It can often be a little stressful to think about your career path after graduation. There are often questions of what a graduate program can specifically offer. Why are they different from moving into a regular entry-level role instead? This article will outline the benefits of applying for a graduate program, and how it can allow you to make the best decisions for your career moving forward.
When you reach the end of your degree, you are faced with many options to step into the workplace. While these options can feel intimidating, they can be just as exciting! You do not have to be confined to one workplace choice, and that means you can choose which program will work for you and help advance your career. Graduate positions are an amazing place to start, and while it can seem like a standard job position, it is not the case.
1. An understanding community outside of university
It can be difficult to transition from a learning space to a professional space, and graduate programs provide the right tools to do so smoothly. They have experience with university students and can provide an environment that eases you into professional work. Graduate programs also have many other recent grads in the same place, so you can have a community of people much like yourself. It is a great place to meet new colleagues your age who are heading down a similar career as you.
2. Structured learning at your own pace
Graduate programs are designed with recent graduates in mind, meaning they have established training and development programs. Stepping into a normal workplace after graduation can be very anxiety-inducing, especially if they expect you to learn tasks quickly. Graduate programs create a space that encourages learning, but also allows you to expand on your areas of interest. They make sure to take their time teaching any new tasks, procedures or software, allowing an environment that feels comfortable for recent graduates.
3. Training and the opportunity to learn tasks outside your position
Graduate programs have excellent training procedures and development opportunities, allowing you to learn and cultivate new skills and digital software. It can be very daunting going into a professional space right after University, especially if your degree is more theory-based. These programs implement training opportunities that allow you to adapt to a new environment as well as utilise your degree in a practical space. They also allow you to learn tasks outside of your particular area of interest, for example, if you have signed up for a human resources-based graduate program, but want to explore the administration side, you can do that. You are not confined to one area of learning and they are often happy to provide a wide range of new areas to explore.
4. Give insight into what your future career might look like
Finishing a degree can make you feel confused as to what career you want to step into, for example, social arts degrees have so many potential career options. Graduate programs are a great way to start, they allow you to discover what you are interested in and what you want your future to look like. It can also help you learn what you are not interested in, for example, you may start a program in a financial department and realise that it is not for you - and that’s totally okay!
5. Teach you workplace skills
If, like me, you have spent most of your degree working in a hospitality or retail space, going into a workplace environment is a very new experience. Graduate programs give you the knowledge to interact with people using the right etiquette. How do you write a respectful work email? How do you manage and allocate tasks? How do you speak and engage with coworkers? All of these are important for your career moving forward because it will allow you to learn both soft and hard skills during a graduate program.
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