What are your options?
If you know all the qualifications, experiences and skills you have to offer prospective employers, the task is to understand what your choices are.
This is entirely your own choice – consider your position, your requirements and what you would like to do in the long-term, the key is to understand the path you need to take to achieve the career you ultimately want.
We have provided a few common idea’s for you to consider:
Gain professional certification
Know what you want to do and what qualifications you need to get there, but don’t want to go back to university? Gain a professional qualification, and you will gain the edge over many other job applicants. The most favoured certifications in the IT industry are those provided by Microsoft or Cisco, Prosoft’s CIW is also an option for those looking into web development.
Do some work experience
If you find your CV is looking a little empty, it is worth thinking about taking on some voluntary work experience – this is a great way to build your skills and is crucial in some career areas, such as the IT or media. More Info - Graduate work experience
Enjoy a gap year out
Some graduates enjoy taking time out after college or university. This is a great option if you feel you want to spend a few months travelling or building up skills and work experience. Many gap year students take up charity work or working in a foreign country to build character and experience.
Find a graduate IT job
A lot of graduates want to make the leap from education into graduate IT jobs. Most welcome the chance to show their skills in the world of work. This is the toughest option to achieve directly without directly relevant proven skills and certifications, especially in the IT industry.
Study an IT training programme
For graduates who wish to specialise in a particular field or switch career direction to a new area, a postgraduate programme is worth looking at, the Fast track graduate programme is one such scheme. It’s more money to pay out, but has many benefits and will place you at the top of any job application pile. Some careers require a postgrad qualification this is typical of the IT industry also.
Making your decision
This can be a difficult decision to make. You might feel you have too many options to choose from, or you might feel you don’t have enough. The best thing to do is investigate your options. You can find more information about graduate jobs, postgrad programmes and gap years on this site.
Speak to your careers adviser and talk through any plans you might have. Your adviser will be able to tell you the best way to proceed and you might find some other options you never thought of before |
