Hey class of 2020, worried about what’s coming after graduation!? Read this.
Maybe you’re an international student hoping to stay in the UK.
Maybe you’re an EU student worried about Brexit.
Maybe you’re Scottish, born and bred, but have no idea what you want your future to look like.
We’ve all followed different paths yet we’re all facing the same question; what’s coming after graduation?
Prepare yourself, I’m going to be very honest about what’s coming.
This summer I have deeply pondered what the heck I’m doing after Aberdeen. As an international student, I have only four months after graduation to stay in the UK (unless Boris Johnson changes this . . . click here to find out what I’m talking about). Should I get my Master’s!? Should I jump into my career and get an ‘adult’ job!? Should I get a little crazy and do both!? All I know is that I am not ready to head home.
Continuing our education and getting our Master’s may allow us to become more specialized in our field, more desirable in the career pool, and allow us to stay in the UK or EU with a student VISA. Unfortunately, post-grad is expensive and not everyone can afford it . . . plus we actually need to get accepted first. Although doing a Master’s may be exactly what we want to pursue, we might not know right now if it’s a definite possibility.
Maybe a job??
It is so intimidating to imagine leaving Uni and diving headfirst into our careers. It feels as though even entry-level office jobs are looking for professional experience we don’t have. It is also a bit discouraging knowing that we might not get a job in our desired field.
On top of all of this, if you’re an international student like me, you probably already know that to legally work in the UK, or the EU, your employer needs to sponsor you. Unfortunately, not all employers will sponsor international workers. And apparently, you need to have AT LEAST £945 in your bank account for 90 days straight. So . . . what if within the four months after your graduation, you aren’t successfully hired by an employer who agrees to sponsor you? What if you’re a typical graduate and barely have enough money to pay for #life!?
So after these discouraging words, let’s head back to the question we’re all here for; what’s coming after graduation????
NEWS FLASH: you don’t need to know. Yet.
Really . . . you do not need to know what’s going to happen until graduation comes and goes and a decision needs to be made. Your future might be up in the air until the last second and it’s OK! The way I look at it, it’s better to have too many choices rather than no choice at all.
But in order to have the opportunity to actually MAKE a choice for yourself, you need to open ALLLL the doors. Go after everything you can!
https://uberbuttons.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/Opened-Doors-e1466451775895.jpg
If you’re debating whether to pursue further education or begin your career, don’t make yourself sick over trying to solidify your future. Lay down the foundation(s) for both! Try applying to post-grad courses during the first semester, and then try applying to after-graduation jobs during second semester. This way, by the time you graduate you will have offers and/or denies from both post-grad courses AND after-graduation jobs. You have created a situation where YOU get to make the call. Either accept or deny. That’s all you need to do.
And if you are considering neither post-grad nor beginning your career, over the next two semesters lay the foundation for as many goals as possible. This way, instead of regretting the ONE door you chose to open, open as many doors as possible with the intention of closing the ones you don’t want to enter in the end.
Don’t ruin your final year at Uni by stressing your life away. No final decisions need to be made today, tomorrow, next week or even next month. Take it slow, expand your options, and don’t worry until it’s the only thing you have left to do!!
Hey international and EU students! Here are a few links to help you understand what you may want/need after you graduate.
International:
- General work visa (Tier 2) https://www.gov.uk/tier-2-general/eligibility
- General student visa (Tier 4) https://www.gov.uk/tier-4-general-visa
- Extend your General student visa (Tier 4) https://www.gov.uk/tier-4-general-visa/extend-your-visa
EU:
- Right to reside https://www.gov.uk/right-to-reside
- Continue to live in the UK after it leaves the EU https://www.gov.uk/staying-uk-eu-citizen