How to get career-ready: 3 insider tips from a soon-to-be UofG graduate
University of Glasgow Careers, Employability & Opportunity
By Kate Allan , Events & Social Media Intern and MA English Language and Linguistics Student
I’m a Linguistics student who’ll be graduating this July—how exciting and scary!
As someone who’s about to enter the job market, I’ve been working out what my immediate next steps are after my exams and have compiled them in this article with my key takeaways.
Updating my CV and LinkedIn
My first priority will be “boring” but necessary admin. Although this may not seem like the most exciting task in the world, I’m looking forward to reflecting on all the skills I’ve developed over the last four years.
To start off, my CV and LinkedIn require a slight makeover.
Since I’ll be graduating soon, I’ll add the UofG Graduate Attributes to the “Skills” section of my CV and LinkedIn profile. The Graduate Attributes equip you with useful vocabulary to clearly convey the skills you’ve developed during your studies.
I’m also considering changing the style and format of my CV. Through UofG careers networking events, I’ve learnt that, for the creative industries, a CV that looks a bit different can go a long way, and this is a career area I’m currently exploring.
(Editor's note: “How to write a creative CV” from Indeed lays out the pros and cons of a creative CV.)
Key takeaways
Building and utilising my network
My second priority will be to develop my professional network by reaching out and connecting with UofG alumni and professionals working in my areas of interest. This’ll help me gain relevant insight into specific industries and how to best prepare.
For example, since I’m looking at careers that are adjacent but arguably not directly related to my degree, I want to find out if I need additional qualifications. This can look like messaging relevant professionals on LinkedIn to ask questions like “Would I need a postgraduate degree in X if I wished to apply for X?”?
Through my internship, I’ve been introduced to the world of communications (aka comms). I still don’t know a lot about jobs in comms, so I want to get in touch with professionals who’ve worked in this area to learn more about different roles and responsibilities. Again, you can email people or message them on LinkedIn to ask about their job (eg what their average day is like).
As I may be applying to comms jobs soon, I’ll also ask industry professionals for advice on applications. Finding out what would make me stand out from other potential applicants would help increase my chances of being a successful candidate.
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Key takeaways
Developing my skills
Although I’ve learned a myriad of skills from my studies, I want to make myself more employable by continuing to develop my skills in areas beyond the scope of my degree.
In particular, I’m focusing on developing my tech skills. Through books and online courses, I’ve been teaching myself some basic computer and statistical coding. In fact, UofG students have free access to online courses through LinkedIn Learning , and there are loads of other free resources out there.
Now, I’m not suggesting that every Arts & Humanities student has to become a computer scientist. This is just a skill that I’ve wanted to develop for a while because I feel it’d help me stand out when applying for jobs in future.
(Editor’s note: Take time to research what skills employers are looking for and reflect on which ones you have and/or need to develop further.)
I’m also planning on starting back with French lessons. I previously worked in France as an English Teacher and developed my French to a B2 level. Now that my degree is nearly over, I intend to supplement this by taking lessons in business-level French. Again, this is an attempt to stand out from other applicants and to capitalise on a skill I’ve already started to develop.
Key takeaways
Final thoughts
It’s totally normal to have some uncertainty during this transitional period. Even if you know exactly what you want to do, it can still feel like a big adjustment. Personally, I’m so eager to start my professional career, but I know I’ll miss so much about my student life.
So, whether you know what you want to do or are still figuring it out, I wish the best to all my fellow students who’re about to graduate!
Other resources
Our Graduate Information webpages : Explore tons of resources to help you figure out what’s next after UofG
“What can I do with my degree?” : Learn what career paths might be of interest to you based on your degree
Quick Career Queries : Book a 20-minute session with one of our Careers Advisors on Glasgow Careers