Written by Putera Muhammad
When you start on your first year in university or college, it seems like there is a long way to go and a lot of time to think about what to do after graduation. Many don’t begin to consider it until their final year. However, it does not matter whether you have always prepared a plan on what to do after finishing your studies or still blank, it is important to know what are among the choices that you have and which one is better.
First of all, the most basic choice that you should think is whether you want to work in the preferred industry or further study. Within those choice, you also have a number of paths. Career guidance centers and career fairs, either on campus or organized by industry players are very useful. You should join those programs and use the opportunity given to talk to knowledgeable people, gather all information needed and figure out the best route for your preferred career path.
If you want to further studies, find and talk with the people are already in the area of work or finishing their study in the area you are attracted to as it is a good way to make plan for the next step. Universities and colleges usually have former students they can put you in touch with if you are considering to further study, while many companies will be happy to put you in contact with people from their graduate program to tell you about their experience.
Taking that first job
Students surely are happy to see the end of “assignments, exams and student life” after 3 to 4 years of studying. Generally, entering the path of work is the perfect route and it seems this is a good time to be looking for a job.
For those who are going straight from undergraduate into employment, this gives them the opportunity to identify their strengths and weaknesses earlier than others. There are also the opportunity to identify which sector they might want to specialize in, or find out if it’s even the right type of work for them.
There are also the chances to further studies by enrolling in a part-time postgraduate course. Fortunately if you are lucky, your study may be funded by your company and along with getting study leave and bonuses for good performance in exams.
Postgraduate
The people who are still not ready for employment, there is another choice which is the option of a postgraduate course, either course-work or research. Both coursework and a research postgrad can be useful in improving your employability. The important thing is to know which course will help you in the future when you are ready to have a career.
Coursework master’s basically very similar to an undergraduate degree, as one must attend lectures, being given the group works and regular assignments. It is already organized with students are expected to complete a major thesis or dissertation by the end of their programme. It helps to strengthen the student’s self with strong teamwork and communication skills and give them a better understanding on their chosen area. The coursework master usually last one to two year.
For research postgrad students, by collecting data, it helps them to making contacts with the professionals when they are out to do their research. It really increase their chances to get a job after the postgrad.
A research postgrad program also gives the student chances to know and dig more about the area of their research in does not matter whether the location is in the country or internationally. Both of the programs are also a road to become an academician, it helps if the person want to pursue their career to consultancy or being a specialist in a particular area.