My experience with Careers Guidance

In my previous blog, I spoke about how I felt my journalism journey was going.  I was loosing focus and started to feel like I wasn’t going to make it in the world of media.

Well like I said in that very same blog, I wanted to turn that feeling around and I had decided to go to a careers guidance meeting at Sunderland University.

And that’s exactly what I have done.

Upon arrival I was asked to fill out a form that would just help clarity to me and my adviser what it was that I wanted to get out of the meeting.

Found what I have been looking for

I met with Rob Hunt who was really helpful and is the reason for me feeling more confident and positive about my career. We spoke about what I wanted to do and what I didn’t want to do and the truth was, I really didn’t know- I felt rather lost. After talking about it, I found that I am interested in Theatre PR,  Arts Admin and Magazine/ Feature writing.

Now that I had found what I had been looking for,  Rob then started to talk to me about the ways and means of finding these roles/jobs that were on offer and also how to look for experience in these fields.

How to find roles

Although I was aware of the services that Sunderland Futures provide for current students and graduates like me. I didn’t know that they have a blog  that can provide you with links to job searches, blogs from previous students about work experience (including mine on my ITV placement which you can see here ) and all sorts of things to give students a stepping stone into the career of their choice.

Now I am sure you have all heard of LinkedIn , I have always used it as a online CV/portfolio. I know my profile still needs work but I have used it for a CV and for searching jobs.  What I learn’t from Rob was that on LinkedIn, I can search for people in the industry and connect with them and contact them which means I can ask them about work experience and advice. It was really interesting and inspiring to see people’s stories- to see how they had worked up towards the job that they are in.

Networking

Of course in this industry, it can often be a case of who you know not what you know and LinkedIn is a great use for that as well. But what I also thought about was all the contacts that I have made throughout my career, I should get back in touch with. Especially those in theatre and pr, I am sure that if I asked them- they would give me advice and hopefully opportunities for work experience.

Doing my research

Rob mentioned a good point about researching companies that offer opportunities or work in the industries that I am interested in.  But also looking at the profiles on LinkedIn to see what companies they have worked/working for and see what are all about.  On LinkedIn you can filter your search, so we looked at Theatre, PR and loads of profiles come up- some of which I hope to contact and get some advice from.

On the right track

Now obviously we talked about other avenues that were of my interest, I just wanted to give you a small taster of my experience at the appointment. Rob was a great help to me and I think that now I am on the right track on my journalism journey.

So if you are like me, a graduate or current student at Sunderland University and are worried about your career aspects then please go and visit Sunderland Futures at The Gateway Building and feel inspired.