Step 4: Make an action plan

Now that you have decided on a possible career, you can make a plan and start doing things to get you closer to the job that you want when you graduate. Use the answers to the following questions to identify the actions you need to take:

• What do I still need to find out about this career?
• Where can I find job vacancies?
• Are their graduate schemes for this career?
• Are there any specific employers I want to work for?
• Are there any skills that I need to develop?

Identify what you still need to find out

You may have general or specific questions about working in your chosen industry or career. Think of what they are and think of how you could get the answers.

Do you have any contacts you could ask? Could you get a placement or a voluntary job that would give you a better understanding of the job, or insight into the sector or industry? Could you talk directly to employers at careers fairs or other careers events?

Identify how you could answer your questions and then make a clear plan about what actions you are going to take.

You might find the following information useful: Networking, Work experience and Events.

Identify sources of job vacancies and opportunities

You need to identify where you can find advertisements for the type of job that you are after. You can then begin looking at advertised vacancies and seeing what skills and experience are required even before you are actively looking for a job. You can also investigate it there are suitable graduate training schemes for your career path.

See our advice on Finding job vacancies and Graduate training schemes.

Identify what skills you need to develop

Are there skills that you need to develop? Look at advertisement for jobs that are similar to jobs that you would like. What skills and experience do they ask for? Now identify ways that you could get this experience.

For ideas, take a look at Develop your skills.

Find employers you would like to work for

Identifying companies or organisations that you would like to work for is another option for finding vacancies and potential opportunities. There may be work placement opportunities, or you could approach the companies directly to find out about the possibility of working for them.

For more information see Finding employers and Making speculative applications.

Prepare yourself to apply for jobs

Start work on your CV and on developing techniques for writing covering letters and application forms. The Careers Centre runs regular drop-in sessions and courses to help all students.

For more information see CVs and interviews.

Review your action plan

Set deadlines for the actions in your plan and stick to them. Revisit your plans regularly to assess your own progress. If you are finding it difficult or feel you need to review your direction don’t hesitate to get support from the Careers Service. You can get in touch by phone or email, or you can drop in to use our library resources or make an appointment to see a Careers Counsellor.