The beauty of retrospect what I wish I had done for my career during my time at Uni. University of Manchester Careers Blog

The beauty of retrospect… what I wish I had done for my career during my time at Uni. Hi all, I’m Cecily, the new MGP Information and Guidance Support Assistant for the Careers Service. Since I have been spending the past week advising loads of students on how to make the most out of their time at Uni and how to get ahead with their careers I thought I would share with you a few of pieces of advice that I wish I had known. Although first year often doesn’t count towards your degree mark it definitely can affect your chances of securing that dream placement or job.TIP: Don’t throw away an opportunity to show your academic ability! Find a good balance between having fun and getting the grades you want. One simple way to do this is to start your assignments way in advance so you have the maximum time to work on them and still maintain a social life. It may seem like you are minted once that first student loan comes in but trust me, it doesn’t last long. Securing a part time job can be a great way to earn some extra cash and add some essential skills to your CV.TIP: Use Careerslink to search for hundreds of diverse and fun part time jobs in and around Manchester. You’ll thank me once you start edging closer to looming overdraft. Join a society! Not only are they a great way to make friends (cheesy but true) they are a perfect addition to a CV and can be used as examples of teamwork, leadership, entrepreneurship etc which you may be asked about in an interview. TIP: Get yourself to the fresher’s fair to check out the huge range of societies Manchester has to offer. Plus you can get a free slice of Domino’s pizza. This one I can’t stress enough… if you are going in to your final year, relishing in your last 10 months as a student whilst making every effort to not think about the scary future then STOP. The earlier you face the fact that your undergrad uni bubble will end in June the earlier you can get on with exploring the options you have as a graduate and considering what jobs may suit you.TIP: It’s OK to not know what to do! The careers service website is full of information and guidance which can be used to help you figure out what may suit you. If you’d rather talk to someone, give us a ring or come in to the Atrium and we are more than happy to help. My absolute biggest regret was not utilising the Careers Service more. To name a few of its features you can get appointments with specialists in the area you are interested in, people will check and edit your CV and cover letters, give you help with psychometric tests and even do an interview simulation. For free! Although there are tons more tips I could give I think those 5 are probably the most important. The main thing is get thinking about the future early, throw yourself into every opportunity you can and don’t put off going and getting advice and support from the Careers Service until your graduation day! All Make The Most of Manchester Manchester Made Me Student blogs Undergraduate Undergraduate-highlighted career planning careers Getting started job hunting my story part time jobs work experience