This is a bit of a different post for me, but I’ve decided to branch out of the book reviews just for the moment. 2019 has definitely been a hectic year, from deadlines, dissertations, graduation, and then, all of a sudden – nothing. After months, even years of hard work in education, I was faced with doing absolutely nothing for the first time in quite a while. Everyone prepares you for life at uni and the transitions you’ll have to face, but no one seems to be ready for life after it. So, today I thought I’d talk a bit about life as a post-graduate, tips I’ve learnt along the way (and I’m still learning lots too) and my hopes for 2020.
Life after uni… now what?
Immediately after graduation, I had an amazing summer full of travelling and just all-round chilling with friends and family, recovering from the stresses of my third year at university. As September came around, it suddenly started to hit me that I was no longer a student. I think this realisation sunk in as a lot of my friends started their Masters courses or were heading back to university. With my friends now either gone or busy with studying, I thought ‘what the hell do I do with myself now?’
My top tip for any post-grad out there: keep yourself busy. It’s not always as easy as picking a career, sending out an application, and getting a job. After a week or so of researching different careers and sectors, I decided that publishing was the ideal root for me to take in the first steps of my career. I love books, reading, and the whole process behind writing, (and having just got myself a degree in History,) publishing sounded like the perfect fit for me. Pretty soon after that (and what seemed like hundreds of applications), I landed myself an internship with a publishing company.
Not only was this the perfect way to get some invaluable experience within the industry, but I found that I became a lot more proactive and energetic simply because I had something to do with myself again. The internship was only meant to be part-time, but I ended up doing work throughout most of the day because I was so keen to learn new things and busy myself (which I think impressed the company I interned for). But all good things must come to an end, and once my internship was up, I had gone full circle and found myself back at the beginning (enter present-day me).
After a few months interning, you would’ve thought landing a proper job would be easier, right? Well, apparently not. The publishing industry is full of super talented and competitive candidates, so it’s not all that easy. So, as another way of keeping myself busy, I started this blog. At first, it was just as a way for me to post quick reviews of books I read throughout my internship or in my spare time, but now I really enjoy putting more thought into what I write. Plus, it helps me keep in touch and use the skills I might one day be needing in any future job. So whilst I keep on sending out lots of different applications, this blog is stuck with me.
Tips and Tricks
Whilst I’m still learning myself about this whole process, I thought I’d share the things I’ve learnt so far as a post-graduate. This doesn’t necessarily have to be specifically for someone who wants to get into publishing, but I thought it might be useful for anyone who needs a bit of a helping hand like I did. Some of these might be a bit obvious, but that doesn't mean that they are any less important.
1. Keep yourself busy – whether you get a part-time job, internship, or hobby, this is probably my most important tip. Sitting around at home all day won’t help with your attitude after graduating.
2. Find out what you want to do. Not many people graduate and already know exactly what sector or position they want to go into. Do some research, do some silly job personality quizzes, or even sign up to some recruitment agencies to gather a sense of what’s out there.
3. Stay motivated. Realistically, it will probably take more than one application or interview to land yourself a job. But that doesn’t mean you’re not employable.
4. APPLY. There have been a few times where I’ve read the job description and decided not to apply simply because of the fact that I didn’t have all the necessary qualifications. But there’s no point in applying for a role where you won’t have to challenge yourself and learn new things. Plus, any chance to get a bit of feedback on a CV is worth it. Take the chance and apply.
5. Keep learning. If you know there are specific skills and software you need to know for whatever industry you want to go into, try and learn as much as you can by yourself. Not only is it beneficial for you, but employers might be impressed with what you know and your proactive skills. If you’ve got a part-time job, try and merge the skills you’ve gained from that into what would make you a good candidate for a different role.
6. Don’t put pressure on yourself. Everyone is going at a different pace, so don’t compare yourself to your friends around you who might already have some jobs. Take the actual time into thinking what you want to do and achieve out of being a post-grad.
I really hope this helps anyone who’s experiencing similar things to me as well. Hope everyone has an amazing Christmas, and here’s to 2020.