Hey Graduate! Congratulations for completing your degree, we know it’s been a crazy final year with assignments and exams.
You’ll likely get bombarded with questions from friends and family on “What’s your plan now?”. This can be quite pressurising, especially when you haven’t fully thought on what you want to do.
No need for you to panic though - We’re here to help our community of Graduates and we want you to be well informed so you can make a well-thought-out decision on your next step! If you have no idea on what to do after completing your undergraduate degree, here are some options you can think about for your next step:
Work Experience: Internship or Graduate Scheme?
As a new graduate within the Construction Industry, work experience opportunities are great ways to gain real world experience in an area of interest! Internships are also chances for you to get your foot in the door at a company that you really want to work for.
In Construction, Graduate jobs are one of the best options after university! Graduate jobs and schemes are entry-level roles to help you gain exposure, skills and experience in the Industry. Graduate schemes in particular are amazing - they include a mix of skill training and hands-on experience over the period of 2 years and usually expose you to different departments within a Construction company and the stages of Construction!
Depending on the career role within Construction that you want to do, a Graduate Traineeship is also a good option to consider! It is similar to a Graduate scheme, however it provides a blend of learning and working in one industry department/role instead. Traineeships are good to help graduates transition into the Construction Industry.
If you’re concerned about applications, CV’s and interviews, drop us a question through our contact form!
Explore a new career role path?
Many graduates end up venturing down another career area following their undergraduate degree - this is nothing bad, it can be a result of change in your interests! For example, you may have studied Architecture but now you want exposure & involvement into the stages of Construction (just like our Founder did) - Work experience opportunities like Graduate Schemes are great for this!
You even may be someone looking to move into the Construction Industry following a degree in a completely different course. No need to worry as careers in construction aren’t just for industry related graduates - there are roles suitable for most degree subjects! It’s worth browsing through the different roles in construction to see where your interest lands. Once you’ve got an idea, look for some insight work experience opportunities in that area!
You can Explore our career Roles in Construction, explore our EDUCATE page.
Gap Year?
As a new graduate, you may not be ready for the world of work yet and may want to take some time to discover what you actually want or like. Gap years are great opportunities to develop transferable skills such as communication and adaptability, improve language skills or gain some work experience whilst abroad.
If you’re considering taking one, have a Gap year with intention! Whether it's to go abroad to multiple places or to gain new experiences or skills, it’ll be good to plan out your year carefully. Start by scheduling any activities, work experience, volunteering and travel and understand what you want to achieve within that time!
Don't forget, Gap years are a great way to also add to your CV so explore different kinds of experiences and skills beneficial to the Construction Industry that can be added to your CV.
You can Explore our career Roles in Construction to know the kind of skills you should look for depending on your area of interest! Explore our EDUCATE page.
Postgraduate study?
For some Construction careers, this is really not necessary! This is why knowing what you want to do and researching is important. If you have a particular passion for an industry topic and want to specialise or pursue a job there, it’s best to check whether extra education is needed to ensure access to it - if this is the case then we definitely recommend postgraduate study!
It’s worth researching the type of Master course titles there are for your area of interest e.g. Sustainable Architecture, Real Estate Development & Investment, Construction Engineering Management, Quantity Surveying Commercial Management etc. (the list goes on!).
If in doubt, drop us a question through our contact form!
Training Course?
Training courses are a good way to expand your knowledge and awareness on topics or areas in the industry. You may want to also consider a CPD session in your area or topic of interest! This ‘Continuing professional development’ session makes learning more conscious and proactive for you, rather than passive and reactive. CPD combines different methodologies to learning, such as training workshops, conferences and events, e-learning programs, best practice techniques and ideas sharing, all focused on your professional development!
Upskill!
If you’re interested in the design side of the industry, now would be a great time to sharpen up on your design awareness and ability skills from software's to design development! Workshops are great for this. Architecture & Engineering firms , alongside RIBA, tend to host a few free sessions for budding Architects/Engineers!
We also have a few things in store! Sign up to stay up notified for when we hold our design skills workshop for aspiring Architects and Engineers! - Connect page.
Start that business or project idea?
If you have a passion or idea that you want to develop into a business, this will be a good opportunity to kickstart! Starting any kind of business won’t be easy and comes with great responsibilities, however seek advice wherever you can. Talk to friends and family, especially those who have started their own businesses, and try to understand the difficulties and rewards involved! It would be good for you to Brainstorm and create a business plan to get your thoughts into a structure. If it still sounds like something you want to go ahead with, then there are plenty of excellent guides and online resources available for start-up entrepreneurship!
You can also use the skills you've developed during university, such as communication, work ethic, time management and creative thinking, to invest in your passion and turn it into a job for yourself e.g. your passion is graphic design or product making, consider selling your work through an online marketplace. There’s no limits!
We hope this has helped you with your thoughts to point you in the right direction. It’s easy to compare your career development to that of your course mates, but don’t be discouraged! Remember - your journey is tailored to you! And that journey may just look different to someone else’s. Any option you choose to venture down will help grow you as a person and will give you insights into potential careers within the Construction Industry.
Join our community of diverse young female Graduates and Professionals in the Industry! - Join Us
If you’re concerned about applications and interviews, drop us a question through our contact form!