transitions

Discussions relating to jobs and working, including finding work, interviews, the work place etc.

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Tortoise
Getting settled in
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Joined: Tue Feb 07, 2006 3:35 am

transitions

Post by Tortoise »

hey everyone,

I've sort of reached the point in my life where ive finished uni and am ready to start a new phase. I really want to get a job and become a more independent person. I guess its a great point in life to be at and I should feel really happy about it. the thing is instead of feeling happy and pleased, - I'm so scared. I'm not scared of independence so much - but just of where to next? How do i get to this point i want to be at....

you sort of pop out of the "university factory" with a great big thud and don't know where to head next. a bit like a lost puppy! I'm sure I'll figure it out eventually but in the mean time...

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anyone been there done that???? do you think this stage is harder for people like us or is it the same for everybody???
Daniel
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Post by Daniel »

Tortoise,

It's a complete natural reaction. Although leaving home and going to Uni seems like this great voyage into freedom and independence, in reality you're actually living within something of a student bubble. In some ways it's good though, as it's a convenient half-way house between living with parents and being out there in your own.

It can be a daunting prospect to leave Uni and decide what to do next. Some people know what they want to do and have drive and direction, and some people such as myself don't :D

Perhaps your degree will help indicate the sort of direction you should look to take, or maybe your own interests should dictate this. It really depends on how the work situation is down-under. In Britain, unless you've taken quite a specialist degree, it really doesn't force you down a particular route, whereas I know that from speaking to friends on continental Europe the degree you take really does have a large bearing on what career opportunities will be open to you. You also need to check out more generally what opportunities are out there, and how buoyant the job market is, as this might dictate how flexible and picky you can be.

Personally speaking, I graduated over 5-years ago, and my lack of direction hasn't helped me get into what you might regard as a 'graduate' job, although on the other-hand I have tried out a variety of things, including a volunteer year away, and it is through not being in a career I can now easily go travelling now. In contrast my flatmate took an IT degree and has been in well-paying IT jobs since graduating and is now looking at buying his own house, so it's swings and roundabouts really.
Snjstar
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Location: London

Post by Snjstar »

I graduated in June and do not know what I want to do long-term. Everything flows naturally until the end of Uni and then there are too many options.
Tortoise
Getting settled in
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Joined: Tue Feb 07, 2006 3:35 am

Post by Tortoise »

I think you nailed it on the head - too many options!

Thanks dan - i appreciated your reply. I guess i know the vague direction - but its daunting!
In Britain, unless you've taken quite a specialist degree, it really doesn't force you down a particular route,
its the same here. if you do accounting or dentistry your pretty set with what your going to do next. i guess im semi-set with my degree (feeling more semi than set at the moment :lol: ).

I guess things will sort out slowly... its going to be interesting for me to find out what i do next. i guess ill just have to surprise myself! \:D/
Liz944
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Post by Liz944 »

I graduated in 96 and fell into catering as my parents had a restaurant - gave up on biology as I break everything in the lab... Have time now to do what I want and have taken up environmental health degree.

Often if you are not sure what you want to do after uni - keep looking at different jobs which are advertised at some point you are bound to find something that interests you - if you don't at least you will know what you don't want to do...
jme
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Posts: 96
Joined: Fri Apr 28, 2006 5:52 am

update: I got a job

Post by jme »

Hey everyone,

Well, I have good news to report. I just got a job in research and I'm really excited by it.

I will be assisting a small team of researchers which includes a prominent cognitive neuropsychologist. I studied his theories at uni but never imagined that i would ever meet the guy, let alone be interviewed by him!!

While it is all very exciting, I am also quite overwhelmed and scared!!!

It was interesting to come back to this thread and read what i wrote a few months ago. It was good to feel that I have progressed!! (however, I still seem scared! :lol: ---but happy :)).

It's funny- at school nobody wanted me on their teem... well HA to them hey!! ;)

Oh, and I have not disclosed!! ooow, big issue there... what to do hey!?

ps. liz - that is so true! :
liz wrote: Often if you are not sure what you want to do after uni - keep looking at different jobs which are advertised at some point you are bound to find something that interests you - if you don't at least you will know what you don't want to do...
"Success consists of going from failure to failure without loss of enthusiasm."

"Normal refers to someone who hasn’t had enough tests!"
Ruth
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Location: Reading

Post by Ruth »

blimey well done you!! that is excellent.

with regard to disclosure I got some good advice from a very nice person this week. She said that as an employee she would much rather know if there was a difficulty so she could work around it. She had a very valuable member of staff who was dyslexic and didn't say and she nearly lost her before she found out. so if your boss seems nice maybe...

Anyway good luck I hope it all goes well.
Greg
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Post by Greg »

Not to lower the tone in any way, while simultaneously contributing nothing new to the discussion, but at this point it seems appropriate to say:

You are teh winnar!
jme
Regular Poster
Posts: 96
Joined: Fri Apr 28, 2006 5:52 am

Post by jme »

Thanks guys :) really appreciate your response.
ruth wrote:with regard to disclosure I got some good advice from a very nice person this week. She said that as an employee she would much rather know if there was a difficulty so she could work around it. She had a very valuable member of staff who was dyslexic and didn't say and she nearly lost her before she found out. so if your boss seems nice maybe...
Thanks so much for that ruth - it is really helpful to know! I was starting to think i wont disclose but after this i might think a bit more about it. Its tough because i dont know if my disability will interfere with my performance or not. I dont think it will, but maybe if i let them know anyway it wont hurt. maybe they will just be more understanding. I don't want to make a big deal of it. ill get to know them a bit and then maybe...
greg wrote:Not to lower the tone in any way, while simultaneously contributing nothing new to the discussion, but at this point it seems appropriate to say:

You are teh winnar!
OH HA! irnoically the reeserch is on dsylexia. (no kidding)

I like this email that did the rounds a while ago:
"Aoccdrnig to a rscheearch at Cmabrigde Uinervtisy, it deosn't mttaer in waht oredr the ltteers in a wrod are, the olny iprmoatnt tihng is taht the frist and lsat ltteer be in the rghit pclae The rset can be a taotl mses and you can sitll raed it wouthit a porbelm. Tihs is bcuseae the huamn mnid deos not raed ervey lteter by istlef, but the wrod as a wlohe. Amzanig huh? yaeh and I awlyas thought slpeling was ipmorantt!.!.!"
"Success consists of going from failure to failure without loss of enthusiasm."

"Normal refers to someone who hasn’t had enough tests!"
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