WiserCourse

Published 3rd February 2020

In the UK, there are more students than ever studying for a degree. Of these, around 150,000 are EU students and over 320,000 are non-EU students, which are the highest ever numbers. 

It's a logical next step to obtain a higher qualification that will give you some sort of advantage in your career or field of expertise, especially those who want to pursue research in a specialist area. However, most of those studying for a degree are doing it to get their foot in the door of a suitable career that gives them what they desire in life.

Stability, security, money, and ultimately happiness.

Statistics imply that getting a better job or career is more important for international students, particularly those in business related programmes because they fulfil a larger commitment traveling to a foreign country and spend a considerable amount of money on tuition fees and living costs, all for an academic qualification.

And it’s no coincidence that business related degree programmes make up the majority of the international student population.

So if getting a better career or job is one of the most important goals of studying for a degree - and considering that the job market is becoming more and more competitive - how exactly can you make the most of your degree to ensure that you get the job you want?

Develop your skills, not just your knowledge for the exams

Examinations and assignments are the performance benchmarks for passing your degree or not, so it’s no wonder that many students will just to whatever they can to ensure they get through them. However, this distracts them on what they are personally taking from their learning and the kinds of skills they will develop beyond their degree. Skills such as analysis, research, technical programming and even skills like communication ,leadership and teamwork are highly desirable by employers and with a level of proactiveness you certainly use your degree to build these skills.

Apply for jobs before you finish your degree

There are always graduate opportunities from large employers that start advertising as early as the first day you start your degree. Be proactive and read their websites. Learn about what they are looking for. Tailor your applications to suit those requirements.

Speak to your seniors who may have industry contacts

Find your department professor and set up a meeting with him or her. They will likely know a person, or a person who knows a person, in the industry who can give you access to them. This is one of the most powerful ways of developing rapport and landing your ideal job after your degree.

Attend careers fairs

Many universities hold careers fairs where top employers attend and give students an opportunity to network and speak to them about their future job positions. This is a great way of establishing contacts and learning more about the jobs you feel you’re well suited for first hand from the people at the frontline.

Attend conferences

Ask your tutor or department professor for funding to attend relevant industry conferences. This is similar to finding specific contacts in the sector you are interested in but attending conferences widens your scope of finding recruiters or even managers who you can have a conversation with.

Learn to sell yourself

The most important thing you can do whilst you are studying for a degree is to learn to sell yourself. The correct term here is learning to ‘market’ yourself - to find a way of attracting the job or recruiter to you rather than you putting too much work finding them. This is not so much about learning information from a book, but it is a mindset that you must instill whilst you are studying for your degree.

Use social media

Following from the above about selling yourself, social media platforms is a great way of advertising your degree and skills so that recruiters and industry people can find you. The most popular social media platform for job marketing is LinkedIn.

Overall, you must not depend on just passing your exams or becoming an expert in your field to assume you will find the job that you desire, be it in the UK or anywhere in the world. You must be able to articulate and become aware what parts of your degree will give you an edge in the job market.