Many students don't have a specific career in mind when they start university and that's OK. You may have chosen your degree subject because it interests you or was something you loved doing at school.

The good news is that today, unless you are doing a very vocational degree, like accounting, engineering or sciences, many employers don't focus on your degree subject. They're more interested in what motivates you, your skills, how you think and your behaviours

I have my degree, what do I do now?

There will be many career options open to all degrees, in fact, your head's probably swimming with huge number of options open to you. You'll need to start working out a plan to narrow them down and eventually start to make decisions about what you want to do next. Here are some tips on how to go about that.

Focus on the role

It is easy to get fixated on a specific sector or company and totally lose sight of what it is you would actually be doing as job. First focus on the roles your transferable skills would open up to you so you'd be playing to your strengths, and then work out where you would like to apply those skills. Explore what your day-to-day responsibilities would be and if you could really see yourself doing that for the next few years. Think about the kind of dynamics you look for in the people you'd be working with, and the culture of an organisation.

Where could my degree take me?

There are some useful online platforms to help you get an overview of careers directly relevant to your degree subject, but also related careers where your degree could come in useful. You'll find these in the Suggested Reading Section.

These platforms give a comprehensive review of typical employers, the skills needed, the day-to-day responsibilities, the qualifications and training needed, what work experience is useful and what career progression you could expect.

These platforms are very useful but remember, you are more than a degree subject and your degree is not necessarily your career. Think of yourself as a diamond, with many different facets that make you who you are. So, as well as your degree subject, you also need to consider your own preferences, interests, and strengths. You know yourself better than anyone else so don't leave it to anyone else to tell you what to do. Your career is a life project, one that grows with you, so really own it!

Get to know your Personality

Your personality is how you uniquely think, feel, and behave. When you have a job that suits your personality, you can show up to work more authentically, be more effective and productive in your role. You can use your personality strengths in your day-to-day role and to add to your team dynamics. This means a much happier you! This why employers use psychometric personality tests and assessment in their recruiting!

Suggested Reading

> Career options

> Explore your where your degree could take you

> Match your skills and personality to over 400 jobs

> Which degrees are relevant to which careers

By Anna Gordon - Certified Business Coaching Psychologist ABP CBCP