How to build your career in your first year of university

You're just starting out as a student at university. Beginning your career feels like a long way off, but the years will fly by quicker than you may expect. Before you know it, you’ll be throwing your graduation cap in the air.

One way that you can make the transition from university to work easier? Building up experience while you’re still studying. It's never too early to start boosting your career prospects.

There are plenty of opportunities out there for making connections and building your CV – without distracting you from your course. From internships for first years to insight days, here's what you can get involved with.

• Events & networking
• Insight days and insight weeks
• Work experience
• Internships
• Volunteering
• Societies
• Part-time jobs

Don't undervalue the worth of building up a strong network. Attending career events is a great way to grow your connections.

The more events you get involved with, the more people you can meet and add to your network. Start by looking out for events at your university and in your local community. You may even be able to find meet-ups that are specific to your chosen industry.

While you may want to mention attending some events on your CV (eg. if you become a regular at an industry meet-up), the main benefit of events is that you can learn a lot from the experts around you. Speaking to representatives in the sector you’d like to work is always valuable. It can help you discover what kinds of roles are out there and, importantly, whether they might suit you.

Knowing people in your preferred industry helps you learn, get your voice heard and find opportunities that you might otherwise not know about. Connections don’t have to be with industry leaders, either – you can also network with people who want to join the same career path as you.

Remember to also get in touch with the career services at your university. They'll have trained members of staff at the ready to help you reach your goals, so asking them questions could be very useful to you and your career. They may even be able to offer a professional opinion on your CV.

Networking is a skill that can take time to learn. To find out more, read our advice for networking.

Another great way to make connections and build your CV is by going to insight days in your first year. Insight days or weeks are events run by large firms, often on campus or at their offices. They're designed to help you boost your career skills, find out what it’s like to work for the company and ask questions to recent graduate hires.

Connections that you make in your first year can prove useful later on. Make a note of who you meet and add them on LinkedIn. If you ever apply for a role at their firm, you can mention your interaction in your application form or cover letter. This can help your application stand out, and it has the dual benefit of showing the recruiters you’re passionate about working for them.

While you’re not typically expected to have much experience when you graduate, having some examples of times you’ve worked is a great way to make yourself more appealing as a candidate. There are many work experience options you can explore while completing your degree, such as industrial placements and shadowing. They can help you gain valuable insights into a workplace and a sector you’re interested in.

You don’t have to apply to a formal scheme to gain work experience. There are a lot of small companies that look for students to work for them part-time or for longer hours over the summer. Consider getting in touch with companies you'd like to work for and ask whether they offer work experience. Even if it’s just for a week, it will equip you for the working world and look good on your CV at the same time.

When it comes to finding a graduate job, companies are looking for someone proactive and enthusiastic – and securing work experience will show that you have these qualities.

Internships are another way of gaining valuable experience.

As a standard, formal graduate internships are completed in the summer before your last year of university. If all goes well, you could get an interview afterwards or be offered a fast-track application for the permanent graduate role.

However, employers are increasingly breaking the cycle and offering spots to students in their first or second years. That means you can get relevant career experience from as early as your first summer at uni.

Going to career fairs is a great way to find out about internship opportunities. At these events, employers that hire graduates come to universities to meet potential candidates.

Career fairs can be in-person or virtual depending on the one you attend. Some career fairs are organised by your university, so keep an eye out for them. Others are organised by external companies. Careers fairs are a great opportunity to speak to representatives of the companies you’d like to work for. Come ready with good questions and you’ll go away with helpful advice about grad schemes and opportunities.

Bright Network also offers the UK’s leading virtual internship, Internship Experience UK (IEUK). It's a four-day virtual internship programme that takes place every summer and is open to all students and recent graduates. You choose to learn about your chosen sector and get the chance to work with our employer partners. As it offers a new programme each year, you can join throughout your university life (and beyond) and you’ll always learn something new.

Even if you decide that the sector isn’t for you, having undertaken an internship still shows initiative – which employers love to see.

You’re never too young to offer your services to a charity or social enterprise. It’s an excellent way to do some good while building your skills. There are likely many opportunities around your university and beyond. Local charities are also always looking for volunteers, and becoming one lets you have a real impact.

Volunteering means you gain experience and boost your CV while enriching yourself, too. Employers will appreciate that you've given your time for free, even if the work is unrelated to your career. The cause you choose also gives an insight into who you are as a person, beyond work – something employers are often curious to know.

Having societies on your CV is another way of showing employers that you’re a well-rounded person. It can also help you demonstrate transferable skills. For example, if you’re heavily involved in the debating society, your potential employer will know that you’re good at public speaking. If you’re interested in broadcast journalism, involvement with student radio will likely impress.

Societies and clubs can also be a great way to build networks. There, you can meet like-minded people with similar interests who want to get ahead in their careers too. The connections you make at uni societies may even help you in your future job hunt.

Depending on your degree subject, you might have more time in your first year for societies than in later years. So make sure to take advantage of your freshers’ fair and sign up for societies that align with your interests. Plus, joining these clubs should be fun! You can enjoy yourself and make friends while building your CV. It’s a win-win.

Getting a job while at uni may be a financial necessity. But it can also be a useful career boost for your future.

If you can, try to find a part-time job that’s related to your chosen field. For example, if you’re looking for a career in law, you might work as a legal receptionist.

If you’re not sure about the specific job you want to do, focus on some handy transferable skills that are relevant to most jobs, For example, you can't go wrong with leadership, organisation and communication.

On your CV, you can call out these skills and how you used your part-time job to challenge yourself. Demonstrating that you've put effort into improving your skill set is a green flag for employers and looks great in your applications.

Plus, just the fact that you’ve held a part-time job while at university may impress an employer in itself. After all, studying can be hard enough as it is!

Hobbies are often a way to relax and decompress from your day of studying, so for the sake of your well-being, putting in the time to continue your hobbies is a good idea.

Hobbies can also play a crucial role in your employability and job prospects because they show commitment, act as a good talking point in interviews and teach you transferable skills.

For example, being on a sports team teaches you teamwork and strategy, while writing fiction enhances your communication and creativity. Even hobbies that you might not think are important are teaching you transferable skills – knitting, for example, which develops your attention to detail and patience!

Keep up your hobbies to boost your CV and keep yourself mindful and relaxed during your time at university. They’ll become even more important once you enter the world of work.