1. Develop your emotional intelligence
Emotional intelligence is your ability to understand and manage both your own and other people’s emotions and feelings. It can help you make the right decisions, adapt to different environments and achieve your goals.
As a starting point, you should consider:
- being mindful of why and when you or another person feels a certain way in various situations
- managing you and other people’s thinking and behaviour in the context of certain emotions or feelings.
Ultimately people will be at the core of your work so learning to work with others is important.
2. Build your networks
Career opportunities will always come from your networks.
You can have all the skills in the world and put in the hard yards. But if you never get an opportunity, then all your talent, potential and hard work is lost.
This means you must actively find or create networking opportunities. Attend networking events, collect business cards and take time to meet with others.
Make the most out of networking events by:
- talking to as many people as you can
- asking questions about their career paths, interests and work
- being genuine and sharing what you’re most passionate about.
3. Get that internship/work experience
Internships and other forms of work experience can lead to a graduate or entry-level job. They provide practical real-world experience and an opportunity to develop your skills. They also allow you to build strong networks, develop relationships and learn about yourself.
To find and prepare for internships, make sure you speak to your
- Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander student centre (tertiary education students)
- Career adviser or guidance officer (high school students)
If you’re a university student interested in internships, you should also contact organisations like CareerTrackers. CareerTrackers helps match your interests to an appropriate internship.
4. Find mentors
Mentors are key resources students should tap into. They can:
- share lessons based on their own journeys and experiences
- provide you with opportunities you’ve never thought of
- help you build your networks
- give you new perspectives to help make the right decisions and tackle career-related problems.
You can find them anywhere and have as many as you want. Mentors will help you in different ways in the future so make sure you build these relationships now.
5. Lifelong learning
Completing your studies shouldn’t mean the end of learning.
The world experiences everlasting change with occupations shifting form all the time. Being able to learn quickly and adapt to change will help you build a successful career.
Those who are successful always look to expand their knowledge and consider further learning opportunities.
