How did you decide what you wanted to do after graduation?
Discussion
I've just graduated from Newcastle Uni with a BSc in Economics...and I have no idea what I want to do! I've worked for an alarm company on weekends for the past 10 months doing promotional stuff and have been offered a job as a salesman, however the pay is only around £100/week + commission. I find out the commission figures tomorrow and I should be able to make a decent wage but my boss has warned me it will be around 3 months till I will have a steady decent income, and I'm not sure if I can wait that long.
I've applied for 40 odd jobs over the past 2 days, everything from car sales to management training schemes in a wide variety of companys but I honestly have no idea what I really want to do, so I was hoping for some advice on what you lot did after university and how you decided what you wanted to do?
What concerns me is it looks like I've got 50 or so years of work ahead of me and don't want to get stuck in something I hate!
Any advice is much appreciated
I've applied for 40 odd jobs over the past 2 days, everything from car sales to management training schemes in a wide variety of companys but I honestly have no idea what I really want to do, so I was hoping for some advice on what you lot did after university and how you decided what you wanted to do?
What concerns me is it looks like I've got 50 or so years of work ahead of me and don't want to get stuck in something I hate!
Any advice is much appreciated
Same here, but more time to choose...
Currently doing BSc in Geography... Unfortunately, I have no idea what career (other than Geog teacher) I can get with that degree...
Would like to be in the motor industry, but I doubt a Geog degree would be much of a plus in that field...
Obviously I understand that I have to start on the bottom rung (unlike many a student who seem to be under the impression that degrees pay off in the graduation year), but what kind of field (pun) can I use a Geog degree in, preferably in the motor industry
In short, I'm in for some advice too
Currently doing BSc in Geography... Unfortunately, I have no idea what career (other than Geog teacher) I can get with that degree...
Would like to be in the motor industry, but I doubt a Geog degree would be much of a plus in that field...
Obviously I understand that I have to start on the bottom rung (unlike many a student who seem to be under the impression that degrees pay off in the graduation year), but what kind of field (pun) can I use a Geog degree in, preferably in the motor industry
In short, I'm in for some advice too
Is it really so normal now that people are choosing degrees without any thought of what to do with it after? I mean no offence but the push to get larger numbers into uni is to blame. I know so many people not using the degrees they qualified with, and too many struggling to get decent work at all.
My advice would be to find something you enjoy and get into it. Hopefully with a degree you'll do well and go far.
Or get a graduate job at Aldi, earn good money quick and move around in management positions until you find a company you enjoy.
Oh and don't worry too much, you really can change your choices again, it just takes organising yourself and sometimes some luck.
My advice would be to find something you enjoy and get into it. Hopefully with a degree you'll do well and go far.
Or get a graduate job at Aldi, earn good money quick and move around in management positions until you find a company you enjoy.
Oh and don't worry too much, you really can change your choices again, it just takes organising yourself and sometimes some luck.
When making career choices, I think it depends if you have the luxury and luck of being able (academically and financially) to following your dream.
I bet most 35 year olds you ask will tell you they are not doing what they really want to do if given loads of choices out of uni
If you don't have a realistic dream, then just take whichever job offers the most cash and career possibilities. Thats what most people do
I bet most 35 year olds you ask will tell you they are not doing what they really want to do if given loads of choices out of uni
If you don't have a realistic dream, then just take whichever job offers the most cash and career possibilities. Thats what most people do
The only real advice I can give is a Chinese proverb, "the path is known to each man by his finding it". No-one else can tell you what is best for you.
However as a more immediate help, it's much easier to get a job when you already have a job. If there's not much that you want to do coming up and the alternative is not very much then take what you can and start to prove yourself. As a recent graduate you aren't actually much immediate use to anyone in the world of work, in one sense you've passed through a doorway, but on the other side of that doorway is now a ladder to get anywhere.
Personally - I have a science degree and wanted to carry on in science and use my degree to do something and go somewhere I would never otherwise have had the chance to do, so I did - that dealt with the next 3 years while I grew up a bit more.
However as a more immediate help, it's much easier to get a job when you already have a job. If there's not much that you want to do coming up and the alternative is not very much then take what you can and start to prove yourself. As a recent graduate you aren't actually much immediate use to anyone in the world of work, in one sense you've passed through a doorway, but on the other side of that doorway is now a ladder to get anywhere.
Personally - I have a science degree and wanted to carry on in science and use my degree to do something and go somewhere I would never otherwise have had the chance to do, so I did - that dealt with the next 3 years while I grew up a bit more.
Agree with thinking about what you might enjoy. I applied for a job simply to keep my parents from nagging when I finished and ended up getting it. It was alright and gave me the experience I needed and I left about 2 years ago once I actually realised what parts I enjoyed the most. I joined a company that specilises in the kind of projects I enjoyed.
Wattsie said:
Currently doing BSc in Geography... Unfortunately, I have no idea what career (other than Geog teacher) I can get with that degree...
I find it amusing that people will do a degree without any thought about future employment. Fortunately for you there are a huge range of different jobs you can do with a geography degree (or with any respected degree).I've known what I wanted to do for 5 years now and I'm currently doing an internship to confirm that I like it. Hopefully they will offer me a job and then I'll have no worries at graduation time
TVR MAN said:
Wattsie said:
Currently doing BSc in Geography... Unfortunately, I have no idea what career (other than Geog teacher) I can get with that degree...
I find it amusing that people will do a degree without any thought about future employment. Fortunately for you there are a huge range of different jobs you can do with a geography degree (or with any respected degree).I've known what I wanted to do for 5 years now and I'm currently doing an internship to confirm that I like it. Hopefully they will offer me a job and then I'll have no worries at graduation time
tty degree (business) at a stty uni in the end as I wanted to keep options open and was worried about working in the IT industry my whole life despite having previous experience and being pretty decent at it.. Also got pushed into going straight to uni by parents, really big mistake IMOI turned down a 'redbrick' for a polllllllllly = fail
TVR MAN said:
Wattsie said:
Currently doing BSc in Geography... Unfortunately, I have no idea what career (other than Geog teacher) I can get with that degree...
I find it amusing that people will do a degree without any thought about future employment. Fortunately for you there are a huge range of different jobs you can do with a geography degree (or with any respected degree).I've known what I wanted to do for 5 years now and I'm currently doing an internship to confirm that I like it. Hopefully they will offer me a job and then I'll have no worries at graduation time
Career choices is just an area which I feel I should have started thinking about by now... I do have some pretty expensive aspirations, afterall
Shaolin said:
The only real advice I can give is a Chinese proverb, "the path is known to each man by his finding it". No-one else can tell you what is best for you.
This guy has got it. I finished my Education in February 2009, and I'll tell you know - things don't just 'fall into place' when you leave University. But dont worry.
Shaolin said:
However as a more immediate help, it's much easier to get a job when you already have a job. If there's not much that you want to do coming up and the alternative is not very much then take what you can and start to prove yourself. As a recent graduate you aren't actually much immediate use to anyone in the world of work, in one sense you've passed through a doorway, but on the other side of that doorway is now a ladder to get anywhere.
This - and I guess this is kinda what I've done. I'm in a job now that directly relates to my education, but I dont really think its me and I'm beginning to think that a life in forces is what might suit me. Also - get as much job experience as you can while you study - whatever you can do - in my experience it counts MASSIVELY when you finish Uni. And ALWAYS do a placement year where there is the opportunity.
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