A Guide to Adulting

Education is all you have known for a minimum of 21 years. You’ve been hand held up until this point, with every stage of your life pretty much mapped out for you. Now that’s over, you’re perhaps feeling a little bit lost, and “what now?”. Do not worry, we are here to help.

Planning is your Friend

Without a doubt, at least one of your friends will have been a super organised individual (or weirdo) who was so on it back in October; firing out graduate scheme applications left, right and centre. The more common scenario, as was definitely the case for me, is that you were too engrossed in the deadlines you had inevitably left a little to late to even have time to comprehend the world of work that was looming. Do not worry, you are most definitely the normal one, and your friend is the anomaly (but good for them).

Now that your degree is finished, graduation completed, and you’ve come to terms with the fact that drinking five nights out of seven will be no more, a little bit of planning can go a long way. Firstly, whilst you worked super hard to achieve your degree, there will be many others in the same position as you, and having achieved a 2:1 will not be a job secured. You need to differentiate yourself from the others in the same position as you. A picked profile is the perfect way to do that, as you can really exhibit your individuality.

Create an Online Presence

Self-endorsements aside, potential employers now have the capacity to see everything about you thanks to social media, but that isn’t something to be feared and can actually work in your favour. If you embrace the fact that you are selling yourself, and that judgements will be made, you can essentially make a brand out of you. Take control of your channels, share riveting content that represents who you are, and what you stand for. Don’t be afraid of breaking the mould, remember, it’s all about showing you’re unique.

If you’re going into any creative industries, it’s a great idea to start a blog. You can provide an insight into what makes you tick and your passions, whilst also providing a portfolio for any potential employers of your creative talents and skills. Additionally, it shows that you’re proactive and really serious about getting a job.

Endorsing the Stalking

Whilst your potential boss may be stalking you, you should also stalk them. Before going for interview learn as much as possible about the company; look on their social channels and the website. They wanted to learn about your individuality, and you want to get as much of a flavour as possible about the culture of the workplace. Just like you might not be a bit of them, they might not be a bit of you!

Keep Focused

It’s easy to get sucked into the whirlwind straight out of uni. All of your peers are getting placed, and you could be feeling behind the times if you’ve not landed a career-based role yet. Do not worry, you have time, you are still young and you don’t want to rush into a role you’ll hate. It’s easy to fall into the trap of applying for every graduate-based role that has the slightest relevance to what you want. Keep your eye on the prize as to what your passions are, instead of just applying for any position that involves the word graduate. The worst possible outcome would be for you to get a role that you’ll despise – happiness should always come first!

We hope we’ve proved that whilst leaving a world of carefreeness, boozing and fun may be depressing, it doesn’t have to be as daunting as you may have initially thought.