Your Final Year-Whoa! - that went by in a flash!

And what a different person you're to the person who started this journey. You'll have learned a lot more about who you are, developed new skills, and collected new life experiences along the way.

Your final year can feel like a bit of a double whammy; you'll be preparing for final exams and assessments, working on dissertations and special projects plus you'll be thinking about your life after graduation.

In terms of your career planning, your final year is a very strategic one, so pause, reflect, and make a sustainable plan you can follow - take advantage of all the career support your university offers. They want to help you!

Which of these 3 statements resonates with you?

I know exactly what I want and how to get it.

You already have a clear idea of what makes you tick and what you want to do next. Some actionable steps for you are to polish up your LinkedIn profile and build your network, start researching companies, applying for internships, submitting applications, tailoring CVs, cover letters and personal statements either for graduate schemes, or other kinds of graduate jobs and work experience. Brush up on your interview and assessment centre skills.

All this involves planning, knowing deadlines, scheduling, and getting the support you need. If you're set on being an entrepreneur, make the most of any extracurricular entrepreneurial programmes and support available at your university. You've got this!

I don't know what I want, and I don't know how to find out.

That's OK. Start from where you are now, and narrow down those options: connect with career events and workshops that are on offer and schedule them in. Volunteer. Speak to career consultants, take online career and skills assessments. Access any available career coaching, sometimes you need to bounce ideas off another person.

The landscape of work is very fluid so research up to date info re careers, job profiles, sectors and organisations, reach out for informational interviews, practice psychometric tests to get an idea of your personality and to prepare for assessment portals- these will be something you'll need to take for many graduate schemes and sone graduate jobs. Attend careers fairs, industry conferences, connect with industry professional bodies. You can do this!

I want to go onto to further study.

You may be thinking of going on to do a Masters. Once you have decided what you want, plan your personal supporting statement, put together an academic CV with the focus on your research interests and academic skills. One key piece of advice is to be really clear on how this move fit into your career goals. Some career paths require additional study, many don't. Don't go onto further academic study just because it feels safe because you haven't worked out what you want to do once you graduate- that decision will still be waiting over you like after you complete a Masters! Remember-You've got this!

Whichever of these three you fall into, there'll be lots of tailored support and advice to help you move forward - just reach out connect with it and make any career decisions you make great ones! You really are the difference when it come to your career!

Suggested Reading

Article: Hidden opportunities

Quiz: What job would suit me?

Quiz: Match me to jobs I'll love

Online Resources: Research over 400 job profiles by sector or name

GOV.UK: Volunteering Advice, and  Figure out your skills and upskill

Online resource: Expert advice on psychometric tests and how to prepare for them

Online resource: Practice online tests

Podcast: The Next Big Idea

Article: Should I do a Masters?

By Anna Gordon - Certified Business Coaching Psychologist ABP CBCP