Leaving college to enter the real world of work and responsibility can be one of the most stressful transitions you can ever make in your life. It’s the first time you don’t have it all mapped out for you, the world is truly your oyster and this can be both exciting and intimidating in, pretty much, equal measure. So here is a guide to the various options you can consider following your successful graduation from higher education.
Further Study
If you’ve done this well and graduated with good grades and, hopefully, honors, then why not consider continuing your good work and take up the opportunity of post-graduate studysuch as an MBA? You can take on a Masters degree or even consider a doctorate Ph.D. which is a research degree that lasts a minimum of three years taking in serious academic research that adds to the body of knowledge in your subject area. These can be very expensive but there are various ways of applying for funding.
Graduate Trainee-Management Scheme
Many large companies have a management trainee scheme for university graduates where you are fast-tracked to management positions and even specifically mentored and trained in management techniques. Some of these positions are greatly sought-after so good grades and a top application are key to claiming a place on one of these.
Start A Business
Why not take the future into your own hands and consider starting your own business? This is something that is time-consuming and requires a lot of dedication and hard work and requires a lot of prep. You need to write a detailed business plan, work out who the customers are, estimate sales, and profit and loss forecast as well as keeping up to date on accounts and even make sure you have the correct lawyers such as OpenLegal.
Take Up An Internship
Sometimes you will leave your studies with no real work experience or at least no quality work experience, but don’t worry this is quite normal. So why not apply for an unpaid internship? Why if you don’t get paid would you do this? Well quite simply, you will get high-end industry experience (if you choose the right program), contacts and references which will be invaluable in securing your first paid professional position. There are many places where you can view the current opportunities and even apply directly from those sites.
Take Some Time Out
After finishing your studies it may be time to take some time away to consider yourself, think about your next move and just have some experiences and make some memories. Many students now have this gap year in their life and there are so many options, from traveling to teaching English or work & travel programs. If you do this be sure to make good use of the time and not just spend a year on the couch eating chips as you’ll possibly never get a chance of this sort of time ever again in your life.
