In this blog, Careers Consultant Jane Ansell shares some top tips and useful resources from the Careers Service for students nearing the end of their degree
As your time at Cambridge draws to a close, there will be much to celebrate – the end of exams, continuing to progress with your career aspirations and the anticipation of what lies ahead. We also understand that this can be a time of uncertainty and anxiety as you begin to navigate ‘what’s next’, whether it’s a gap year job, starting your career, volunteering, travelling or just taking time out to reflect on what’s important to you. But as you move from being a Cambridge student to an alum, your Careers Service is still here for you, to help you decide what to do now, saving you time and maximising your chances of success.
Here are a few ways in which the Careers Service can help…
Choosing a career
We can support you whether you have no idea what to do after Cambridge, a few ideas or a clear idea. Whatever stage you are at, check out our many easy-to-access online resources to help develop your ideas and make decisions:
- Use our self-reflection toolkitto acknowledge and articulate your experience, skills, values and interests and how they might be applied when considering an area of work.
- Start from scratch or revamp your CV with the help of our CV guide book – then upload it to our online CV checker CareerSet for some tips and hints on making it more impactful
- Browse our A-Z Sector web pages to see what other Cambridge grads go on to do, find out if you’re suited to a particular sector, how to get the experience to be credible, and where to look for opportunities.
- Watch or listen to those already working in their chosen field, by searching the multiple playlists on the Careers Service YouTube In the many interviews and career panels across all sectors, you’ll discover what a job is like day-to-day, the experience that’s especially valuable and advice on how to get into that particular area of work.
- Search our UniCam Careers blogs for inspiration about what other alums have gone on to do and how they got there.
Spring-clean your online presence
As well as polishing your CV, make sure your online presence is also working hard for you. Both LinkedIn and Handshake are valuable tools for connecting with potential employers and maximising your chances of finding opportunities, so make sure your profiles are up to date. When updating your Handshake profile, be sure to tell us what stage you are at and what your career interests are, so that we can tailor information we send to you. See our quick ‘how to’ guide videos linked above.
Boost your job search
There are lots of ways to maximise your efforts when it comes to looking for opportunities and vacancies. Searching on Handshake is a great place to start, but before you do, read our latest blog on 5 myths about your job search with the Careers Service – it should help to answer some common queries. A recent survey of employers by Bright Network found 53% will be increasing their recruiting from last year, so checking regularly will make sure you don’t miss any suitable opportunities. See our Smart Job Searching series of short videos with advice on finding employer inspiration, types of roles available, using social media and key Careers Service resources. Job searching can be a stressful time, so take a look at our new blog all about Managing your wellbeing in the hunt for a job, to pick up some useful tools and advice for looking after yourself.
Expand your network
‘Networking’ doesn’t have to be scary! From family and friends, to tutors and work colleagues, our network is made up of those close to us in all areas of our lives. Reaching out to those around us can provide inspiration about possible career interests and opportunities, and help discover what you might like to do, or not. Often opportunities can come from those conversations. So make your contacts work for you!
- Find alumni on LinkedIn or through your College Development team.
The number one factor employers look for in successful candidates is a passion for what the employer does…discover reasons to be enthused about a job and how to express it at interviews from our alumni who are currently employed and have been in your position.
- Browse our virtual network on Alumni Careers Connect – they’ve specifically signed up to the ACC scheme because they want to help so they’d love to hear from you!
Join us for Finalist Focus Week – Wednesday 29 June to Wednesday 6 July
The Careers Service will be running a themed series of events and activities from Wednesday 29 June to Wednesday 6 July. There will be a mixture of in-person and virtual sessions, prioritising the issues, concerns and questions you may have as you are about to graduate, including:
- Summer recruitment Fair attended online by employers
- Career Essential workshops on making successful applications, sourcing opportunities, preparing for interviews, and highlighting your own strengths
- A briefing for international students wishing to extend their stay in the UK under the relatively new Graduate Visa route by the International Student Team
- Drop in and virtual appointments to chat with the entire Careers Service team prioritised for those graduating.
To sign up for any of the above, go to Finalist Focus
And finally…please stay in touch
We are your Careers Service for life, so when you graduate you will still have full access to everything we offer, including relevant events, resources and appointments with Careers Consultants. If you would like to discuss your options, appointments are easily available and booked online via Handshake – here’s how.