Planning A Life After Graduation

If you’ve finished your university degree or will be graduating soon, congratulations are in order! After years of studying and assessments you are now a fully-fledged graduate. Now that you’re armed with all the learnings from your course, you may be wondering what your next step should be.

Thankfully, there are a few paths you can take post university, and it doesn’t necessarily have to be a 9 to 5 job. So, if you’re unsure of what exactly to do next, consider these pathways after graduating.

Travel

Feeling like you need a bit of rest and recreation? Then you could decide to take a few months off to go backpacking and explore new countries and cultures. Alternatively, if you would prefer to put your university skills to use, you could use your degree to get a job in an overseas country. The world really is your oyster!

Continue your studies

Another option is to continue your studies at university, by enrolling in an Honours or Masters course. This could lead to a higher income in your desired field, and also will help strengthen your resume when it comes time to apply for jobs.

Get a job in your field of study

Of course, you may just be ready to take the leap and get a full-time job. After all you did study quite a few years to acquire the necessary skills. There are a number of websites in Australia you can conduct your job search, including Indeed and Seek.

Intern or gain some work experience

However, sometimes finding a job isn’t always smooth sailing and can be particularly hard if you don’t have much on your CV. That’s where internships and work experience placements can come in handy, giving you that hands on experience employers are looking for. To see what work placement might be available you can check with your lecturers and tutorial teachers or have a scan of your university’s online job board.

Upskilling

You’ve got that shiny uni degree, but you can bolster your employment chances by engaging in a little upskilling. Spend some time to learn new skills that will help you in the industry you want to work in. Not only will this help you as you’ll expand your skillset, this is valuable for employers as you’re more likely to be seen as a valuable employee and this could in turn help you stand out.

Networking

There’s a saying that “it’s dangerous to go alone”. In this context, it’s not really dangerous to go at it alone per se, but it will definitely be more difficult. Be proactive and attend as many relevant networking events as you can. Not only will you meet new people in your industry of choosing, networking can help your career in several ways. It can help make you more noticeable, be an avenue for opportunities, develop working relationships that will help you in the future, and give you more self-confidence.

Creating an online presence

Seeing as how we can do almost everything online these days, creating an online presence is an increasingly valuable thing to have. We’re not talking about becoming an influencer or YouTuber though. What this means is creating a regularly maintained online presence that highlights your skills while presenting yourself as a professional that employers would want to hire. Things like creating a top-notch LinkedIn profile, your own personal website that highlights your skills, portfolio and achievements as a professional, or starting a blog can all go a long way in helping your career.

Become a freelancer

Depending on which degree you did, you may even be able to get your own Australian Business Number and do freelance or contract work. You might find jobs listed on the above job search sites like Indeed and Seek or even use sites like Airtasker and Ozlance.

Whatever you decide to do after you’ve graduated, remember there is no right or wrong path to take. You have a whole career in front of you, so take the time to do what’s right for you.