{"id":5336,"date":"2020-10-12T12:57:52","date_gmt":"2020-10-12T12:57:52","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blogs.cardiff.ac.uk\/alumni\/?p=5336"},"modified":"2024-10-08T12:38:08","modified_gmt":"2024-10-08T12:38:08","slug":"the-journey-starts-here-for-alumni-by-alumni","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.cardiff.ac.uk\/alumni\/2020\/10\/12\/the-journey-starts-here-for-alumni-by-alumni\/","title":{"rendered":"The journey starts here \u2013 For Alumni, By Alumni"},"content":{"rendered":"\r\n
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Nadine Lock (BA 2001) has worked in Human Resources for over ten years i<\/em><\/strong>n the Third Sector and Private Sector<\/em><\/strong>. She reflects on the\u00a0<\/em><\/strong>journey facing\u00a0<\/em><\/strong>the Class of 2020<\/em><\/strong>, and shares the things she wished she\u2019d\u00a0<\/em><\/strong>known as a new graduate.\u00a0<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

Facing\u00a0working\u00a0life as a graduate is an oddly thrilling yet really disruptive transition at the best of times – let alone in the midst of a pandemic. This year\u2019s graduates aren\u2019t just riding a wave in the course of life,\u00a0but battling a tsunami of\u00a0disruption and\u00a0change.\u00a0<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

As I come up to my 20 years as an alumnus it\u2019s given me pause to reflect on my career since my Uni days. Working in HR and recruitment has naturally made me think of how the Graduates of 2020 feel\u00a0about starting their careers in a coronavirus climate and recession.\u00a0<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

Naturally, as an English Literature graduate I could only start this piece\u00a0with the\u00a0inspiration\u00a0\u00a0of\u00a0an author.\u00a0So, in the words of\u00a0Ursula Le Guin\u00a0\u201cIt is good to have an end to journey toward; but it is the journey that matters, in the end\u201d. These words really sum up for me the type of\u00a0mind-set\u00a0that will serve\u00a0new graduates\u00a0venturing out into the world\u00a0of work\u00a0really well.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

So,\u00a0to get your journey going\u00a0I\u2019m sharing\u00a0with you things I wish I knew\u00a0as a new graduate:<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

1<\/strong>.Resilience\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

Now is the time\u00a0to build\u00a0on\u00a0your coping skills to get\u00a0you\u00a0over hurdles. We\u2019ll always face life changes and challenges,\u00a0but nobody told me how to deal with them as a new grad.\u00a0<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

Don\u2019t despair if you\u2019re not getting interviews despite applying for jobs. Sign up with a recruitment agency for some honest advice on your CV and make sure you\u2019re tailoring your applications to adverts and job descriptions each time.\u00a0Highlight your skills like teamwork and problem solving and show how your skills transfer.\u00a0You may also be eligible to get support from the University,\u00a0so\u00a0email\u00a0careers@cardiff.ac.uk<\/a>\u00a0to check.\u00a0<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

If you get a\u00a0knock-back\u00a0from\u00a0an interview don\u2019t let it diminish your confidence. Bounce back from it with gusto. Change your mind-set. See this as a learning opportunity and a sign you did something\u00a0right to get an interview.\u00a0Of course you\u2019ll feel disappointed. But, you\u2019ll have met\u00a0contacts\u00a0in a professional environment and got to practice your\u00a0interviewing skills.\u00a0<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

Ask for feedback on what you could have done\u00a0better.\u00a0See this as a golden opportunity to learn something that\u2019s practical and will get you\u00a0ahead\u00a0in your next interview.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

2.<\/strong> Realism\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

This is an exciting time in your life and you should aim high,\u00a0but have patience.\u00a0I entered the world of work with rose coloured glasses and full of youthful optimism. I\u2019ve always stayed positive but definitely\u00a0had a reality check\u00a0as a new grad\u00a0that I\u2019d have\u00a0to\u00a0start\u00a0at the bottom and work hard.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

You\u2019re learning the ropes and will likely find\u00a0out\u00a0the same thing\u00a0as I did.\u00a0You\u2019ll need to reset, readjust and refocus your line of sight.\u00a0Have flexible rather than fixed\u00a0career\u00a0plans and look for the opportunities in everything you come across. Do things with relish\u00a0–\u00a0a good attitude\u00a0and taking chances\u00a0opens\u00a0doors.\u00a0<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

Consider volunteering, job shadowing\u00a0or work placements\u00a0to build your soft skills and try things out. Be open to temporary jobs in companies you want to progress in\u00a0for CV experience and a reference. Practise networking, actively follow companies on social media and make polite, professional proactive approaches to scope out opportunities.\u00a0<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

3. Relationships\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

When you\u2019re working or volunteering you don\u2019t get to choose who you work with. You might not have things in common with every colleague\u00a0and they might be different from people you\u2019re used to. You can still learn loads from people at work though. I found asking people questions and listening to their ideas about work projects and seeing how they approach things really helped me settle in places.\u00a0<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

Use the people around you to give you a helping hand and a listening ear to become the professional you want to be.\u00a0If you come across someone who inspires you professionally ask if they could\u00a0mentor\u00a0you\u00a0and keep this habit up. You can expect advice, guidance and feedback when things are particularly challenging or you\u2019re not quite sure how to go about something.\u00a0<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

Another really good place to start is with\u00a0Cardiff Connected. The University\u2019s alumni networking platform is a great way of developing your professional network. There are\u00a0thousands of people who are willing to help by answering questions, making introductions or offer support as a mentor.\u00a0<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

Success is a series of small things\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

Although this time will be tough for you as a new grad it\u2019ll also be something you\u2019ll look back on fondly. It\u2019s a time for learning, growing and trying things out.\u00a0<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

You\u2019re at the start of a journey and an epic adventure. Take the time to enjoy your new path without being scared to veer off track every now and then and over plan things.\u00a0<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

You\u2019re about to grow so much as a person and meet lots of so many interesting people along the way.\u00a0I\u00a0hope\u00a0I\u2019ve given you some encouragement\u00a0to keep your ambitions burning and see a bright future is\u00a0waiting\u00a0for you.\u00a0


<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

Tell us what matters to\u00a0you\u00a0<\/strong><\/h5>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

We\u2019ve\u00a0introduced \u2018For Alumni, By Alumni\u2019, because who knows our alumni community better than…you guessed it, you!\u00a0We’d\u00a0love to hear from you<\/a>\u00a0with ideas for articles or online events that you’re interested in, you can give insight on, or maybe you ARE the story! Check out our\u00a0full line-up of\u00a0articles<\/a>\u00a0and watch back our\u00a0live events playlist<\/a>.\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\r\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Nadine Lock (BA 2001) has worked in Human Resources for over ten years in the Third Sector and Private Sector. She reflects on the journey facing the Class of 2020, and shares the things she wished she\u2019d known as a new graduate. ","protected":false},"author":904,"featured_media":5338,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[39,201,4],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-5336","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-cardiff-connect","category-for-alumni-by-alumni","category-news"],"meta_box":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.cardiff.ac.uk\/alumni\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5336","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.cardiff.ac.uk\/alumni\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.cardiff.ac.uk\/alumni\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.cardiff.ac.uk\/alumni\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/904"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.cardiff.ac.uk\/alumni\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=5336"}],"version-history":[{"count":10,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.cardiff.ac.uk\/alumni\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5336\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":10036,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.cardiff.ac.uk\/alumni\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5336\/revisions\/10036"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.cardiff.ac.uk\/alumni\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/5338"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.cardiff.ac.uk\/alumni\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=5336"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.cardiff.ac.uk\/alumni\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=5336"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.cardiff.ac.uk\/alumni\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=5336"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}