Plan for Your Professional Career Out of University

Are you just about to graduate from college or university and are worried about your future? You are not alone, many young graduates find themselves in a catch 22 situation of not being experienced enough and require the job for the experience. Here are just a few tips to get you started, or if you have just started university and are already thinking about your career, these will be helpful for you to plan your years ahead.

1. Utilize the university services
Many universities and colleges offer career advice and job search services. Employers who are specifically after university students and graduate to fill their vacancies will most often be advertising here, and therefore, you are more likely to find the job that is suitable for your skills and situation here rather than the job websites that tailor to professional employment. The advisors are also great in giving resume and job hunting tips to get you along the way.

2. Look for company sponsorships
Many large corporates will sponsor high achieving students through their degree and offer them a job at their company straight after graduation. This can partly be found through their corporate education websites, notices in newspapers and other print media as well as through personal contacts. Like many professions it is not about what you can do, it's more about who you know. So start networking and get that opportunity to get your foot in the door.

3. Graduate Programs
Each year, corporations as well as government organisations run graduate programs dedicated in employing university / college graduates for their basic positions. This is usually advertised through the university career services or through job newspapers and online searches. Graduate programs are a great way to begin your professional career as they are mostly tailored to give you an opportunity to work in different sections in the same organization so that you can choose where you would like to specialize. They also take in graduates from various academic backgrounds so everyone has a chance to apply.

4. Research the job market and their requirements
While you are still studying, you can start planning ahead of your career by research into the ideal jobs you would like to do when you graduate. Have a look at what the positions are and what knowledge they require so that you can start tailoring your studies towards that goal. By choosing the majors and subjects to align with your future careers means you are already ahead of the pack to gain skills needed in your specific field.

5. Register with a recruitment agency
By registering with a recruitment agency, you are screened for any suitable jobs that comes along before they even appear in the papers. The agency will contact you when a job that is suitable to your skills and knowledge and set you up with interviews. This eliminates the need for you to apply directly to the companies and you can then spend more time in preparing for the interview. The agencies will often provide tips on interviewing skills.

6. Go along to career conventions
Once again, it's not about what you know, it's about who you know. Going along to career conventions where employers specifically set up to look for their perfect candidate. Not only will you get to find out about working in various companies, get to talk to the people already in the company, this is the perfect chance to network. Get chatting and hand out your CVs directly to the companies is a great way to get your foot in the door.

7. Don't be afraid to take smaller jobs
Not all of us land the ideal job we are after and sometimes, a small sacrifice is needed to work your way up. Taking jobs that pay less or have less benefits doesn't mean you will get stuck there forever. This is your opportunity to gain the experience you want and be able to apply for a better job in the future. Not to mention, you might have the chance to network and meet someone that might be looking for an employee just like you.

Our first professional employment experience are all stressful and sometimes, not everyone is lucky enough to land their dream job. However, there are always ways to gain employment and the ultimate tip is not to give up! Your perfect job is just around the corner.