I'm graduating, now what? As the end of the school year approaches this is a common question heard from graduating students embarking on the next stage of their lives. While graduation is a thrilling time, it can also be daunting, regardless of whether or not students have a clear career path when they graduate.
Tehmeena, a student in Atkinson's Human Resources Management program says, "I've spent the past four years really focusing on my school work and being involved with my student club and campus events. Now that I'm graduating, I feel like there's so much to do but I'm totally overwhelmed and not sure where to start."
The anxiety that many graduating students, like Tehmeena, feel about making career related decisions and taking action is common. "Fear about making the 'wrong' decision can even be paralyzing" says Carolyn Steele, career development coordinator at York’s Career Centre "…but knowing which steps you can take can help ease the transition after graduation."
To support graduating students in their transition, the Career Centre has created a new career resource - Next Steps for Graduating Students. This Web-based tool provides graduating students with 24/7 access to information to help them take their next steps with confidence. The site includes:
- strategies for effective networking and for gaining career-related experience;
- tips on how to research occupations and find a job you want;
- video clips of York grads sharing their experiences after graduation;
- online workshops to help students present themselves professionally; and much more.
The Next Steps for Graduating Students Web resource will be officially launched on Tuesday, March 7. To see a live demo, students can visit the Career Centre booth in York Lanes between 10am and 3pm. Additional activities to support students as they transition after graduation will continue over the next few months and will include workshops on professional etiquette and job search essentials, as well as a series of online chats. Following the launch, students who may be wondering, what comes next can check out the new Next Steps for Graduating Students Web tool at http://www.yorku.ca/careers/nextsteps/index.html.