Exploring a Graduate Career Path Unrelated To Your Degree Subject

So many of us have tunnel vision by what our path SHOULD look like as opposed to what we WANT it to look like. It’s okay to want to veer away from your degree post university, but it can be daunting!

I wanted to share some tips on how to approach considering an unfamiliar path…

?Firstly, figure out if you’re qualified!

This goes hand in hand with understanding if you’re right for the role and if the role is right for you. Understand what it is about you and your previous experience that you can bring forward to a professional setting that will aid you in a successful career. What kinds of things can you bring from your time at university that is not exclusive to your degree subject? Are you a law graduate that can utilise your negotiation skills in a sales setting? A business graduate that can use your problem-solving nature to discover outcomes in a problem/solution related role? Your degree equips you for many professional settings outside of university, what you need to do is find out what skills you’ve learnt and how they can be used.

?Network!

Still the most underappreciated method of job hunting is networking. This likely comes from the fact that there is a lag in results, appreciate that you are not going to meet someone and be offered a job on the spot. Networking will allow you to explore other paths without having to jump in feet first, talk to professionals that currently work in the roles you’d like to know more about, find out how they landed there, what their experiences have been like and register your interest. If you don’t express your curiosity companies and professionals within those companies will never know that you are considering those paths – don’t keep those doors closed.

?Reflect your openness to other fields in your CV.

If your degree subject is accounting and your CV only talks about accounting, you are unconsciously closing off other paths. Applying for a role that requires high levels of interpersonal skills and relationship building with a CV that outlines only how analytical and number focussed you are isn’t going to get you very far. Make sure your CV is tailored for the role, a lot of the time, this is a companies first impression of you, so make sure it reflects the skills that matter for the role!

?Everything else…

Finally, everything else matters! What else can the role offer you? Money? Relationships? A broad understanding of a field of interest?

What is important to you? That first call with the internal recruitment team isn’t just to determine that you have the correct skillset for the role, it is also about identifying how the role will work for you. Companies want to know that your intention is to be in it for the long haul, they want to know that you intend sustainability with them, so understanding why they are an attractive option for you is just as important as understanding why you are an attractive option for them.

I will always remember dreading the question: Why do you want to work for us? Because I never knew what they wanted from the answer and in reality, all they want is the truth. If the truth is money and the job you’re applying for has a competitive commission structure then say that.?

The worst thing you can do for yourself in the job hunting process is fabricate your truth, whether it be to yourself or the employer – we want you to know why we’re a great choice for you!