A letter to final years, from 2019 graduates University of Manchester Careers Blog

A letter to… final years, from 2019 graduates Written by Jenny Sloan, Careers Consultant at The Careers Service In the time of Covid-19, we find ourselves in challenging and uncertain times. But final year students face a unique set of challenges, with many of you feeling worried about your future and what’s next after you finish university. The Careers Service is here for you. You can access our staff and support services online, and you can continue to use these resources for up to two years after you finish your course. You can also gain invaluable insights and unique careers advice from UoM alumni on The Manchester Network, who have the benefit of lived experience in specific roles and industries. With this in mind, we asked a few 2019 graduates what they wish they did differently in their second semester of final year. Was there something they wish they had done, but didn’t have the time? Something they know now but didn’t know then? The benefit of hindsight can be a wonderful thing… “I didn’t realise how much free time I had [as a final year], and should have really spent this time volunteering for causes that I am passionate about.” Lisa, Politics and History, 2019 graduate “I would definitely have spent more of my weekends to learn online courses, anything you do can either give you a new skill or will give you an extra insight into what you enjoy doing and whether a specific job type is for you. Also, take each day as it comes, focus on one thing at a time.” Louisa, Biology, 2019 graduate “Set some time aside in your timetable each week to check for jobs â€" jobs come up and get taken down so fast that sometimes it can be easy to miss something that might be perfect for you! Don’t worry if you don’t get your ‘ideal’ job straight away after graduating sometimes it takes longer for the right one to come along!” Emma, Psychology, 2019 graduate “Setting a realistic routine for myself would have helped with my workload and my health… I also would have liked to have gotten involved with an extra-curricular scheme at the University such as student Wellbeing Champions or Peer Support/PASS leadership. I am currently a Wellbeing Champion as staff but feel I could have offered a lot in this role as a student too.” Rachel, Fashion Buying and Merchandising, 2019 graduate Check out our essential actions for your second semester, or our top tips to kick-start your graduate job search after the end of your degree. Remember, if you would like to discuss in more detail about what’s next after graduation, you can book a one-to-one careers guidance appointment with a Careers Consultant by emailing careers.info@manchester.ac.uk All Careers advice Graduate jobs Undergraduate advice final year final year students Graduates