December is the month of optimism. Although the solstice on December 21st may be the shortest day of the year, it’s the gateway to better things – from then on, days only get longer and brighter (notice I didn’t say ‘sunnier’).
This has nothing to do with careers, but as a bit of fun, you can participate in the winter solstice in Orkney, an archipelago of islands off the far north coast of Scotland. Every year, local photographer Charles Tait, in partnership with Historic Scotland runs a web cam in Maeshowe, a prehistoric chambered cairn on Orkney’s West Mainland. For a few days each midwinter, the sun shines directly through the cairn’s entrance passage, illuminating the cairn’s interior.
Whilst we’re on the topic, mid-winter is also a good time shed some light on your career options… 
Essential Career Actions for December
Give yourself a pat on the back, take some time to wind down and celebrate (maybe with a trip to the Christmas markets?) as you’ve made it through the first semester of your Masters! The upcoming winter break is a good time to reflect on the past few months – take a look at what you’ve achieved and what’s gone well, and maybe what hasn’t gone quite to plan and how to change that in the new year.
The winter break is also the prime time to be thinking about your future, whatever stage you’re at. Whether you’re applying for graduate schemes, wondering what other jobs might be out there, or thinking of further study, we’ve got a graduate recruitment timetable that’ll give you the low down on essential actions to take this year, and when to take them.
Vacancy alert!
If you haven’t started looking for job opportunities (graduate scheme or otherwise) for after you finish your course, December is a very good time to start:
Careers Link – our very own ‘job shop’ for University of Manchester students
Targeted job searches and vacancy source by career area in the Careers Service Which Career? Section
Passport Career – for those looking for a career anywhere in the world. Passport also runs helpful webinars on working internationally.
Knowing where to look for jobs is fine, but…“Help! I’m a Masters student – and I’m not sure what I want to do next.”
If you don’t know what you want to do next, be reassured you are not alone.
This article by our Postgraduate Careers Manager, Elizabeth, is a fantastic place to get started with easy things you can reflect on to help you decide what direction your career could take after graduation:
It’s never too early to start preparing for interviews
If you missed the Career Essentials: Successful Interviews for Postgrads, you can find the slides here. If you prefer the face-to-face approach, a little elf has just produced some teaching space, so keep an eye out for more Careers Essentials sessions in early 2017.
Our ‘Interviews’ pages contain information, advice, practice materials and videos.
Some excellent general preparation advice.
…and advice for more specific types of interviews
University of Manchester Careers Blog 
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