The third and final year of my degree is, in theory, the year I make plans for after university ends. In theory. The reality has actually been very different, but it’s not the end of the world!
I always knew that I wanted to come to university. I wanted the experience of living away from home and being independent, the opportunity to study something I enjoyed in more depth, and the chance to try new things. At no point did I have any sort of idea of what I wanted to do afterwards, but I thought I would have worked it out by the end of my time at university. Thankfully, as I near the end my university career, I have a vague idea, but no definite plans. I don’t think it’s a bad thing; it’s highly unlikely that the job I have straight after university will be the job I have for the next ten years.
Over the past term, I’ve come to the conclusion that I would really enjoy working at a university. I’ve enjoyed my time at York, so although I feel like I no longer want to study, I like the idea of working in a university environment.
During the term I applied for my first ever graduate scheme, called ‘Ambitious Futures’. The scheme aimed to develop the future leaders of universities and higher education establishments. Spoiler alert: I didn’t get the job. However, the experience I gained from doing a written application, a telephone interview and attending an assessment centre was invaluable. In addition, the assessors gave me in-depth feedback afterwards, and highlighted the areas I excelled in and the areas I could improve, and how to do so. Not all employers give feedback in that way so I felt particularly lucky!
My next plan is to apply to be a graduate ambassador for the university. It’s a year long placement so it would allow me to stay in York for one more year, and gain experience with working within a university. Who knows where it will take me?
The moral of this blog is don’t worry if you don’t have a career in mind. You should go to university because you want to, not to get a job. Finally, it’s okay to have no idea what you’re doing with your life, as long as you do SOMETHING, and you are HAPPY!
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