So you’ve started university and your timetable is looking quite spacey. You’ve got a lot of time to kill and you want to make yourself more employable. But how?
University life brings with it a whole host of opportunities outside of your course timetable and those opportunities are commonly ignored in fear of taking too much on – last year, I thought just that. Being a third year then, I wanted to ensure that I had as much time as possible to study towards a first class honours, and thankfully I achieved that. Looking back, I wish I had taken on a few more extracurricular activities particularly to enhance my CV for employment.
UCB offers opportunities such as societies, student ambassador roles and opportunities such as the BSEEN enterprise project, all of which are worth being part of.
Fast forward to this year and I’ve taken on a lot more responsibility in the university and so far I’m thriving on it. For the business school, I’ve been allocated the role of Head of Communications and with this I get the responsibility of raising the profile of The Business School through online communications such as the business twitter account. I’m also looking into creating a sub group on LinkedIn for business students amongst other things. This is a great opportunity to enhance my CV and open doors for the future.
As mentioned in a previous blog, I’m also interning in the marketing department, enhancing my existing skill set and developing new skills while extending my network within the University and further afield. Networking is key to future success!
There are a number of doors waiting to be opened – which route will you take?
Take on extra activities from the outset, first year into third year and beyond and you’ll thank yourself later! If you’re not sure what opportunities are around, ask your lecturers, course mates, the UCB guild and their fresher’s page and contact the relevant departments and see if they need your help. Reaching out makes you look interested and you’re more likely to uncover roles you might not have otherwise known about – some you’ll even get paid for! But remember to manage your time effectively! Some tips are as follows:
- Fill the gaps in your timetable with your new found responsibilities. Write them directly onto your timetable for reference.
- Get into a routine which involves all of your activities while keeping time to yourself, to socialise and have fun. A routine helps massively!
- Take regular breaks to avoid ‘burning out.’ If you’re part of a society it’s fine to have a day off now and then, just make sure to keep everyone well informed.
Good luck…
Luke