Olga and Jonathan are alumni from the Department of Geography and Environment. Graduating with a BSc and a BA degree they both have several years experience in their professional careers working in residential development consulting and financial services marketing respectively. Here they look back on what steps they took when thinking about careers and share their experiences and top tips for finding a job that fits!
Finding the right graduate job, let alone career, is a daunting prospect for anyone. The options are never ending and overwhelming, and even if you have a good idea what industry interests you, the range of roles available make choosing a career very challenging.
It sounds easy, but the best place to start is to think about what you enjoy doing, what interests you, what motivates you. Most importantly, be honest with yourself; if you enjoy your job and find value in what you are doing, you are more likely to succeed as you will be naturally motivated to get up every morning and go to work.
It’s not an exact science, and it doesn’t need to be – often you won’t know what you will enjoy until you give it a go. This doesn’t necessarily mean applying to every summer internship that’s out there, as internships are not for everyone and you may find other experiences more beneficial. There are plenty of temporary, part-time or voluntary jobs out there which will give you great experience of different roles, and exposure to other organisations who may open up new opportunities or options for you in the future. Even immersing yourself in Student Union societies and clubs will provide valuable experiences to benefit your career, and meeting fellow students can also give you a different perspective.
Occasionally, you may find that your initial ideas about your ideal career do not live up to your expectations. Don’t panic – this isn’t the end of the world and these situations, where you learn what you don’t want to do in your career are the most valuable; and often, the earlier you find this out the better, before you are stuck doing a job you hate!
Their top three tips for making the most of your time here at LSE and thinking about your future are:
- Invest time in thinking about what you really enjoy doing- try mind maps or writing ideas down, whatever format works for you.
- Explore different ideas to narrow your options – whether you end up liking them or not, the experience will be invaluable.
- Experience doesn’t need to come from a formal internship – try volunteering or part-time jobs which are relevant and give you flexibility to try other roles.
So if you’re at the stage of thinking about your future, or are keen to explore different ideas, why not make an appointment to speak to a careers consultant to help you explore different ideas and interests? You could also have a look at our CareerBuilder tool. This is designed to help you think about skills, interests and motivations.
The LSE Volunteer Centre organises a range of volunteering opportunities including one-off events or ongoing opportunities with a range of charities and NGOs. You don’t need to be thinking about the charity sector to really gain from these experiences as they will enable you to try out different functional areas.
There are also a range of events coming up designed to help you find out about ways of getting work experience opportunities. Check LSE CareerHub for full event listings.
And now, a final thought: From talking to many graduates about their career decision making, it’s clear that chance plays a big part but those people who are ‘lucky’ are usually those who make the most of opportunities that come their way and really make the best of any decisions they take.
‘Luck is preparation meeting opportunity.’ – Oprah Winfrey
