When to start planning your career

At university, you’re juggling studying, socialising, extracurricular activities and a host of new experiences. You don’t want to neglect your uni work or miss out on the fun. But when should career planning become a priority? The easy answer is now. It’s never too early, but it’s also never too late. So, whether you’re a fresher who wants to map out your career timeline ASAP or a graduate who’s unsure what to do, we’ve got you.

In this guide, we’ll take you through:

• Career planning tips for different stages at university
  • First year
  • Second year
  • Third year
  • After graduation
• When to apply for internships in the UK
• What to do if you don’t know what to do
• Why having a career timeline is a good idea

Throughout uni, you’ll have a huge number of career opportunities. University gives you a unique chance to explore your interests, attend events and make contacts. Plus, there’ll be plenty of companies around campus trying to recruit smart students like you.

The career planning process can be as structured as the modules of your degree course. Assuming you’re on a three-year course, here’s what we recommend doing at each point.

It doesn’t matter what stage you’re at, but the sooner you put your mind to it, the easier it’ll be to build a career you want. So, look at the opportunities available to you at your uni stage.

Welcome to uni! Although you’re only at the beginning of your academic journey, it’s still worth thinking about your career. Take advantage of events and schemes aimed at freshers to get ahead. Time will fly by on your degree, so it’s not too soon to think about what you’ll do as a graduate.

Our tips for your first year include:

• Go to career fairs and look for inspiration. They’re great places to make contacts too. Not sure how to network? Read our ultimate guide to networking.
• Consider work experience over your first summer break. It’s important to still give yourself time to relax but now is a good moment to experiment with a placement. It doesn’t matter if it isn’t right for you long-term as it’s so early in your career journey. You might be surprised by what you enjoy. Check out our work experience listings for the latest opportunities.
• Look out for any sector-specific initiatives. Interested in a financial services career? Apply for spring weeks and insight programmes before Christmas.

Now that you’re settled into uni, it’s worth trying to get a firmer grip on what type of work will suit you. We know it’s easier said than done but ask yourself the following questions:

• What have you learnt about yourself at uni?
• What are you good at?
• What sectors appeal to you?

You might now know you want to build a career in a field related to your degree. Alternatively, you might have realised you’d like to use your skills elsewhere. There’s no right or wrong route here.

Our career planning tips for your second year are:

• Keep going to career fairs. Freshers’ week isn’t just for freshers, so look out for on-campus events.
• Research summer internships. If you secure an internship, use that opportunity to network and gain experience. You’ll meet new people and it’ll help you figure out the work you’d enjoy.
• Check if there are any timely opportunities related to your course. Are you studying law? If so, your second year is when you’ll typically line up a vacation scheme. Explore our list of vac scheme opportunities.

If you’re on a three-year course, your time at uni is coming to an end. It’ll be a busy year academically, but it’s still worth putting time aside to think about what you’ll do once you graduate. If you’d like a job lined up for when you finish uni, you’ll need to apply for roles throughout the year – the earlier, the better.

Our top tips for giving your career a boost in your third year are:

• Research graduate jobs and schemes. As well as viewing job listings and applying directly, use any contacts you’ve made to find out about potential roles. The more people you talk to about the kind of position you’re looking for, the more opportunities you’ll hear about.
• Practise your application and interview skills. Polish up your CV, improve your cover letter writing and brush up on your interview skills so that you’re ready for your first applications.
• Focus your energy on your finals and dissertation. Once you’ve applied for jobs and are waiting to hear back, remember that you’ve done all you can. If you don’t have a grad job lined up when you’re finishing your course, it’s OK. Plenty of people don’t get onto a grad scheme but still have excellent careers. Focus on finishing your degree and don’t get too disheartened about your job hunt.

Reading this as a grad? If you didn’t do any career planning while you were a student, it’s OK. Getting a degree is hard work, so we get it. You still have time to find your dream job. But as with everyone else, the sooner you start planning, the better.

Here are a few things to keep in mind:

• Recognise the skills you’ve gained. If you didn’t do an internship or placement while at uni, it doesn’t mean you didn’t gain experience. Think about the skills you’ve learned through your course, uni society or part-time job. It all counts, so call out those abilities when you make job applications. Plus, thinking about them is a great confidence boost if you’re feeling a little lost without the day-to-day structure of university.
• Apply for graduate schemes. Plenty of grad programmes will still accept you. You might have missed the application deadlines in your third year, but it’s worth researching the options available for the next intake. Use our handy application deadline list to view the available grad schemes and find roles in your industry.
• Look out for entry-level jobs. You don’t have to limit your job search to graduate jobs and schemes. While graduate employers are specifically looking for students and recent grads, there are plenty of recruiters who are open to hiring candidates without industry experience. Look out for junior positions that will suit sector newbies.
• Use your uni career service. Unis want their grads to go onto great things. Because of that, lots of unis allow their new alumni to access their support. Speaking to a career adviser can be extremely valuable. They’ll advise you about available opportunities, job applications and how to use your skills. Plus, your university might have schemes to help you get into work. If you don’t ask about them, you might not find out they exist.

For most sectors, it’s not too late to build a career even if you didn’t gain experience while at uni. In the rare cases that it isn’t possible (ie. you need a certain degree), you’ve got the option of going back to uni to get the necessary qualifications. It might take you longer to get there, but you can still do it. If you’re considering returning to university, read our guide on further study.

Internships are a valuable way of building up work experience.

When to apply for an internship depends on the individual opportunity. Technically, you can apply for an internship during any stage at uni. However, other programmes specifically target recent grads.

In general, it’s never too early to apply for an internship. So, feel free to apply during your first year. Just look out for any specific requirements in each job ad. For example, internships in engineering or veterinary fields are likely to require you to have finished your studies. However, other sectors (like marketing and retail) offer summer internship opportunities for students.

To find out the exact time of year to apply and the different opportunities available, visit our list of application deadlines for internships.

Can't figure out what to do? You’re not alone.

It’s OK if you’ve got no idea what to do after university. If career fairs leave you uninspired, it’s probably time to put the job sites to one side for now. Instead, think of your career hunt as a push to try new things and explore what you enjoy. Join clubs. Get involved. Take on responsibilities. You’ll start to understand what roles will suit you best, and you’ll build up some great material for your CV. There’s no need to spend your time at uni constantly applying for grad roles if you’re unsure which way you want to go. There are lots of other ways to build your career – even if you don’t know what direction to go in.

For more help here, check out our advice for when you have no idea what to do.

What if you thought you knew what you wanted to do but now you’ve changed your mind? For example, you were set on becoming an academic. However, your instincts are now telling you that a publishing career is the better choice, but you don’t have any publishing work experience to back up a job application.

Changing your mind is perfectly fine and it happens all the time. While you might feel unprepared compared to those who started planning for this career in their first year, you can use the situation to your advantage. You’ve learned something about yourself and what you’re good at. That’s hugely valuable. It’s OK to change paths – just make sure you shout about your transferable skills in your job applications.

Even though things can – and do – change, having a career timeline can help you take control of your future.

Whatever stage you are at university (or if you’ve finished your studies), it’s worth mapping out the things you plan to do. So, if you’d like a summer internship next year, plot it in your timeline and make note of the application deadlines.

Thinking further ahead, you can use a career timeline to plan future goals. What industry qualifications do you need to get your dream role? And how long will it take you to get there?

Plus, if you’ve got an idea of where you want to go, you’ll find it much easier to answer the common “Where do you see yourself in five years?” interview question.

Equally though, you need to let yourself be flexible. Just because you’ve been planning something doesn’t mean you have to stick with it. Your dream career might be something you haven’t even heard of yet. So, if you realise something isn’t right for you in year one of your five-year plan, it’s better to change paths early on than stick it out for the sake of it.

Your university years are a busy time. Because of that, it’s easy for career planning to take a backseat. However, there are so many career development opportunities available to students and recent grads, such as internships, work experience placements and guidance from career advisers.

Whatever stage of uni or life you’re at, the earlier you start career planning, the better. However, plotting out a career timeline doesn’t mean it’s set in stone. It’s OK to have no idea what to do and to change your mind after you’ve gained experience in a certain field. Part of career planning involves giving yourself the freedom to explore roles and sectors so that you’ll find a job you love.

Carving out a career path takes time but with patience and perseverance, you’ll get there.