In the Know: How to prepare for your future career

By Chloe from the Student Team

Thinking about your future career can be a daunting prospect. But never fear, in this latest episode of In The Know, we discuss some key ways in which you can utilise resources to plan for your future.

If you’d like to listen to Ioana, Megan and Anna discuss their tips and tricks to find your ideal career, click on the podcast below

Make use of the University services

Many students don’t know what they want to do after graduation or simply need help with their CVs and cover letters. Luckily, the University of Manchester has a brilliant Careers Service, which offers services such as speedy CV Checking and 60-minute interview practice. Making use of these resources whilst at University will make sure you’re fully prepared for future job applications and interviews.

Aside from the Careers Service, your academic advisor is also an excellent port of call to discuss future job aspirations. They can help you to determine where your interests lie, talk through options for further study and even put you in contact with experts in your desired field.

Get into volunteering

Volunteering can help you gain more experience and discover your ideal working day. Most jobs require practical experience and volunteering is a great way to add skills to your CV. As well as helping with future job prospects, volunteering allows you to give back to the society which can be an extremely rewarding experience. It’s great to get this done during your studies if you have the time, as you can enter the jobs market with a wealth of experience ready-made. Here you can find more about volunteering opportunities around the university.

Keep your CV updated

When applying for jobs, your CV provides exemplification of your skills and experience. Keeping your CV up to date means you can simply tailor your CV to the job requirements when your ideal job comes up! Consider, too, making a Linkedin profile, where you can be a bit more general and helps you keep track of your wide experiences.

Understand your dream job

Talk or follow on social media mentors who have worked in the field you are interested in. They will have practical industry experience and have probably started from the same point as you. Social Media can be a huge advantage in contacting or learning from your career ‘heroes’, they may have an active Twitter in which they engage in discussions around your field.

And finally…

1.) Take all opportunities no matter if they are outside of your comfort zone
2.) If you want to get somewhere, be persistent! Opportunities are there to be grasped
3.) If you want something, you need to be prepared to do anything you can to get into that field. Rome wasn’t built overnight!

We hope our advice will help you in thinking about your future. Good luck!