Daniel's story - from university to work
Daniel graduated from the University of Sussex last May with a degree in Finance. A year on, he reflects on the transition from university to the workplace and shares what he’s learned.
Try not to feel overwhelmed
“The first few months after you finish is tough,” he acknowledges, “unless you’re one of the organised people who has a plan and knows exactly what they are doing as soon as they finish.” For Daniel, it felt quite daunting, not quite knowing what to do.
“My first piece of advice would be to try not to feel overwhelmed. The fact that you have this open space in front of you, I would see as exciting rather than daunting. You’ve come out with your degree, and you’ve got all these opportunities; you’ve got your whole life in front of you.”
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Looking for a job
Daniel felt he had two options, either to look for a job, which he assumed he would be doing, or take some time out. “I know a lot of people feel they deserve a bit of time to relax,” he says, “and they should feel comfortable with that. Or if you want to travel, that’s an option as well.
“I would say try and decide as early as you can. You have a lot of time ahead of you, but it definitely helps.”
For those who want to travel, his advice is to go for it. “If you’re really passionate about it, I would really recommend it because the job search will take time. Get something temporary to earn a bit of money and go travelling. There will always be jobs waiting for you when you get back.”
Having decided he would look for a job, Daniel joined the relentless application process. “It can be absolutely horrible,” he admits. “You apply to a hundred, you might only hear back from 20 and only get progressed in two of them.
For people having similar experiences, Daniel suggests persevering:
“You just have to accept that and keep applying. It’s a very frustrating experience but eventually it will pay off.”
Daniel recommends creating a LinkedIn page, networking and getting on recruitment websites – even if they don’t have the best opportunities, they may well have jobs that are worth looking at.
Don't compare yourself with others
He also recognises the dangers of comparing yourself with other people at this time. He says: “You might look at someone and feel they’re accomplishing more or feel that what you’ve done is inadequate for your age. My best advice is don’t compare yourself with other people, just focus on your goals and what you want.”
Six months ago, the hard slog paid off, and Daniel started working for a pensions company and is happy there.
He points out, however, that most people don’t stay in their first job. “Not everyone’s path is linear,” he says. “You’ve just got to trust that you can create opportunities for yourself and be patient, eventually, you’ll end up where you want to be.”
