Career Advice For Students

Your time at college or university is not only a time for learning but a time to focus on your career aspirations. You will want to plan for the future and take action today to accelerate tomorrow's career transition and progression.

Here we show you how to get ahead as we share our top career advice for students.

Seek out an internship

Internships are a fantastic opportunity to acquire hands-on experience inside your field of study. You should seek out internship opportunities relevant to your career aspirations, even if they are not the exact position you see yourself working in.

Internships are available through large corporations and local businesses. To find an internship, you should:

  • Network - Talk to career coaches, your professors, fellow students, former graduates, friends, and family to find out if they are aware of any internship openings. 
  • Research companies - The internet makes research a breeze, and you can make internship searches and visit company and career websites to find a relevant internship.
  • Attend internship fairs - Face-to-face or virtual career fairs are a superb way to meet prospective employers.
  • Contact employers - Once you shortlist companies you are interested in, contact their HR department to find out if they are looking for interns and their qualification criteria.

Read: What is an internship?

Expand your skill base

Employers are looking to hire individuals with a wide range of relevant skills. Increasing your scope of skills acquisition can be advantageous. You can find all sorts of resources, including free online courses for reliable jobs like personal support workers, for example. It will help to look for associated classes and if they aren't available with your current educator, look for online opportunities.

Use your school or university's career service

The career services offered by your learning establishment will help you jump-start your career. Your school's career service is included in your tuition fees. It provides a wealth of career information and resources, such as writing an effective CV to secure your first job or connecting you with postgraduates with experience to share.

Pursue your passion

The clearest route to finding happiness is to find a career that mirrors something you love doing. The adage of 'find a job you enjoy doing, and you will never have to work a day in your life' couldn't be more true. Your days won't feel like work, you will remain driven throughout your career, you will be more productive, and be a solid investment for any employer.

Build your network

Building a professional network while a student is one of the most powerful actions you can embark upon. You have the chance to discover valuable career insights before you start work from working professionals and recent graduates. You can hear from people who have gone through the same process and even make contacts that could alert you to opportunities or serve as a future reference.

Networking should not be restricted to one approach. Consider career fairs, social media platforms, professors, college alumni, and networking groups.

Start a side venture

A side venture can be extremely valuable when it comes time to evidence your skills, strengths, talent, and experience with recruiters and employers. You don't need to be a budding entrepreneur and create a start-up. Instead, you could start a blog, create a YouTube channel, create an online store, or volunteer or freelance your skills to a charity or local business.

Don't be afraid of failure

Making the transition from student to professional isn't guaranteed to be smooth and plain sailing. Many people find themselves in the wrong career or working for a boss who is a literal tyrant. Stay calm and be ready to take these experiences as a learning opportunity to make you a stronger individual and better candidate. As someone new to the working world, it's okay to make a few mistakes and break a few eggs.

Define success as excellence

It is very easy to fall into the trap of believing that success is how much you earn and having the most expensive car or house. However, this modality of thinking will rarely deliver happiness and a feeling of fulfillment. Instead, focus on being excellent in whatever you decide to do. Determine your own destiny and remember that money isn't everything.

Explore careers

Our overwhelming message here is ‘don’t wait for opportunities, create them.’ If you are looking to explore a career path, start today by exploring our career advice below:


About the Author: Debby Burchill

Debby thrives on collaborating with businesses to enhance their job advert potential. She takes pride in assisting clients in discerning optimal salaries based on location and job type, ensuring they attract the crème de la crème of candidates.



Newsletter

Subscribe to our newsletter to get notified of new blog posts from Check-a-Salary