What is your next destination? How to explore your career options
By Megan Blacker
You may have come to UCT with a very clear idea about what you would like to do upon graduation, or you may have come not having a clue what you will do beyond your studies. Either way, you should be exploring your career options – you never know what you don't know! As an added bonus, it will also tell you what skills you might need to develop to help you thrive in a certain role.
24 | YO U R CA R E E R G U I D E 2022
1. Create a list Start by identifying two or three career paths that you would like to explore. You can still change this list later. You might already have these options lined up, otherwise there are many places to look for ideas: the UCT grad gallery, LinkedIn, or even job listings online (to see relevant positions, requirements and companies). Did you know that most other universities also publish Careers Guides? Here are just a few of our favourites: 1.
"Career Update" by University of the Western Cape
2.
"GradMag" by Cape Peninsula University of Technology
3.
"The Oxford Guide to Careers" by the University of Oxford
2. Research your options With platforms like LinkedIn and Twitter, it's become easy to follow and read about the careers of likeminded people. Try finding UCT alumni with your degree behind their names to see the careers they have crafted for themselves. This will help you not only to see what job titles are available to graduates with your degree, but also which companies are recruiting in that field. It might also give you an idea of extra courses and certifications people often take on to get into a specific career. Most importantly, it will show you whether the job belongs on your list.
