Glasgow graduates give you five reasons why you don’t need to panic about finishing uni

In the midst the beginning of the end for many students, if you decide to go into the working world, regardless of your degree, it can be challenging to find your feet. It’s easy to get stuck in a vicious cycle of unhelpful thoughts, but even if your plan is a little shaky (like a Stranger Things marathon on Netflix from 9am-5pm) or completely non existent, there is no need to panic and run straight into the first office job you see.

“What are you going to do with that degree?” will begin to feel like the most asked question in your life and, undoubtedly, it’s a pretty tricky one to answer. But, as a young person with limited experience who is straight out of a global pandemic, is it really reasonable to be viciously worrying about future employment at this very moment in time? I don’t think so, and here’s why:

1. You are still young

If you went straight into uni from school, you’re likely to be still in your early twenties and what 20-year-old wants to be sat in an office from 9am-5pm in front of a bunch of screens?

2. You cannot discover what you want to be until you find out who you are

As a young person, the majority of us don’t know what works for us yet. You have to challenge yourself, get out there to gain experience and ultimately, until you find something that works for you, there’s no point in settling for the first offer that comes your way.

3. Many people ‘fall into’ lines of work

Research conducted by the New College of Humanities shows that only half work in the same field that they graduated in but a staggering 19 out of 20 have changed jobs at least once within three years of graduating. Therefore, even if you think or know exactly what you want to do, keeping your eyes peeled for.

4. Any degree is not going to be wasted

Deciding that you want to be a doctor doesn’t mean that a considerably long degree and thousands of pounds spent on a medicine degree is worth nothing – any university degree gives you a set of transferable skills that many employers are bound to be looking for. Research from Prospects shows that many graduate employers look for degree-level candidates rather than those who’re fully disciplined in one specific subject.

5. You’re not alone

Sheffield University’s careers adviser Marcus Zientek has stated that many students are unsure of their plans after graduation: “How uncertain they are does vary, from those who have an interest in a general area of work but have not yet decided about it, to those who describe themselves as not having any ideas at all.

“Panicking doesn’t help and is unnecessary anyway. Don’t let things drift – keep calm and make a plan. Realise that you’re not deciding what to do with the rest of your life, but choosing a good next step for you.”

What advice to Glasgow graduates have?

We recently spoke to some University of Glasgow graduates, and despite graduating with fantastic grades, they have most certainly struggled to land something stable in the working world.

We spoke to Aidan, an economics graduate from last year. He said: “I just didn’t really think about it enough. I graduated and sort of thought, oh, and the realisation sort of hit quite quickly. Perhaps I was too in the cycle of the student lifestyle but hey, I certainly enjoyed my student years to the full.”

His friend also commented: ”If I had the chance to (and I urge that every student in their penultimate year does this) I would have began to apply for grad jobs, internships – whatever it is that’s useful for you – when I began my third year.

“I left it too late and I’m now having to wait until next year before I can start my grad job. Yeah, it’s not the end of the world but just some time that I’m not gonna be able to put to the best of use.

”I would also suggest to any student to just get involved in anything career-related throughout uni. Even if you’re in first year, during your summer holidays get out there and gain some experience.”

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