Prepare for your career in your final year of uni with 5 easy steps

The start of a new year can signify different things to different people; to some it symbolises the closing of a chapter, to others it’s a celebration of opportunities to come, but for many of you reading this, it may signify the start of your final year of university.

Coming towards the end of your university degree can bring up various emotions. Some of you may be feeling excited, others maybe relived, or anxious, while many will be starting to think about what to do next.

Regardless of what you decide to do, it is important to make the most of your time left at university to help better prepare you for life after your degree. Here is my list of things I recommend you should do in your final year of study.

Gain some work experience

Whether it is through paid work, internships or volunteering, work experience is a great way to develop professional skills like communication, teamwork and time management. These skills are highly valued by employers and will help you when drafting your application documents and interviewing for future roles.

The job opportunities section of UTS CareerHub is a great place to discover and apply for a variety of different roles.

Write your professional resume

Even if you aren’t planning on applying for work straight away, you will most likely need a professional resume at some point in your life. Your final year if a great time to pull this together as you have access to a number of resume resources as well as the ability to have your document instantly reviewed through RateMyResume.

When writing your professional resume don’t forgot to include all the wonderful experiences you’ve had a university including stand out projects and extra-curricular activities.

Grow your social connections

Online study has made it increasingly challenging to forge social connections at university. However, as more classes and events are moving back to in-person, now is a great time to take advantage of your final year and get involved in university life by joining an on-campus club or society. 

ActivateUTS has over 130 clubs and societies where you can meet and socialise with like-minded students and feel a part of the UTS student community.

Build your professional network

Having connections to professionals working in your area of interest can not only open up employment opportunities in the future, but allow you to gain insights into the industry including trends, sought after skills, and recruitment practices, to help you stand out from the crowd when applying for roles.  

The UTS Professional Mentoring Platform allows you to connect with volunteer mentors based on similar interests, aspirations and affiliations. Here you can get advice on your career, feedback on applications, interview prep and insights into industry pathways.

Apply for graduate programs

If you are interested in undertaking a graduate program upon completion of your degree, you will need to start applying for these early in your final year. Applications for these can open up to 12 months in advance and the multi-stage recruitment process for each program can take on average three to four months if successful.

Check out GradConnection and GradAustralia for a comprehensive list of graduate employers and information on how and when to apply.

Regardless of how you choose to finish your final year of university, it is important to take time to focus on your wellbeing. Between all the assignments, exam, work and personal commitments it is easy to neglect taking doing the things you enjoy.

In order to make the most of your final year, you should make time in your schedule to do something for yourself, whether that is socialising with friends, playing sport, taking up a new hobby, or visiting a new destination. Make the most of your last year living the student life! 

Featured image courtesy of Unsplash