Exactly What To Do If You Don’t Know What To Do After Uni

Not sure what’s next after uni? We’ve got it covered!

Finishing uni is equally an exciting but scary time. While some people might have had their career set out before they even applied for uni, you’re not alone if you’re feeling a bit lost or aren’t sure what’s next for you.

Luckily, here at Student Beans, we want to help you throughout uni and beyond and we’ve got the best advice to help you navigate life after graduation.

So, if you’re unsure what’s next, here’s what to do if you don’t know what to do after uni.

1. Work part-time until you have a plan

Finishing uni means you need a what’s next plan, but if you’re unsure what career you want to get into you don’t have to rush into it. If you had a part-time job during uni, you could continue this after graduation or look for a part-time job in retail or hospitality to keep you going temporarily.

Without a student loan or a grad job you’re probably going to want some money to keep you going until you decide on your plan, so taking up a part-time job can keep you busy while you work out what you want to do next and while you apply for grad jobs.

Part-time work can also give you a good work-life balance before you rush into working full-time and can help you to save some money if you decide you want to move to a new city or if you want to travel before you settle into a full-time role.

2. Decide where you’d like to live

So, moving out of uni means you need to find somewhere else to live after you graduate. Many students do opt to move home, however, some graduates will set their sights on moving to a new city after graduation to boost job prospects.

First of all, you’ll want to decide if you want to move home for a bit or if you’re going to job hunt in a different city. It can be worth looking around on Rightmove for the city you’ve set your sights on to get an idea of how much the rent and bills will cost, so you know how much money you’ll need to be taking home per month to be able to afford to live there.

London is very expensive and while many graduates do move there thanks to the amount of jobs available, the cost of living is high. So, if you are applying for jobs in London you’ll have an idea of the kind of salary you’ll need to be able to afford the rent and if you’d need to try and negotiate a higher salary.

For many students, living at home for a bit after uni is a great way to save up some money before heading back into the real world (again) so could be a good cost-effective option. So, think about whether you’re happy to stay in your home town for a bit or if you’re going to make the plan to move somewhere new early on so you can make a solid plan.

3. Resarch job titles

While some students might’ve had their sights set on a certain job for years, a lot of students might not be aware of just how many different types of jobs there are that they could go into with their degree.

For example, marketing is a broad industry and graduates could choose to specialise in content marketing, email marketing, influencer marketing or PR and work in a range of sectors from tech to fashion to healthcare. When you’re at the start of your career the choice is really up to you, so use websites like Prospects to reach different job roles and titles to get a broader idea of what you could be doing with your degree, because chances are you may not know your dream job exists yet.

4. Take a gap year

A lot of people take a gap year before they go to uni, but more and more people opt to take one after uni before settling down into a full-time job as well. The reality is you’re going to be working and building a career for the rest of your life so a lot of students like the idea of taking a year out before finding their dream job.

This could be the perfect time to travel, try new things, take time for yourself and your well-being, work part-time or make a solid plan for yourself and your future. You don’t need to secure a grad job within the first month of leaving uni, you can take your time and really think about it and what you want to do next instead of potentially rushing into a job you don’t like for the sake of getting a job.

5. Spend time on LinkedIn

LinkedIn is a really great way to not only find jobs but make connections with people who could also be looking to hire certain roles. LinkedIn is a lot more than just a virtual CV as it can help you to find careers that you’re interested in and people who are already working in the sectors you’d also like to work in.

You’ll want to make sure your LinkedIn profile is up to date and also visible to recruiters and hiring managers, as a lot of them will use LinkedIn to look for potential candidates and scout them for jobs. Making connections on LinkedIn is a good way to get a peak into what other people get up to in their jobs and also connect with people who are hiring graduates specifically.

6. Check out our Futureproof content

What is Futureproof? It’s our new social impact programme here at Student Beans which aims to help build students’ career confidence and help you to find work that you love. We’ve got loads coming up this year to help you kickstart your career, from career advice on our YouTube channel to on our blog so you’ll need to watch this space as we’ve got loads of great content planned to help you if you’re feeling a bit stuck.

Hopefully, this has helped you to panic a bit less if you’re stressed about life after uni and remember, no one really knows what they’re doing post-graduation and we’re all winging it a bit and hoping for the best.