Step 1: Make a plan
‘The end of your second year is a good time for a reality check,’ says Bill Greenwood Senior Careers Adviser at the University of Teesside. ‘First of all there’s job deciding.
Do you know where you want to be in a year’s time? If not, make that your priority. Rather than telling yourself that you’ll sort it out in your final year look for some guidance now, so that you can go into your final year with a much clearer career plan.
‘If you are sure about what you want to do next, then it’s a case of job getting. You may know what you want to do, but do you know who you’ll be applying to? What about deadlines?
It’s not unusual for graduate training schemes to have closing dates in November and December - don’t be caught out.
‘If you’re planning to go on to further study or professional training, then remember that popular options fill up quickly.’
Step 2: Know what employers want
Once your career plan is in place, you need to find out what prospective employers are looking for. ‘Now is the time to evaluate your experience and make sure your CV stands out from the crowd,’ says Carl Gilleard, Chief Executive of the Association of Graduate Recruiters.
‘You need to be able to demonstrate that you have developed ‘softer’ skills such as team-working. This may sound like a tall order, but remember that even working in the union bar requires numeracy and people skills.
Undertaking extracurricular activities demonstrates enthusiasm and proactivity and these are qualities that future employers will be looking for.’
Step 3: Top up your CV
If you feel that your CV is lacking the skills that Carl highlights, then take the time to tackle your skills shortage this summer. It could make all the difference when it comes to job hunting in the final year.
‘Now is the ideal time for employers to tap into the short-term student workforce on their doorstep,’ says Heather Collier from the National Council for Work Experience.
Step 4: Earn extra brownie points
If you’re looking to add that extra sparkle to your CV, time spent volunteering over the coming year could offer that extra something. As Swatee Deepak, Policy and Development Coordinator at Student Volunteering England explains:
‘Volunteering offers an excellent opportunity to develop personal and career skills and can boost your CV, particularly when undertaken in your final year, where it shows even greater initiative and commitment.
Step 5: Prepare to study
With your career plan in place and your CV in top shape the only thing left is to make sure that you are ready for the academic demands of the final year.
‘The additional demands of job hunting, dissertations and revision challenge many third year students’ time management skills,’ says Robert Blake from the Student Learning Development Centre at Lancaster University.
‘Look at the third year course outlines and ask lecturers to suggest key books to break the back of the reading, particularly for more challenging courses.
Make sure second year course notes are well organised and tackle areas of difficulty well before you face them in the finals.’
