Student Communications Ambassador Jacob Chesters talks about life after Bath Spa and what his options are after graduation.
It’s coming to that time of year when the inevitable “what’s next” question is fired all around from family, peers and almost anyone you tell that you’re graduating soon. Some people might have it all figured out with their own step-by-step guide or five year plan, but it’s not unusual to have no fixed plan.
Before coming to university I had no idea what I wanted to do at all. I applied to study History as it was my highest A level grade and that was about it. Before starting my studies, I took two years out and ended up working at a secondary school for the first year and a primary school for the second. None of this was planned, it just happened and it could not have been better for me. It’s a cliché, but these years out gave me time to grow and mature before going into further education.
Taking time
You can take a gap years at any time; it’s common for people to take time in between undergraduate and Master’s, and extremely common between Master’s courses and a PhD. But just because many may choose to do this, it doesn’t mean that you have to. I went straight from my undergraduate degree to a Master’s, and my current plan is to continue on to do a PhD straight away. The reality is that I’ll probably take a year out to work, save up some money, and perhaps even travel if restrictions lift.
There are so many options and routes for what to do when you finish Higher Education. Many of my friends are looking forward to going into the world of work and to having a steady income with no need to stress about deadlines or essays. Personally, I didn’t feel finished with my academic studies and as such pursued a Master’s.
I know some of my friends have changed their path after graduating; some have gone on to graduate jobs in a different sector to their degree, whilst others have used freelance jobs to take time to figure it all out. There is no right or wrong thing to do after graduating, so if you’re uncertain don’t worry, especially as everything is a bit up in the air in the world at the moment, it’s just that bit harder to plan ahead.
Careers support
The careers support at Bath Spa is a great way to get inspiration or ideas about what is out there in the wide world after graduating. At the start of the year I went onto the My Career Bath Spa website and signed up to receive email notifications about jobs in a variety of sectors. It’s great because you can sign up to receive daily or weekly emails, and see which ones stand out to you. It also includes graduate programmes, opportunities for further study and even jobs abroad.
Bath Spa also offers extensive career support. From helping you with job applications and interviews, finding jobs, placements or further study to offering mentoring or startup and enterprise support. They have a virtual careers service and offer 20 minute online appointments to offer you advice on whatever you need! There are so many different opportunities for support, I am yet to explore them all whilst completing a busy Master’s programme, but they have been so helpful I would definitely recommend using the service.
Next steps
In conclusion, whether you are certain of your next steps, or need some more time to figure things out, Bath Spa is there to support you whatever you decide. From providing personalised guidance to learning general skills ready for the job market, or whatever comes next, you can really see that the future is in your hands!
Find out more about the support offered by our Careers team online.