By Naiyira Naweed, BSc Physics, Department of Physics
King’s has so many resources to help students prepare for careers that at first I found it overwhelming looking at all of the things that I can do. But don’t worry! The Careers Department is dedicated to helping us navigate around these resources so that we can make the best of them. I have only been here for two months but have already been helped tons in preparing for my career.
The Careers Department hosted a careers seminar with personalised advice aimed towards only first year physics students. They gave tips and answered all my questions, so I walked out feeling confident in what I need to do next. I was given a very useful timeline that told me when I need to consider applying for placements. One of the best things about these careers events is that they scan your card, and this automatically marks your attendance, so that they then send you all the important information and links from the seminar.
I am interested in going into research in the future, and so I was absolutely delighted when I heard about King’s Undergraduate Research Fellowships. This is when undergraduates can work with professional researchers and help towards research. It gives invaluable experience and allows undergraduates to see what the world of research is like.
There seems to constantly be a career fair going on in the Great Hall. Apart from offering plenty of free items (my week’s supply of chocolate is sorted!), they offer valuable information from an assortment of employers. I went to a Discover Careers event, which are events for people who are searching for a career, and found out about jobs which I had never heard of before. I also went to a volunteer fair where I found out about where I can apply to help tutor children in places of high poverty.
Clearly King’s is helping me discover what I want to do in the future for my career. But this is not all it’s doing – it’s also helping me build relevant experience and take the actual steps needed to get to where I want. An example of this is the Student Ambassador Scheme. I am a physics ambassador and so I represent the Department of Physics at events. This is helping me gain experience which develops transferable skills such as teamwork and communication. I am also signed up to King’s Talent Bank where I have applied for part time work within the university, which is further helping me to gain experience.
Honestly, I don’t know what I want to do for a career after I graduate. But it’s okay to not know! No one is expected to know so soon, especially as a first year, and you’ll find that most people are in the same situation. However, I am certain that with a lot of introspection and the help of the amazing people at King’s, I’ll figure out where I want to go and how to get there.
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