by Nathan
Exploring career options can feel like trying to explore a deep, dark and unfathomable cave. Vast and sprawling with gloomy, twisting tunnels and an intimidating maw for an entrance. That’s how I felt before I became a Careers Peer Coach. This was the torch I needed to provide light on job searching, careers planning and graduate schemes. I hope to share some tips to help guide your own journey into the cave of careers.
Spelunking (the sport of walking and climbing in caves) starts with a plan, and the earlier the better. Begin looking inwards, at what you want for your career. What are the current things you want to achieve this year? Maybe you want to secure a place on a graduate scheme, or an internship. Perhaps you’re considering your options of further study. It might be more immediate, as it was with me, you’re looking for a part-time job to gain some money.
Next, it’s time to figure out how to get it. That means exploring that cavernous world of careers. On the hunt for any sparkling gems that are exactly what you want.
Cavers need the proper equipment to explore the subterrain, to be safe and efficient. For those of us conducting careers exploration, we need the proper equipment too. That equipment comes in the form of the UWE Career Toolkit. If you’re looking for a tip or a trick to get you heading in the right direction, then there really isn’t a better place I can point you to than the Career Toolkit.
This is a nifty little web page that acts as guiding rope and as excavating pick for when you’ve found those hidden gems. On there are sections about work experience, placements, CVs and interviews, postgraduate options, international routes, the list is near endless.
If I could share one of those hidden gems it would be the PDF list found under the ‘Jobs & work experience by degree or occupation’ tab within the ‘Job-searching’ tile. These are a fantastic list of career options by study area that are worth a look. They contain advice on searching for jobs as well as links to employers who have provided graduate places or internships before. Take each tool out as needed and you won’t get lost.
Hopefully with the Career Toolkit in your pocket, you’ll be feeling confident and able to step into your own cave of careers and find your own sparkling solutions.