Congratulations on reaching your final semester! It’s an amazing achievement to have completed a course of study and you should be commended for all your hard work.
Sure, you might still have essays to write, dissertations to research and presentations to deliver but, once you’ve done this final push to complete your studies, just imagine all the fun you’ll have and what a fabulous future you can look forward to.
I’ve previously shared some tips from a graduate on successfully completing your essays and exams so be sure to have a look at that article too but, for now, let’s consider the weeks and months after you’ve graduated and what you can do now to prepare for those exciting times ahead…
Preparing for your career
I know you’ve already got plenty of coursework tasks to do on your computer BUT this is one of the most important tasks you can do to prepare for post-graduation: updating your CV. You’ll need to put all your new qualifications on there even without the classification – that will come later.
But now is the perfect time to update your resume while it’s all still fresh in your mind. You’ve probably still got access to the list of modules you’ve taken over the past few years so you can use that to accurately describe the skills you’ve learnt and the knowledge you’ve gained while you’re writing your CV.
Likewise, update your LinkedIn profile and make sure you’re projecting a professional image on all your social accounts, ready for companies who might be planning to employ you in the future.
Applying for future roles
If you’re planning to do an internship or join a graduate programme after this semester, you’ll probably need to be applying for those positions now. In which case, try to dedicate some of your screen time to searching for exciting roles and projects so that you don’t miss any important deadlines and can get your application in now.
However, some jobs that you’re hoping to get after graduating won’t be recruiting until closer to the time so, instead, you can research the roles and companies you’re hoping to work in. This might indicate what extra skills you’ll need to add to your CV, such as mentoring (which you can do while still at college by helping new students) or understanding a particular computer program.
If you already know what course, job or internship you’re going to be doing next, you can feel safe and secure in your future beyond graduation, which is a lovely position to be in when you finish your course.
Celebrating your success
Before you head straight into the world of work, make sure you have some fun. The first thing you’ll enjoy with all your fellow students is probably the end-of-year prom but after that comes the big celebration – your graduation.
Whether you’re planning a party with all your coursemates or are having a celebratory gathering with your family and friends, you’ll need to start making some plans now. This will not only give you something to look forward to and some extra motivation to get through the last semester of your studies, but it also means you’ll have time to get graduation invitations printed and organise your party.
Even if you’re not going to host an event, you still need to let your family know that you’ve completed your course – they’ll all want to congratulate you and send cards or gifts to you. There are plenty of grad announcement examples online so browse the options or create your own design in preparation for sharing your good news at the end of this semester.
I hope you’ll have fun planning your future this semester. I know you’ll still have modules to complete before you graduate but if you’ve prepared in advance, you’ll be ready to complete your course and leave university with plans in place for your next step.
Please let me know what you’ve been doing to prepare for post-graduation in the comments below – I’d love to hear what fun parties or holidays you’ve got planned and any career goals you’re working on. 🙂
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This article is a sponsored collaboration. The pink links in the content indicate a sponsored link or information source. The blog post reflects my own experience and the sponsor hasn’t had any control over my content 🙂
