Planning the future

person holding book in front of orange tunnel

Planning for the Future

Many students start University thinking about the careers waiting for them when they finish their degree. Although it is great to be thinking about the future, it can often cause anxiety.

This anxiety can be about not knowing if you can get to where you want to go, if you actually want to commit to your current plans, or being unsure about what path to take next.

Worries for the future

It is important to remember that many students, and even those already in the workplace, have these concerns, concerns only made worse by the uncertainty of the future after the COVID-19 pandemic.

61.7% of students felt worried about getting a job even if they pass their exams

70% of students were worried about how Australia will look after COVID-19

75% of students were worried about how the world will look after COVID-19

These findings are from our THRIVE@Monash surveys conducted in 2020 and 2021.

It's okay to be unsure and uncertain about what is to come

Going from studying to full-time work can be a big jump that many students can be unsure about navigating. Students often feel pressured to figure everything out, and land a full-time job straight out of University, especially if they see their peers achieving exactly that, but that isn’t always what happens.

That is completely normal and you don’t need to worry about taking longer to figure yourself out, find a full-time job or develop the skills you need for the future. These things can take time and in the meantime you can take advantage of the opportunities that are out there for you.

If you are struggling to plan for life post-Uni or are worrying about what will happen in the future, tackling these concerns earlier will equip you better for whatever challenges you might face.

Here are some pointers that can get you started:

Check out what types of jobs are out there. Even if you are set in what you want to do, it is always good to see if there are any other jobs you could potentially be interested in.

 

Find your match

You can check out Skills Match to see what jobs your current skills can be applied to and also follow job alerts with certain companies, departments or institutions (eg. Careers.Vic) that you show even the slightest interest in.

Sometimes they can surprise you with interesting job positions that you haven’t even heard about.

Don’t know what could suit you?

In addition to evaluating your interests and qualifications, you can take personality and strengths tests to evaluate what sort of soft skills or characteristics you have that could help you in particular jobs.

More quizzes are available at Monash Career Centre, an online resource made for students to help with job seeking and boosting your employability.

 
 

Seek out inspiration from others

Looking at how people have gotten to where they are now can help you pave to where you want to go.

You can ask friends, family or even your tutors or lecturers how they ended up in their jobs and what opportunities are out there.

You can let them know where you are heading, maybe they have their own tips and suggestions.

Linkedin is a great way to see who is already in the career stream you are interested in and the path they took to get there.

You can discover similar opportunities that they have pursued or even contact them for career advice.

 

Similarly, you can seek out mentorship opportunities at Monash to connect with a professional in your desired field for tips and feedback.

There are many working people that are happy to help and advise students about career pathways and employability.

Taking the time to find learning and work opportunities can not only help you develop invaluable skills in a work environment alongside your degree, but also can help you figure out if particular careers and workplaces are right for you.

Check out the Uni for opportunities

Monash offers casual employment and internships to students as well as graduate jobs/programs. Finding work can give you a taste for different areas in a company and can make it easier to get a job there.

You can even try cold calling or emailing people who work there to see if you can get involved, especially if they are working on projects you are interested in.

 
 

Developing soft skills

Taking up a job or volunteering is also great even if it isn’t in a field that is relevant to what you’re studying.

They can help you develop soft skills such as leadership, or teamwork that are also crucial to the workforce and almost every job application.

Career and Networking events

Student groups, especially those for a particular discipline or course, can organise career and networking events.

These can be a good opportunity to mingle and learn from people established in a career path you may be interested in. Keep an eye on their social media pages for event updates.

 
hands raised 

Volunteer for a cause you're invested in

Getting involved in or volunteering for the committee of student associations and interest groups can allow you to gain experience while contributing to improving student life.

Check out the student association site of your campus to see what volunteering and internships they offer eg. MSA offers work experience here.

Volunteering Victoria has more opportunities outside of Monash University. Find more at:

  • Instagram page and websites of non-for-profit community groups or organisations
  • Facebook groups specifically made to share volunteering opportunities

Try and sign up for something you are passionate about eg. mental health or environmental issues

 
 

Attend employability workshops, expos and programs

Monash delivers workshops about employability through Careers Connect, which can hone your writing and interview skills needed to land a job.

Monash also holds a Career Expo every year where you can meet possible employers to talk about job opportunities.

Monash provides virtual experience programs hosted with leading companies like Electronic Arts and KPMG.

You can build skills like data analysing or programming, check if the type of work and organisation is suited for you and network.

 

graduation hat

Monash Career Centre

Monash has created online resources and tools to help you navigate finding a career and role that suits you and developing skills to improve your employability.

They offer over 700 short courses for career development, interview simulations for practice and global job search resources updated on a day to day basis

Part of planning for the future is writing down what paths you can take to develop yourself and get to a career you are interested in. This can even include the subjects you take at Uni.

 

Make a Career Plan

To start off, think about what skills you possess and what sort of lifestyle you want to live. What are your interests?

You can use this career plan resource to flesh out possible approaches for your future ambitions.

Feeling overwhelmed about planning?

You can break down your goals into achievable steps using SMART planning, which ensures your milestones are Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant and Timebound.

Creating a plan with these values in mind can help you keep track of what you require to achieve your goals and how far you have progressed in your career journey.

You can ask your loved ones, lecturers or tutors to look over your plan to see if they have any suggestions.

 
 

Career Counselling

Careers counsellors can give you an insight into what options there are for you in careers, work experience, job searching and upskilling.

They can help you make decisions about how to develop your career, prepare for interviews or provide ongoing support even after you have landed a job (eg. keep your job or get promoted).

You can call up Monash Career Connect to see how they can help.

GradWISE Program

If you have a physical or mental disability (which includes depression or anxiety), injury or illness you can receive free career counselling from the GradWISE Program.

GradWISE connects you with an ongoing counsellor for one-on-one support, introduces you to potential employers and provides monthly masterclasses for useful skills.

Don't put so much pressure on yourself

We are all led to believe that in order to be successful we must find our dream job as soon as possible, and that if we don’t, we have somehow failed. Just remember that on average Australians change jobs 12 times during a working lifespan so you are not expected to find your forever job immediately. Sometimes it can take you a while to find something that you are truly passionate about, and that is okay.

Want to talk to someone about your worries?

You can seek out free Monash Counselling and Psychological Services (CAPS) and other mental health services like Beyond Blue, Qlife (LGBTIQ), Mensline or Kids Helpline (for under 25s) if you want someone to talk to about your worries for the future and help you feel more motivated to seek out opportunities.

Friends and families can also be a great source of support as they could be currently going through similar struggles or have been through it all before. More about help seeking can be found on our Seeking Help page.