The most talked about transition is going from school to starting university. It was one of the biggest changes I anticipated, but as my fourth year of studying for my undergraduate and postgraduate degree comes to the end, I think the scariest transition is leaving. I had 4 years of independence and now going back to my family home for a few months feels like I'm regressing. I struggled, thinking “Wait, I’m not coming back here after summer” not because I was going to miss the place, it just became part of routine. ‘Leave for the summer and come back at the start of the new academic year’. My life is not revolving around the academic year and now I almost don't have the comfort of university, it's me and the ‘real’ world. Over the past few months of my journey, I’ve been thinking positively about the whole situation as a positive transition and an exciting fresh start to my life. I know I am not the only one going through this strange feeling of excitement but also with the added scary feeling of transition being constantly on my mind. With people always asking “so what's the plan for after university?” “how's the graduate job search going?” or “ something will work out” it becomes a pressure to have a solid plan. It took changing my whole outlook on life after university to realise I'm doing just fine and so are you. The rest of this article will give you advice on how to ignore the nosey questions, gain confidence and provide techniques to set yourself up for the coming transition.
Try to stop comparing yourself to the people surrounding you. You're not any less ready to transition into a job than the next person. Just because some people around you are more ahead of the job search than you are, or maybe even have a job already lined up, that doesn't mean that they are any better or more ready than you. Career paths are different, company recruiting styles are different and remember that's okay! For the current career path I am looking (I say current because I know my mind may change in a few months) there aren't a whole lot of graduate jobs. This means finding a graduate job or any job after university for me will be a little different. A tip would be to tailor your job search to your career path. The career I am looking to go into would be most beneficial to build my contacts up within the profession. Making yourself stand out and be memorable is key. Attending networking events, talks by people within the profession and finding relevant work experience can be great ways to get your foot in the door. Build your personal brand. It's not too late to start making yourself a desirable candidate for any job. Interact on platforms like LinkedIn, and why not set up your own personal website? Something that's full of jobs you’re looking for. This is a perfect way to showcase a range of work that could potentially be seen by future employers.
While you are still studying at university it is the perfect opportunity to use all the amazing free resources that are provided. If you are at the first stage of figuring out your next steps, maybe speak with a careers advisor or attend a careers fair. Immersing yourself in the possibilities and opportunities you have after completing your degree will allow you to see more easily, your next steps beyond where you see your next steps beyond university. Keep a look out of the Cardiff website and Cardiff university socials as well as the SU as they are always advertising talks and opportunities. I think hearing people in your desired industry talk about their career, how they got there and the advice they have about entering into this profession can either inspire or make you realise maybe this isn't for you. Either response is positive.
During the time of thinking about your next steps it's important to take care of your mental health. In such a time of worry and uncertainty with the cost of living crisis it is even more important to get a job straight out of university. One that pays well and you find yourself most able to grow in is a whole lot of pressure. This can have severe impacts on people's mental health. If there are periods after university where you feel like you are almost floating through or not doing much, get a solid routine down. For me routine is so important in keeping my mental health in order. We are at constant speed while studying, working part-time and partaking in extracurricular alongside our studies as well as socialising; there's barely a moment of rest. When your life drastically changes it can bring up a lot of negative feelings, feelings of not doing enough or feeling like you are currently failing at life. This is something that we need to change. Award yourself that break after the climax of completing education. Read more, see friends, travel, pick up your hobbies again; do all the things that you weren't able to do. Start appreciating calmer moments in life because you deserve it. If the thought of moving into a different stage of your life causes anxiety, contact the health and well-being services, speak to professionals about what is scaring you. The change can be so daunting and it's best to talk about these worries with professionals if things get too scary.
During the time of thinking about your next steps it’s important to take care of your mental health."
The most important thing to remember is that we are all different, we all see change differently and can all react completely differently. That's just being human. If you ever think that you aren't as successful as you could be or didn't envision such a struggle coming out of university, it's important to look at what you've achieved. Your friends will all be at different places in their lives. Some deciding to travel, some landing amazing graduate jobs and some who haven't found something they want to commit to or are struggling with the search. The best thing is not to compare yourself. Appreciate the last four months of university. Make the most out of the resources you have, create memories with the people around you and look forward to the start of your post-uni life.