Top 3 Tips on How to Set Up Your Professional Career While in University

Written By Carynna Teh

Let’s address it. 

The looming thought in the back of our minds throughout university: How am I going to get a job once I graduate? 

There’s no doubt that this is a shared concern of every university student so let’s talk about it. We all understand the struggle that is finding job opportunities, internships and placements. So let’s cover the top 5 things you can do in university to give yourself a head start in your professional career. 

1. Join a Club, Team or Committee

You’ve seen it in movies and tv shows. The cliche of joining a university club and finding your lifelong friends who are passionate about bringing change to the world. Some may think it’s nerdy or lame while others simply can’t be bothered to join. 

Well… there’s more to it than it seems. 

These clubs, teams and committees are great opportunities to gain valuable experience and develop your skills. They are amazing chances for you to network with alumni members of the team, industry professionals, and access restricted job opportunities which normal students wouldn’t even know about. Collaborations and competitions between universities are also great for meeting students who share the same interests and career pathways as you, so go and connect with them!

Getting involved in clubs, teams and committees is a fun and effective way to develop your hard and soft skills. My time in the business department of Monash Motorsport taught me to be proficient in Adobe Softwares such as Lightroom, Premiere Pro, Illustrator, and Photoshop; all of which I never would’ve tried learning on my own. I also discovered what it was like to be an account manager and handle sponsorships which is valuable in whichever industry you go. These opportunities taught me crucial communication skills (you know… all that corporate business lingo) as well as coordinating what the team needed and what the sponsor was willing to help us out with. 

This is also a great time to go for leadership roles! As daunting as it may be, there is no better time to try out a leadership role than being in a club or team which is surrounded by your friends and fellow students. It’s here where you can learn what it’s like to manage, coordinate and oversee projects, people and deadlines. 

Now, I’m not going to lie and say it was all sunshine and rainbows. Speaking from experience, I had no idea what I was getting myself into. 

This was both a blessing and a curse because I managed to learn invaluable skills which I never would’ve imagined myself learning, but at the same time, my lack of preparedness for my time commitments left me struggling during assignment due dates. 

That being said, if you simply ask around and talk to team members, you can find that support is always available and being honest with yourself and your teammates can go a long way in ensuring you’re on top of your uni assignments as well as your social life. 

From student to student, I’d say just give it a go. It’s a great way to build your resume and portfolio in a supportive and relaxed environment so what’s there to lose! 

2. Get Part-Time Work

Yes, yes, even if it’s a job at Maccas or retail. 

While some people rely on part-time jobs as a source of income, others may look at them as a waste of time until you get a ‘proper full-time job’. Each to their own on this one but personally, this is a great way to build soft-skills that are sought after in full-time roles. 

I’m sure most of us have gone through hospitality or retail jobs coming out of high school thinking it’s only to help save up for your first car or next trip to Japan. However, unknown to you, you’re actually developing key communication and customer service skills (yes, those Karens you serve are great for your resume). Working under pressure and learning sales is applicable in every industry and job so get those onto your resume and talk about them!  

3. Plan Ahead 

A common mistake for uni students is leaving their applications too late. Whether it’s internships or graduate programs, there’s no doubt that we are all procrastinators when it comes to researching for your future career. 

So let’s break it down in terms of what you should be thinking about for internships and graduate programs:

1. What are my interests?

2. What type of role am I looking for?

3. What sort of working environment would I love to work in and why would I want to work there?

4. Do I have a dream company that I would like to work at?

5. What work experience do I have?

A great resource to get you started is with CampusLife! We understand how difficult it is as students to network and meet employers and industry professionals. So we’ve done the hard part for you! 

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As much of a hassle as it can be, setting aside some time across the uni break to think about these questions can be highly beneficial in the long-run. This can be a great place to start your career plan if you’re still thinking about what you want to do after you graduate. 

So enough about me, I’d like to hear from you about what your plans are! If you have any tips or experiences that you’d like to share, please leave a comment and help others who are in similar situations as you.