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You’ve put in the hard work, you were accepted into university and now you’ve almost completed your degree. All those late nights studying, lectures that never seemed to end, well, the time is coming where you’re about to enter into the real world. But this shouldn’t scare you. If you follow these pieces of advice, you’ll be able to smoothly transition without feeling overwhelmed or defeated.
Get your finances in check
As a university student, though you probably work a part-time job, this isn’t something permanent nor is it something you care deeply about. If anything, your attention is spent on study and getting those grades. But just because you’re finishing university doesn’t mean your student loans vanish. Many of us are left with hefty student loans that need to be paid off. This is the time to get your finances organized and ask yourself, “should I refinance my student loans?” You may be able to get lower interest rates, so check with student loan refinance companies.
The hard work isn’t over
You probably thought that you’d be finished with working hard, but the hard work has just begun. Sadly, upon graduating university, you’re not going to have a line-up of companies hunting you down to hire you for a six-figure position. If anything, you’ll be spending days, even weeks sending out resumes and chasing after interviews. Don’t let this discourage you, it’s just an obstacle that you need to overcome.
Use your university connections to your advantage
Hopefully, you’ve developed relationships with your colleagues and professors as they’ll be able to help you out with your career. Your professors will be able to write you compelling reference letters and of course, help connect you with influential people in your industry. Make sure that you keep those relationships as they’ll be extremely useful.
You’re going to fail
Listen, if anyone tells you that you’re life is going to consists of only ups without any downs, they’re wrong. The most important part of failure is learning and growing from it. It’s easy to throw in the towel when you’re presented with setbacks, but what you need to focus on is how you handle them. Because you’re going to be facing many setbacks, however, just be persistent.
You may not end up in your industry
Though you’re going to graduate with a biology degree or a fashion degree, you may not become a biologist or a fashion designer. You probably didn’t expect that, like so many of us when we left university. In addition, technology has probably altered the industry you’re trying to get into, reducing the number of available jobs, making it harder for you to get into your field.
Keep volunteering
You may not be able to get a job right away but that doesn’t mean you should be sitting on the couch eating potato chips thinking your life is over. Even though you’re not employed, volunteer to not only help your community but to stay relevant in the workforce. If you’re able to intern as well, this is also a great way to develop work experience and have a taste of the working world.
