What you are doing in 2021?

Content provided by the  awesome team at UNE Employability & Careers

Exams, you’re in the middle of them or you’ve just finished them… You probably don’t want to think about 2021, but if you are in your final year of study at UNE, you need too. Honestly, this year is already flying by… Your graduation is literally on the horizon…

UNE graduates obtain awesome positions right across the world each year, you really want to make this happen for yourself. A career path is something that you can take control of and the only way to do that is to put yourself out there and make the most of every opportunity.

Let’s break it down…and answer some of the common career questions that students have.

What is a Graduate Program?

This is a job that is designed specifically for students that have got new tertiary qualifications. It may be a degree, a graduate certificate, graduate diploma, or even a masters.

The employer will put you through vigorous training for a period of 12-36 months and train you into their organisation, undertaking relevant practical tasks and pumping you full of hands-on information. The training often involves rotation through some internal departments so you learn so much more than just doing one job.

There could be more studies involved with having to complete certificates. They train to keep you, and many graduates are promoted quickly – some even before they finish the program.

Why should I be applying for a job?

It is a myth that jobs are just handed to graduates. You have to be fierce and competitive, putting yourself out there and applying for as many jobs as you can – better to have a couple of job offers to choose from than nothing! Just because you have a degree – doesn’t mean you get a job – think about it, there are lots of people with degrees and experience.

How many jobs should I be applying for?

This is a shock to many when I say around 50-60. It can feel like carrying another unit on top of your studies, but if you don’t apply, how else will you get a job? The more applications you make, we hope the more interviews you get, and the more job offers on the table.

What should I be applying for?

Don’t put your eggs all in one basket. Apply for everything you are able to. If you are an Arts student, you will find there are limited job titles asking for an Arts degree, but you will find jobs that state ‘generalist’, ‘humanities’, ‘all degrees’ – you are versatile, so apply. If you do have a dream organisation that you wish to apply to, by applying to many others first, it gives you practice in applications and interviews, so apply, apply, apply!

My friend said not to apply for that…

We all have a lot of friends that are ‘helpful’ – we need to put that aside and make our own decisions. This is your future and no one else’s.

Do not listen to gossip about that ‘organisation is bad to work for’ – do your research and when you get to interview, you can make up your own mind. I have had many students in my office that have said, ‘I don’t really think I want to work for them, I have been told that they are bad to work for’ and then once they get through the interview and offered a position, they realise that this is a dream opportunity. Many are still with those employers today and have been promoted. Also, there are not usually too many ‘friends’ when it comes to job seeking – especially if they have the same experience and qualification as you. They may be talking you out of applying simply because they see you as a threat to them getting the job. It is now all about you.

I don’t know how to find jobs

All UNE students have access to the Careers Online Moodle unit in your myUNE – there is lots of self-help. And when you have drafted a resume or application, that is when you can send it through to the UNE Employability & Careers staff for assistance – simply send it to careers@une.edu.au! 

We also have a great job board on Facebook and LinkedIn (search UNE Employability & Careers) and regularly post to the student societies Facebook pages. If you want to add us to your student Facebook page, just send our office a request.

You also need to sign up to email alerts on job sites such as seek, indeed, iworkfornsw, LinkedIn, etc.  Getting weekly notifications of graduate positions is a necessity to stay on top of what is on offer.

What happens if I miss out?

All is not lost, you can keep applying for many other entry positions – just because you have a degree does not mean you get to apply for the CEO’s job that is being advertised, but you can apply for many other positions, it does not have to be a graduate program.

If you’re feeling lost a Career Coach can talk you through some ideas OR you can drop in or email the team at UNE Employability & Careers.

We get it, it can be a little confronting to think that you only have this one year left before you start your career journey – but don’t let the opportunity get away.

 Remember you’re never alone at UNE and there are many people that can help!

Send an email via AskUNE or via careers@une.edu.au