Deciding what to do after university can be both exciting and daunting. It is time for graduates to head out into the “real” world and some important decisions have to be made.

For some, deciding what to do after university is relatively straightforward. Some graduates know exactly what they want to do for a career so their next step is to look for jobs that will get them going on their career paths. However, a lot of graduates are unsure about what it is that they want to do next.

If you are in this position then here are 4 steps that can help you figure out what to do after university:

1. Consider your options

There are a number of options available to you after finishing university. Here are the main ones:

Get a job – You may feel ready to enter the world of full-time work, especially if you are an ambitious and career-driven individual. If you are raring to get started with a super-successful career, then don’t hesitate to get straight onto that ladder.

If you’re ready to jump straight into a graduate job, we recommend uploading your CV to CV-Library so that employers can get in touch with you about relevant roles! Upload your CV here.

Enrol in further study – You may want to consider doing as Master’s degree if this will help you to secure the career that you want to pursue.

Go travelling – Have you considered taking a gap year?

Build experience/volunteer

The first step is making a decision about which of these options is right for you.

2. Create a list

Once you have considered the options available to you, make a list of the ones that you are interested in and make them more specific. For example, if your list is based on jobs/careers that interest you, be specific about what roles you are interested in as this will help you with your next steps. Once you have created your list, you can ask yourself the following questions:

• What do I enjoy?
• Where do my skills and strengths lie?
• What’s important to me (a great lifestyle, helping others, making money etc.)?

You may want to conduct some more research into your listed options and discuss them with friends or family to help you pin down what really interests you.

3. Review your list

When you have a better idea of what it is that you want, you will be able to go back and review your list and establish your very best options. Establish what is non-negotiable for you. For example, if you are making a decision about your career path you may want financial security, to work in a team, a variety of tasks, opportunities to travel, etc.

4. Make the next step

Now you should have a manageable number of options to choose from. With these options you need to figure out what steps you need to take next in order to move forward.

While deciding what to do after university is an important decision, do remember that what you decide on now does not have to be forever. You will have to settle on a career choice at some point, but you always have the option to change your mind and take your career in a different direction.