Finding a job is a challenging task for many young people, particularly recent graduates. The Coronavirus pandemic has made graduate unemployment even worse, so candidates need to optimise their CVs and prepare for a tough fight ahead to find their dream role.
There are many ways to enhance your CV and make it as unique as you are, including volunteering, extracurricular activities and hobbies.
Another tactic is to consider a postgraduate qualification. Having an additional degree or diploma makes you more qualified than candidates without one.
While a postgraduate qualification can benefit your CV, you need to make sure that you choose the right programme. A qualification issued by an unrecognised or unreputable institution could do more harm than good to your job prospects. It could also waste a lot of time and money, so you need to make sure that you choose wisely.
With many options on the market, there’s a lot of factors that you need to consider. In this article, we’ll outline the key considerations that you need to take into account so that you can find the perfect postgraduate programme.
Identify Your Career Focus
At university, it’s easy to keep an open mind and think that your career path will fall at your feet after graduation. However, for most graduates, this isn’t the case. When searching for a postgraduate course, you need to find one that will get you on track towards the career you want. For example, if you want to become an orthodontist, then as well as your dental studies, you also need to take a course designed for orthodontists. An example of this can be seen through specialist providers such as the London Dental Institute who offer an Accredited Qualification which can be done online if you want to avoid face-to-face training right now. By doing some research into what’s available, you can then find the perfect course so that you can earn the skills required for the career you want to pursue.
Ask About The Employment Statistics Of Your Shortlisted Courses
Once you’ve identified your specialist focus and seen a few postgraduate qualifications that look interesting, you need to check that they actually give you a good return on investment. Ask to review the course brochure and the employment statistics for recent graduates. Compare the statistics of several education providers and courses to find the one that offers you the best chance of success. Obviously, every graduate’s situation is unique, so employment statistics aren’t a guarantee that you will find a job that you love. Therefore, they need to be reviewed alongside the other factors on this list so that you can make an informed decision.
Check Out The Credentials Of The Teaching Staff
When you’re researching the postgraduate qualifications on the market, one vital thing you need to check is who is teaching the course. Most education providers will provide details of the teaching staff on each course as standard, so you can easily learn more about who will be teaching you. Review their qualifications and experience, so that you can check if they can give you a valuable learning experience that will enhance your career.
Explore Flexible Learning Options
While going back to university full-time might sound like fun, you might not have the option. If you have family commitments or want to start working part-time to fund your studies, then you’ll need a flexible solution. Many education providers offer part-time or remote learning programmes so that you can find one that suits your lifestyle. A remote learning course could be a perfect choice right now, as the Coronavirus pandemic has pushed many degrees online anyway. If you’re looking for a distance learning degree, then there are a lot of factors to consider to make sure that you find the right programme.
Searching for the perfect postgraduate programme takes time and research, so make sure that you review all the options on the market before sign up to a course. This guide should help you to understand the main factors that you need to consider when making this potentially life-changing decision.
