Life After...Biological Sciences

A Practical Guide to Life After Your Degree

Sally Longson

• Publisher: Routledge
• Year: 2007
• Print ISBN: 9781138180734
• eBook ISBN: 9781134126170
• Topic: Education
• Subtopic: Counseling in Career Development

Thousands of students graduate from university each year. The lucky few have the rest of their lives mapped out in perfect detail – but for most, things are not nearly so simple. Armed with your hard-earned degree the possibilities and career paths lying before you are limitless, and the number of choices you suddenly have to make can seem bewildering.

Life After Biological Sciences has been written specifically to help students currently studying, or who have recently graduated, make informed choices about their future. It will be a source of invaluable advice and wisdom to business graduates, covering such topics as:

• Identifying career paths that interest you
• Seeking out an opportunity that matches your skills and aspirations
• Staying motivated and pursuing your goals
• Networking and self-promotion
• Making the transition from scholar to worker

The Life After University series of books are more than simple 'career guides'. They are unique in taking a holistic approach to career advice - recognising the increasing view that, although a successful working life is vitally important, other factors can be just as essential to happiness and fulfilment. They are the indispensable handbooks for students considering their future direction.

Chapter 1
Decisions, decisions …

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 – but what, exactly? Where do you start?

Looking at the next few months

If you’ve 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 don’t 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 you’re going to get a ‘real’ job; visitors to the house ask whether you’ve 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. You’ve 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 you’re faced with many free hours and you feel a bit lost. It’s 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 you’re 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, I’ve 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 – call it something like ‘Life After University’ – 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 ‘life after’ 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 ‘What will I do with all my books and materials?’ and ‘Which friends do I want to keep in touch with?’. 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? It’s Tuesday now, you have until Thursday at 5 p.m. to decide.

Two major issues you’ll need to deal with are those of career and finance. Devote more time and energy to these now. Socialising may be fun but it won’t 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 you’ll need to apply discipline and rigour to managing your finances if you are to clear your debts. Let’s 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 you’re choosing to address your situation, dealing with known facts rather than assumptions or guesses, so it’s easier to move forward and take action. With regard to debts, it is better to know what your bottom

Table 1.1

Career	Finance
What do I want to achieve in life?	How much do I owe?
What is i...

Table of contents

• Also available from Sally Longson
• Contents
• Preface
• Chapter 1 Decisions, decisions …
• Chapter 2 Creating your career
• Chapter 3 Working out the ‘how to’
• Chapter 4 Connecting with your network
• Chapter 5 Hunting out that right opportunity
• Chapter 6 Proving yourself
• Chapter 7 Promoting yourself
• Chapter 8 What’s stopping you? Make it happen!
• Chapter 9 Moving on … Your future
• Chapter 10 Here’s to life!
• Further reading
• Useful addresses and further information