3 activities that’ll help you make the most of what you’ve done this academic year in your career journey

By Hannah Vuozzo, Communications Manager

We’ve come to the end of the academic year at long last. Right now, you might be leaning over a bright laptop screen, absorbing as much information as possible to help you crush your exams. (Good luck!)

Amidst all the end-of-year chaos, you might not be able to process how much you’ve done over the academic year. But I argue that this is something you should make time to think about. In fact, here are three activities to help you use what you’ve done this year to help you in your career journey.

Journal

It might seem silly, but journaling is an extraordinary exercise to document what you’ve done as well as your reflections. Doing so can help you when applying and interviewing for roles.

Whether on paper or online, jot down key takeaways from the year (or semester). For example, write a brief summary of each course you completed along with your achievements and learnings. Did you get a high mark on a research paper? Did you successfully contribute to a group project? What skills did you gain or develop? All of this is worth noting.

In applications and interviews, you might be asked to give examples of how you meet the criteria for a role using what’s called the STAR technique. Try applying it in your journaling.

As a supplemental activity, you might find it useful to refer to the learning outcomes for your courses which can be found using the University’s Course Catalogue.

Update your CV

After you’ve done some journaling, updating your CV should be a piece of cake. Add and highlight the achievements you made and skills you gained over the last year where appropriate. Remember to tailor your CV to each role you apply for.

For example, Esther participated in a group project in her Contemporary Issues in Biology module. She is now applying to be a Communications Intern for a cancer charity. The role requires her to have excellent organisation and communication skills as well as knowledge in Microsoft Excel. On her CV, she briefly describes this project beneath her degree title.

Group project: Combatting misinformation with AI technology (First)

Developed organisation skills by creating and implementing a project plan in Excel; applied communication skills when helping design the poster and delivering group presentation

This is just one way to highlight a project. But no matter what format you use, stay relevant, be concise and use language from the job description.

Connect with tutors

There may be tutors who you’ve found particularly supportive, inspiring and/or informative. Ask to connect with them on LinkedIn and stay in touch there or by another channel. They might be able to help you later in your career journey (eg being a job referee, signposting to roles, offering advice).

If I were to add a fourth activity, it would be to pat yourself on the back. You’re about to complete an academic year that has likely brought you challenge and success. Use this momentum to take steps what’s sure to be a bright future. Good luck on your remaining exams!

Other resources

CV Masterclass: Join this online session to learn how to write a CV that’ll get you noticed

‘6 Ways Keeping a Journal Can Help Your Career’: Read this article to get insight on how journaling can help you throughout your career