As a university student who graduates in a year and a half, I have started to feel that anxious feeling settling in. “What should I do next? How do I apply for a graduate job? How do I make sure that I am in a good financial position after I graduate?” These are just some of the questions that constantly come across my mind. As the cost-of-living increases and the job market continuously seems terrifying and impenetrable, I am sure many students like me are stressing about finding a graduate position where they can utilise the skills they have spent years studying for. Hopefully, this article will help ease that pre-graduation fear and show you how applying for a graduate job is not as daunting as it seems.
1. Start with Careers Fairs
The first question on every student's mind is, where do I start? Start with what you have easy access to. Career fairs! All universities have career fairs towards the end of every semester, which creates the opportunity for students to talk to employers in different fields and identify where their interest lies. These fairs are free to attend and are advertised regularly on your university’s social media pages. If you are a student who does not know what you want to do after university and feel like there are too many options to choose from, it can be very comforting to step into a space without any expectations and just talk to potential employers. You can enquire into the programs they offer, as graduate programs can be different even in the same company, about what you will learn on the job and what skills in your degree will be in the graduate position. You can attend as many career fairs as you like and over time start to sketch out a plan for your future. Find out more about how to get a graduate job at a careers fair here.
2. Right Here on GradConnection!
A second option to look at is right here on the GradConnection site! If you are overwhelmed about finding a possible job in a questionable economic future, GradConnection allows you to see how many current open graduate and internship opportunities there are by providing you with an optimistic outlook on your future. You can also look into each company to see what their specific goals are, making sure that they align with what you want to learn from your specific graduate position. Not sure where to start? We have tons of tips over on Career Advice!
3. Make the Most of Clubs and Societies
A third option to look at is any clubs and societies you have joined in the past few years. Many societies regularly share niche graduate positions. For example, at Woroni ANU, they often share full time graduate roles with the opportunity to work for The Guardian in Melbourne. Clubs are often contacted by jobs to find people who are interested in that particular area, often your other club members are more than happy to be a reference and help you.
The future can be daunting and intimidating sometimes but preparing is the best thing to ease that anxiety. The journey after university is exciting and allows you to focus on those areas that you have studied hard for. There are many opportunities just around the corner, and there are many spaces in which you can ask for help and guidance. These places can allow you to look towards an optimistic and successful future in a graduate job that is not only perfect for you, but challenges you in the right ways.
 | About The Author Perpetual is an International Relations and Arts (Human Rights and Sociology) student at The Australian National University. She has been writing for Woroni since 2022 and is interested in international politics, and how we can help those around the world. |