Sunday 7 November 2010

Taking steps towards your future career

In your first years of university, building towards your career can seem a strange prospect. However, it is the ideal place to start. There are plenty of resources available at university that are geared towards your future steps. Part-time jobs and career centres are excellent ways to start. A recent Guardian career forum focused on the subject: 'What can undergraduates do to start preparing for their careers?'. Some of the expert's answers are below:

'Spend time talking to careers advisors about your interests and transferable skills, do your research and consider trying out something through an internship to see whether certain roles appeal to you.'

'You can never have too much experience - but it important to balance your studies at the same time as other activities. '

'For the summer and winter there are opportunities, although you might have to look further afield for smaller companies and opportunities as there are not as many structured programmes. There are other experiences that whilst you might not think are as valuable that can help make money and provide a steep learning curve for example Telesales provided me an opportunity to learn about the fundamental of sales, persistence, drive and the importance of not taking your first no!'

'don't feel you have to commit right now. Today's job market is more flexible than ever before, especially at the early stages in your career. Apply for opportunities that look interesting to you and be open to seeing where they might take you.'

Writing a CV and constantly updating it is a positive to keep your future career in mind.

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