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Chapter 1
Decisions, decisions âŚ
What happens now? What happens next?
What happens from now in your life depends on how determined you are to turn your hopes, aspirations, dreams and ambitions into being, and what sort of journeys, adventures, fun and experience you want to enjoy in it. Your future plans may already be known to you; you may be kicking lots of ideas about, or just not have a clue. What you do know is that there are lots of decisions to make, plans to be laid and things to do â but what, exactly? Where do you start?
Looking at the next few months
If youâve already left university, you may happily spend the summer having a break at home before considering what happens next. The start of the academic year may feel strange as you realise that for the first time, perhaps in your life, you donât have to go back to a new term. You can do as you like. This may also be strange to the people you live with, such as your parents. They may not be used to you being around and may start giving you odd jobs to do which interfere with your day and which you may resent. Meal times may be punctuated with discussions about your future and when youâre going to get a ârealâ job; visitors to the house ask whether youâve got a job yet. It may feel as if life is going backwards or standing still, instead of moving forward. Build a routine into your life, even if you have no work or study to go to. It will help you when you start work.
You may have studied part time for your degree while holding down a full-time job, working two or three hours a night and trying the patience of loved ones as you disappear to study yet again. Youâve probably pleaded with the boss for more time off, spent lunch times doing research on the internet and sneaked the odd sickie to get that assignment done. And now youâre faced with many free hours and you feel a bit lost. Itâs nice to have a rest from all that study, but having risen to one challenge, you want another.
Whether you are an undergraduate or a postgraduate, if youâre still at university, create time now in your week to plan your career. Think ahead. Participate in activities such as constructive work experience, internships, develop your web of industry contacts, voluntary work, attend careers and trade events, research the job market, find out what resources are available if you want to become self-employed, consider further study, visit the careers service in person and online, and analyse your own strengths and capabilities. Fill any gaps in your skills base which may show up on your CV. Do something unusual which really will make you stand out from other candidates. Employers are often looking for that one line which makes them sit up and think, Wow, Iâve got to meet this person!
| Start building bridges from where you are now and where you want to be. The more foundations you can lay down now, the easier life will be later. |
Take control. Get organised
Create a folder â call it something like âLife After Universityâ â and put everything in it you need to work on to save yourself time rummaging for information here and there. Create a career folder on your PC or laptop for email. Bookmark useful websites you refer to continually. Efficient organisation will clear your mind of clutter and enable you to think more clearly. Your âlife afterâ folder should grow week by week as you add to it and expand your knowledge, contacts, ideas and work.
Then look ahead
There are several decisions to make about your life after graduating. These vary from the urgent and/or important, to those things which simply need to be dealt with, such as âWhat will I do with all my books and materials?â and âWhich friends do I want to keep in touch with?â. There will be urgent decisions you need to make today. The important ones are not usually time pressured but they affect the big picture, i.e. your life. An important and urgent decision may be: Do you accept that offer of a postgraduate place you had yesterday? Itâs Tuesday now, you have until Thursday at 5 p.m. to decide.
Two major issues youâll need to deal with are those of career and finance. Devote more time and energy to these now. Socialising may be fun but it wonât bring you the best rate of return career-wise, nor will it help you pay off your debts. Plotting your career and working up the ladder will bring a higher salary, and youâll need to apply discipline and rigour to managing your finances if you are to clear your debts. Letâs follow these two areas in life further.
Do career and financial audits
Table 1.1 demonstrates questions to ponder.
Doing an audit like this empowers you because youâre choosing to address your situation, dealing with known facts rather than assumptions or guesses, so itâs easier to move forward and take action. With regard to debts, it is better to know what your bottom
| Career | Finance |
| What do I want to achieve in life? | How much do I owe? |
| What is i... |
