Thinking about the future is daunting, especially when you are in university. This is the time when you have to choose a career path, an interest of yours, and inevitably consider your professional growth and start applying for internships or employment.
This process is harder, especially when you are a fresher. It feels as if you are thrown into the adults’ pool and somehow you have to learn how to swim and stay above the water by yourself. You are overwhelmed by the environment – a new place of study, unfamiliar people, a new home and responsibilities like groceries and laundry are preying on your mind.
However, when it comes to the professional aspect of your development as a character and person in busy London, you are not alone. One of my favourite departments in City, University of London is the Careers, Student Development, and Outreach Centre.
The team of people working there are professionals whose aim is to support and provide us with the exact tools we need in order to enhance our employability. They offer a range of services – mock interviews, opportunities for part-time/temporary work or internships, career-related events, mentoring, and even recruitment. In my personal experience, I have mostly benefited from the Careers Consultant appointments I’ve had and Unitemps.
Careers Guidance appointment’s involve a one-to-one meeting with a professional, who can help you with your career ideas and plans, as well as creating a CV and cover letter for a specified job description. They are confidential and not intimidating. We discussed my strengths and how can I improve my weak points, as well as the issues relating to the transition from study to work. And most importantly, we worked on my CV and cover letter. As I have never written one, I initially trusted templates from Word but found this is not always a good enough approach soon enough. During the overview appointment, you can receive pieces of advice concerning the layout, what is important to include, how to present your best traits and even the way to correctly structure a sentence. This enables you to not only list jobs and skills you have acquired, but also to feel confident when handing in your CV.
When you have prepared, the next step will most probably be Unitemps. You can apply for a variety of job offers at all levels: temporary, permanent or paid internships roles, both at the University and in and around central London. You do not need to sign a contract with Unitemps, which gives you a flexible schedule and the freedom of choice. In that way, you can test your CV and cover letter writing techniques, start working as a Student Ambassador or as a temporary Charity CD Library Assistant like me, and through baby steps conquer internships and find jobs in your field of study.
With the Careers Department support, you have the basis to explore, try and most importantly practice in a safe environment. You can explore what gives you the most pleasure at work, try to apply to as many jobs as possible and practice your interview skills, adaptability and work ethics. Furthermore, you can work on your time-management skills and this is one of the most important strengths you must develop throughout the BA years.
