A fireman, a pilot, an actor, a vet or what about a Mid-weight Flash & Motion Graphics 3D Designer? I do not think any child would ever envisage such a career path whilst playing with their Tonka toys. We can spend our whole adolescence planning our career but in one swift swoop of maturity this can all change.

Identifying a career path

Success comes with identifying the right career path. Over the last four years I have gained experience from working in six different industries in four different countries. Since starting my climb up the higher education ladder my dreams and aspirations have changed tenfold along with my vision of the perfect job. However, I do not see change as such a bad thing. Personally I enjoy the change and the new challenges, environments and meeting new people. We can plan to our heart’s content but nothing can prepare us for what lies ahead, there will always be external circumstances that will affect our career course and I can guarantee there will be obstacles to add to the adventure. Working in a number of industries and various working environments has not only matured me as a person but also as a professional in the work place. It has helped me determine what I would like from my career and helped me identify my strengths and weaknesses. 

Change can be opportune and the transition between careers can be a successful one with careful planning and preparation. Everyone needs time to step back from the real world and reflect on their career.  Career planning cannot be made in fine detail, although sticking to the general direction of the plan and self motivation can be the key to success. People, including myself, are often misled and drawn in by large salaries that can frequently leave them in a work environment they no longer enjoy. The right career will bring motivation and confidence, and once you are happy in your role, other opportunities can begin to come your way.

After taking a year’s break from my studies my outlook for my future has changed considerably, I realised that majoring in Digital Media doesn’t limit me to creative industries but can in fact lead to all forms of possible career paths. I spent eleven months working in sales and marketing at a four star country house hotel and the experience I gained is invaluable. 

The important of Employability Skills 

Cheryl Buggy recently held a talk with student at the University of Portsmouth about het flourishing career and life after University. Cherly is the Station Director for Xpress FM, a non-commercial radio station setup for the public as a non-profit making organisation. Her journey began twenty-one years ago with a two minute weekend broadcast and from there her career flourished, doing features for BBC 4, Jazz FM and Classic FM before progressing to her current role at Xpress FM. However, radio was never in her career plans, neither did she study it. Cheryl started her career as a teacher and after two more career changes finally plucked up the courage to apply for a job at Ocean FM. 

Cheryl is a proclaimed expert in Emotional Intelligence, she discussed the importance of making sure you have the right employability skills, as matched with a degree you have a much higher chance of getting the job you desire. Such skills as self awareness and responsibility, optimism, persistence and empathy are all vital employability skills we should seek to develop, allowing us to further develop our careers. Understanding yourself and managing your emotions can help individuals keep focused and to work to a purposeful manner. It can also lead to self-belief, being optimistic and having the ability to sell yourself, which are all admired skills when being interviewed. Cheryl explained the importance of being a team player, not only allowing you to work well with your colleagues but people in general, be it clients or customers.   Cheryl has made money and business through networking.  Networking is about creating a set of contacts and subsequently building a trusting and genuine relationship with these people.

Volunteering has always been looked upon as a great step in the door when it comes to career advancement; Cheryl was no stranger to this. She mentioned how great volunteer work can look on your CV as it shows the willingness to develop and learn. One thing I have learnt from undertaking these career units is volunteer and industry placement is the best way to develop yourself as a person.   

Cheryl Buggy’s career progression is something to aspire to, she took something she loved and made it into a career, showing determination and seizing any opportunity that came her way. We only live once so live each day as if it’s your last. Anything you do; do it well. The last thing you want is to be sorry for what you didn’t do. 

Stand out from the crowd

With such a large number of students set to graduate in the spring of 2009, you need to stand out from the crowd in order to get noticed. It has already been established that experience is vital in order to be succesful in life after University. If you have any spare time, get yourself down to Purple Door and find some experience. Even if its just for a week or a few days, it will help you build up your network and experience the real world that awaits you.

Don’t be scared to try something new or unsual, life is about taking risks and in today’s increasingly competitive world of business, no one can afford to sit and wait for opportunities to fall into their lap. Now more than ever, you have to know how to sell yourself in the job market, and have the determination to get yourself through the door and to the interview.  One way to really stand out from the crowd is to create an impressive CV that will grab the attention of your future employer and help secure you that job you have dreamt of.

To the Future

Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the actions and opportunities you failed to take than the ones you did. To accomplish great things you must not only act, but also dream. You can plan my career path down to the finest of detail, but you must believe in order to fulfill. Nothing is impossible and its crucial not to limit yourself. Limiting yourself to what you think you can do will only hinder your career success, as fresh graducates you should be prepared to go as far as your mind will let you. In order to achieve great things you must be patient, work hard and wait. That might sound drab and boring, but if life were measured by what we have accomplished, most of us would die in infancy. As Mark Kay Ash once said, there are three types of people in this world, those who make things happen, those who watch things happen and those who wonder what happened. I have the chance to decide which type of person I want to be. 

“Most of the important things in the world have been accomplished by people who have kept on trying when there seemed to be no hope at all” - Dale Carnegie