Careers rarely establish themselves in a single leap. Even directly vocational courses need to be complemented with extra-curricular activities that help you develop a rounded portfolio of skills that will be invaluable in later life. Use your full student experience throughout your degree to build your capabilities and assemble the evidence to demonstrate them convincingly. Below are some practical steps you can take in each year of your studies. The Careers Centre can assist throughout.

Year 1

• Make the most of university life: there are plenty of clubs, societies, sports teams and other activities to get involved in, where you can develop and demonstrate leadership and other skills useful in later life.
• Take a part-time job through EmployAbility to help pay the bills and gain essential work experience to complement your academic studies.
• Prepare a basic one-page CV. This will help you reflect on your personal development, skills and experience, as well as being something you can show to employers.
• How will you spend your vacations? Aside from taking a holiday, consider gaining summer work or travelling.
   

Year 2

• Apply for work experience in Christmas, Easter or Summer vacations.
• Attend careers talks and events to find out about different occupations, whether related to your degree subject or elsewhere. These will be advertised to you by email or may be part of your timetable.
• Consider doing some form of volunteering. As well as the satisfaction of giving something back to society you can gain skills highly valued by employers.

Year 3/4

• Create a two page CV that does justice to both your academic and non-academic experience. Get feedback on your CV at the Careers Centre.
• Apply for further study or jobs from autumn term onwards. Graduate jobs are advertised from the autumn of your final year. 
• Attend presentations by employers.
• Visit the Careers & Employability early on and avoid last minute panic.