Brain Staines is head of guidance at the Careers Service, University of Bristol
Start thinking about your career plans as soon as possible: The key message in any careers preparation for undergraduates is start on the process as early as possible. There are still many undergraduates who arrive at the end of their final year before they start to think about their careers, only to find they have missed deadlines and are still not really sure about what they would like to do. This is sometimes due to time getting squeezed by studies, part-time work, or other activities while at university, but can also be due to the fear of making the wrong decision, embarking on the wrong career, with potential detrimental lifetime implications. The latter is far from the truth. Many graduates change career path after graduating, and use the first two or three years after graduating to help in their career choice. The real decision is not so much "Am I embarking on a future long-term career?", more, given what you know about the employment market, "Is this next decision the right one for me at this time?" Thinking in this way can often lead to far less anxiety in making a career decision. Perhaps, the only wrong decision is not to make a decision at all.
Anne Wilson is head of careers at Student Careers & Skills, University of Warwick
Identifying your skills, strengths, values and motivations is time well spent: Sometimes students are so anxious to secure a job they don't always consider whether the job they are applying for would actually suit them. Frequently these applications don't convince the recruiter of the applicant's interest in the role either and they don't make it onto the shortlist. Identifying your skills, strengths, values and motivations is time well spent. You will be better placed to identify specific opportunities which are a good match, screening out many more that aren't. By considering what's important to you as well as what the employer is looking for, your applications will convey a genuine sense of your motivation, increasing the likelihood of being shortlisted and ultimately of securing an offer.
Andrew Whitmore is assistant director of the Manchester Leadership Programme, Careers & Employability Division, at the University of Manchester
Work experience can help you find answers to the tricky competency-based questions employers ask on application forms or at interviews: Putting yourself in the workplace, even on a temporary basis, gives you the chance to develop new skills that can be used later in life and help you to find answers to the tricky competency-based questions employers ask on application forms or at interviews. Work experience also helps you to understand yourself and see how you might fit into a particular role. Even spending a few days shadowing someone in a role can give you an insight into whether you are cut out for that type of job. Finally, lots of companies use internships and placements as a form of early identification of graduate talent. Both the employer and the student find out whether they are right for each other, and many businesses like to use the internship to select candidates for their permanent graduate positions.
Nick Keeley is director of the Careers Service at Newcastle University
Invest time in making an impact in what you do outside your studies: Even if you have no idea what you want to do in terms of a job after graduation, get involved in something where you will be able to show how you have stood out and made a real impact in an organisation, or to the people around you, whether it's through a part-time job, a university activity, a volunteering project, a sports team or something else which inspires you. Don't confuse this with simply filling your CV with loads and loads of activities. My advice is to opt for quality over quantity every time, helping you to make the space to gain a good degree and also create a compelling profile of achievement – it's a winning combination.
Steve Norman is a careers adviser at the University of Edinburgh Careers Service
Make the most of the rich source of contacts at university by networking: Networking is not nepotism — it is a means of identifying those who can give you information and advice to help you increase your knowledge, make good quality decisions and possibly source opportunities. You almost certainly already have a network to start with — friends and family, friends' families and families' friends. Are they doing, or have they done, jobs which interest you? They might be able to put you in touch with people who are. Remember academic staff too, and not just lecturers — postgraduate students may also be able to offer help and insights. Your own personal contacts from work experience, vacation or term-time jobs and voluntary work can also be useful. Most university careers service will have a list of alumni contacts who are doing the sort of work you would like to do. They probably won't be involved in recruitment but they can give you top tips on what to do to get into this kind of work. Start building your network now – make contacts, stay in touch on a regular basis and, who knows, these people could be very useful in the future if you are looking for work experience or that graduate position.
Lucy Williams is a careers adviser at the Careers and Employability Centre, University of Birmingham
Be savvy about where future opportunities might lie: Develop an intense curiosity about the world around you and become a nosy parker about people you meet and organisations you encounter. New roles are created as a result of technological changes, government policy, economic conditions, changes in consumer habits and so on. Follow trends, people, organisations and get an idea about what's coming round the corner — then use your time at university to develop the skills, experience, and knowledge you know will be in demand.
Phil Clarke is a senior careers adviser for Careers, Employability and Skills at Queen's University Belfast
Consider having a back-up plan: Having a plan B is a good idea in case your first choice doesn't work out, or you change your mind (it happens!). Being flexible about what you're willing to consider is especially important in the current climate with increased competition for graduate jobs and postgraduate course places. Do the research into your chosen career or course options — how easy (or not) is it to get in? Are there different routes available to you? There may be other jobs or courses that are similar – perhaps involving related skills or work environments that could be viable alternatives? Perhaps just being more geographically mobile could do the trick and open up more opportunities? If there are other options that could be for you — check them out. Apply for a greater range of jobs or courses than you might have first considered, attend appropriate events arranged by your university careers service, identify any relevant graduate training initiatives in your area and review your CV to see if there are any gaps in your skills profile. If necessary, you can look into upgrading these, perhaps through further work experience.
