5 Things to do in the Lead Up to Graduation

By Hubert Dwight

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Graduating college or university ushers a new era in any student’s life. It's an educational rite of passage that a student passes through from their classroom to the real-life corporate environment. Wherever you study and whatever you do during your time as a student, in class or on campus, represents a pivotal stage in the shaping of your future ambitions and educational prospects. This is where as a student; you learn the ropes of life and how to adapt to leading an independent life. Now it goes without saying that your final semester or year in school forms the initial part of preparing to step into the post-graduate realm. How successful you will be, in the later parts of your career, will be mostly determined by how capably trained you are. Successful students realise that preparation and planning are key, and this allows them ample time to work on their CV before they start job hunting. Here, we show you some of the things you should consider doing to get a head start into postgraduate employment.

5 smart things to do before sitting your final paper


1.) Gather up recommendations from your teachers or lecturers for your future employer.

Most students tend to ignore or underestimate the importance of interacting with their lecturers and tutors. You might be surprised how invaluable such a relationship can be, in shaping your future career path. Begin by approaching your college professors for ideas or projects that you can work on, to exercise and apply the expertise you've acquired over the past four years. This way you nurture a culture of open communication that will prove key in future, when it comes to them putting in a good word for you.

2.) Enrolling in short, online courses.

Whatever you’re studying currently, you can be rest assured that a sole and standalone degree is simply not enough if you want to make it big in your area of career specialisation. For the reason, it is relevant to back it up with extra professional papers and in-depth training within your learning threshold. A good example of such a platform is TAFE courses in Melbourne. The advantage of such an approach is that you can gain more skills within a shorter duration of learning, and without much disruption to your regular university timetable.

3.) Join a professional body or organisation.

Membership of a professional body is essential for networking and can help in many ways in most careers. The good part is that you don't have to wait until long after graduation to sign up for such elite societies. Most of these organisations encourage student membership as a way of encouraging upcoming talent and skill. In addition to this, this exposes you to the real-world problems faced by the people in your field of practice. Companies will hence find you more able to adapt to a corporate setting upon graduation.

4.) Initiate a start-up company.

Competition in the current job market has rendered it sometimes difficult for many fresh graduates to find well-paying and fulfilling jobs. As a prospective graduate, you can hedge off the unemployment issue, by putting your talents and skills into practice before graduation day. Armed with a brilliant idea aimed at changing lives, and a solid qualification, you could find yourselves carving out a new business that could lead to entrepreneurial success.

5.) Sign up for skill-based volunteering.

Unpaid internship might not be such a prestigious endeavour, but it has paved the way for many elite careers in history. The experience gained when offering your skills for a good cause, will go a long way to building your future professional reputation, and it’ll give you some hands on practice in your field of work.

If you want to get ahead of the pack and start giving yourself the best chance of success after graduation, use these tips before you graduate, and you’ll be primed and ready for success.

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