internship till after my exams University of Manchester Careers Blog

Can I leave looking for a job / internship till after my exams University of Manchester Careers Blog Yes you can but a) it depends what point you are starting from and b) it may limit some opportunities. Obviously there comes a point when you just cant do two things at once.   Exams are coming like an express train and you need to do what you  must to  get through them. That said I notice the gym is fairly busy at the moment so students are taking plenty of healthy breaks to refresh mind and body. Its a good strategy, breaking your day into chunks and concentrating fully on one thing at a time.   Could one of those breaks be to think about what happens after the exams? Some strategies to consider now 1   Have coffee / lunch with friends and discuss your plans for summer or beyond. Just get that conversation out there and see who is doing what, get some inspiration. 2   If you are in final year and have no plans or ideas for what you want to do after you graduate it might be worth finding 30 mins to schedule a careers appointment. NO PRESSURE   just to make a plan for after the exams, you may be leaving Manchester and will need an exit  strategy. 3 If you know what you want to do then just keep an eye on vacancies, you wouldnt want to miss out on applying for your dream job.   You can get some help with the application from us and that should make it easier.   You can set up an email alert on CareersLink and on many other services. 4 If you missed the Grad Fair here you can still check out what the exhibitors were looking for, and apply.  Or you may be able to catch one somewhere else in the country  . Leaving it all till after the exams and taking a break? Ok yes clearing your head is an option, how long do you need?  Exams end for most students in early June, so taking a couple of weeks off takes you to July. 1  If you are graduating and want to stay in Manchester  MGT could be a good option for you.  The turn around from application to starting work can be faster (as little as a month)  and the competition is a lot lower, as its only for Manchester University students. 2  By July most graduate schemes will be wrapping up recruitment so if you see one that is still open you need to apply fast.  Smaller employers are more agile and can recruit quickly so you will find a lot of these opportunities around. 3 If you are just looking for summer work then July is well is into the season, so youll need to look for immediate start opportunities.  Keep a look out for businesses advertising in the window or ask friends to put a word in for you where they work if anyone leaves! Looking for a job can take ages, theres the searching, the application, waiting to see if you will get an interview (several rounds of interview/ assessment centre) it can take months. So splitting this process into before and after exams might be an idea. You want the summer off? Well I do see where you are coming from (been there, bought the T shirt) BUT 1 If you are  a graduate you will find ad hoc opportunities available.  You might need to take a speculative approach if there are companies you want to target.  If a graduate scheme is what you want you will need to find experience for the year  and apply for the following summer start dates. An internship through  MGT could be a great springboard. 2 If you are a prefinal year student.  Youll need to think carefully about what you achieved in the summer (other than a tan). Did you volunteer? Do some casual work? Travel independently and gain valuable skills? Can I take a holiday if I start work in Summer? No one expects students to graduate and walk into a job the next day and not take a holiday ever!  We all need a break from work, many employers will be accommodating if you have a holiday already booked or want to take leave.  Just be aware you are likely to be part of a team or could be working on something time sensitive so some give and take may be needed. All Careers advice Graduate jobs Internships Undergraduate Undergraduate-highlighted careers exams grad fair graduate experience Graduate jobs graduate schemes Internships work experience