Hilary term is extremely hectic for university students, particularly third and fourth-years. While some are trying to bag an internship for the summer, others are trying to find jobs or apply for postgraduate degrees. The remaining few are uncertain of their future plans, a category I conveniently find myself under. Uncertain career paths, combined with the constant pressure of deadlines for assignments, internships, and jobs can leave one feeling overwhelmed and confused. Hopefully this article will help ease that process and provide some insights towards boldly handling this challenging period.
I’m quite sure you’re wondering how someone as uncertain as myself could offer any valuable advice, but fortunately for you, I recently interviewed Sarah Jones, a career consultant at the Trinity Careers Service. It was a delight talking to Sarah as she guided me through all the crucial facets of finding internships and jobs, from where to find the right resources to making a seamless transition from college to the workforce.
The main concern that the majority of us have is not knowing the appropriate or sufficient skills to list on our CVs. When asked what the most in demand skills for graduate students are, Sarah explained that the World Economic Forum found creative thinking and analytical thinking to be the top two required skills. Of course, each industry and environment demands a different set of skills, but these seem to be overarching capabilities that most professionals look for. Sarah also emphasised the importance of communication skills and teamwork. Being able to communicate clearly and collaborate with a varied group of individuals is important in any field. As an individual who is not very good at communication, this answer scared me a little and I’m sure it must frighten some individuals reading this right now. I therefore proceeded to ask Sarah what the most effective strategies were to communicate, network, and build professional relationships. To this, Sarah replied: “It’s something that comes with time; I think practising is a really good idea”. Sarah suggests that the key is stepping out of one’s comfort zone, going to networking events, and building a positive association with networking and communication. We often associate the term “networking” with “climbing up the ladder”, thus giving it a negative connotation. Sarah disagrees, explaining that “it’s people coming together to share knowledge, understand and listen to other’s experiences.” She also mentioned that the Trinity Careers Service has a workshop for improving communication skills.
“The Trinity Careers Service offers a wealth of career development resources.”
The Trinity Careers Service offers a wealth of career development resources. By registering for the Careers Service (http://mycareerconnect.tcd.ie), students may access information relating to varied job openings, career events, and fairs. Having accessed it myself, I find it particularly useful receiving emails often relating to internship/job vacancies. Sarah explained that the most popular resources used by students are the CV Clinic and the one-on-one Guidance Sessions. Writing a CV can be tricky, especially with so many formats and instructions online. I’m quite confident that I’m not the only one who put hours of effort into a CV only to learn the next day that my format was completely wrong. Luckily, the Trinity Careers Service helps students tailor personalised CVs that are aligned with their career choices and their current degree. Another valuable online tool is ‘Profile to Success’, which helps students to self-reflect. Sarah, in fact, highly values self-awareness and reflection. She believes that students who deliberate on the skills they have developed so far, think about how they could improve those skills and shape their career path based on their experiences, are always closer to finding job opportunities.
“Having a positive or negative result should not be the main focus. Instead, the lesson learnt from this experience should be your focal point. After all, we are humans; ones who make mistakes and learn from them.”
Another great way for students to meet potential employers or understand how businesses operate is by attending the Career Fairs organised by the Trinity Careers Services. Sarah suggested researching and preparing a list of questions to optimise one’s experience at the Career Fair. Most career fairs take place in October or late September, so for those individuals looking to jump straight into work after graduating, that is the best time and place to start your job search. Aside from the job search, preparing for interviews may be the toughest hurdle to cross for some students. The Practice Interview Offering is a fantastic resource wherein students may meet with career consultants to practise for interviews. When asked for the best strategies to prepare for interviews, Sarah shared a few techniques to handle interviews effectively. She specified that we often get consumed with how we come across, rather than understanding and researching the interviewer (the organisation), the role, and the culture at that particular workplace. Sarah recommended focusing on what you have to offer once you know what the organisation is looking for. One must introspect on whether the role is a good fit or not. Creating mind maps to explore what interests you about the job, how you may have incorporated the job requirements with the skills you’ve acquired through different college experiences, and how you execute the same abilities in a professional setting is a good way to go. It is also important to come across as professional, yet friendly. During our conversation, Sarah mentioned STAR – an acronym for Situation (S), Task (T), Action (A), and Result and Reflection (R). This refers to a situation where one was tasked with a responsibility, how they executed it, the result, followed by their reflection. Having a positive or negative result should not be the main focus. Instead the lesson learnt from this experience should be your focal point. After all, we are all humans; ones who make mistakes and learn from them.
If you’re reading this and thinking: “I have no idea what I want to do and where to start,” you should know that you are not alone. Many people assume that the world has concrete plans and career dreams and so we should too. Sarah reassured me that most people work in areas that interest them, learn from those experiences, and carry that knowledge forward. One could always try different things, test the waters, and build on those experiences. Talking to Sarah gave me immense clarity, and I hope this article will do the same for those reading it.
