’d like a career in events, volunteer to help organise events at your university.
They don’t have to always be directly linked to the job you want to do, but engaging in extracurricular activities can show that you have initiative and good time-management skills, and can show employers that you are a well-rounded individual.
Sophie Phillipson is founder of graduate support site HelloGrads, and co-author of new book Survive & Thrive: A Graduate’s Guide To Life After University.
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