University of Manchester Careers Blog

Do you worry that you don’t know what you want to do for the rest of your life?  Do you feel you would be trapped by taking a graduate job, and panic about not making the right choices?

Don’t panic a job is not for life  (unless you want it to be)

No one really expects you to have a crystal ball and be able to map out your entire life. If you have a good idea of what you want to do for the year after you graduate that probably counts as long term planning.

Some people have goals and plans and seemingly were born wanting to be an accountant / doctor/ teacher etc. That’s great for them we hope their goals are fulfilling. The rest of us make it up as we go along!

Plan for now!

Using what you know about yourself and the jobs available what would you like to try out? Take the plunge and apply.

If you can’t muster the enthusiasm to research the job and apply, or it feels wrong at interview it’s a clue it might not be right for you. You might need a bit of help thinking about what you would enjoy. That’s ok some people need someone to bounce ideas off or help unpicking what they really want. So give us a call.

What if I start a job and hate it?

1. Sometimes it can take a while to really bed into a new job. Give it a chance and talk to colleagues or your manager if you feel you are struggling or it’s not what you thought it would be like.  By giving it a go and persevering you may be able to show off skills that would land you another job.
2. Any job has a notice period (a length of time after which you have to work if you resign or are fired) Notice periods for graduate level jobs are likely to be around 1 month, the more senior the position the harder you are to replace so the longer the period – but check the contract.
3. When you are new in a job you may have a probationary period during which the notice period is even shorter often 1 week.(Check the contract)
4. It’s easier and less stressful to look for a job when you are in a job.  So if you feel like a job is not for you don’t necessarily bail out immediately.  It will look better on your CV if there are no long gaps, plus you can truthfully say you left to pursue a new challenge.

If you do decide to leave a job because you don’t like it try to stay on good terms with people. It may be tempting to vent your anger or disappointment but stay professional. You may be asking for a reference from these people in the future. It’s also a very small world out there, you never know who may know whom in the next job you apply to.

Won’t it look bad on my CV if I’ve had lots of jobs?

It depends what they are, what you learned from them and how you sell it!

• It wouldn’t be considered unusual for a new graduate to take several short term jobs to get experience.
• Even starting a graduate scheme and leaving to do something else need not look terrible on your CV.
• Be positive: talk about the skills & experience you gained.
• Reflect on at you learned about what you like and dislike and use that intelligence to make better more informed choices next time. Learning from our mistakes and trying again is also a skill!