July 31, 2023, by ahyeo2
The End of University… What Now?
Emily Oxbury, History student blogger
So, you’ve graduated university. Everything you’ve been working towards for the past few years has led to this moment. But the days after graduation can feel like the loneliest, most confusing days. What do I do now? Who can I go to for help? What jobs should I apply for? I faced all the same questions last summer when I finished my undergraduate degree, and certainly felt a little lost at times. However, here are my top tips to get over those post-University blues and throw yourself into the next adventure.
Stay in contact
Leaving behind a wealth of friends and tutors can feel upsetting, but there’s no reason you need to lose all contact with the people you’ve met throughout your studies! I found sending a goodbye email to my tutors to thank them for all their support throughout my degree was a great way to also share with them my next steps (which happened to be continuing to see lots of them on my master’s programme!). This also meant I felt as though I could continue to update them on what I was up to, and ask for references and job help when necessary.
Utilise services
As a University of Nottingham alumni you continue to have access to all the wonderful career services. Whilst you may not physically be staying in Nottingham, many of the services and team are accessible online. Whether it be help with a job application or advice on how you can further enhance your CV over the summer break, the team are more than happy to help!
Job hunting
There’s a lot of pressure the minute you leave University to land your dream role and begin working straight away. Whilst numerous fantastic graduate programmes exist, they’re not for everyone and every individual will need to take a different approach to the job market. Don’t be afraid to hunt around for jobs and apply to multiple – you don’t have to take the first opportunity for the sake of it! Lots of my friends continued jobs in the hospitality sector (which they’d had throughout their time at University) while searching for jobs to kickstart their careers.
Don’t forget your hobbies
It can be easy to get swamped in the world of work when you first start job searching. But don’t let this take away from continuing with your passions and interests. Maybe you were part of a University sports team, or involved in a student media group – why not try to find a local team to join, or a place to volunteer? It’s super important to keep up with these extracurricular activities as these enrich your CV further.
Just because your degree is over does not mean your links to the University of Nottingham are gone. Make sure to make the most of all the services available to alumni and keep in contact!
Not sure where to start? Book an appointment with the Careers team.
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